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| Phyllodytes gravata Santos, Rodrigues & Dias, 2026 |
Abstract
We describe Phyllodytes gravata sp. nov., a new species of bromeligenous treefrog from the Atlantic Forest of southern Bahia, Brazil. The new species is characterised by its small body size (males 19.5–22.0 mm snout-vent length; female 23.5 mm), a rounded snout with an apical tubercle, an inconspicuous row of tubercles along the tarsus, with a single prominent tubercle at the tibiotarsal articulation, a dorsolateral brown stripe, and an advertisement call composed of long series of pulsed notes (22–34 notes/call; call duration 5.2–7.3 s; dominant frequency 2.75–3.83 kHz). The species is currently known from only two nearby localities within the Central Corridor of the Atlantic Forest (CCAF), in the municipality of Porto Seguro, district of Trancoso, Bahia, a major tourist destination, where it inhabits bromeliads in sandy-soil ecosystems known as mussunungas. Its apparently microendemic distribution and strict association with bromeliads render it vulnerable to several anthropogenic threats, such as bromeliad harvesting, increasing tourism, urbanisation, and agriculture. This discovery underscores the persistent hidden diversity of the CCAF and reinforces the urgent need to protect its highly special microhabitats.
Keywords: Taxonomy, Amphibia, Bioacoustic, Bromeliad, Conservation
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| In-life photographs of Phyllodytes gravata sp. nov. A. Paratype, ♂ (MZUESC 23915). B. Paratype, ♂ (MZUESC 23885). C. Paratype, ♂ (MZUESC 23884) Dorsal view. D. Paratype, ♂ (MZUESC 23884) ventral view. E. Aechmea lamarchei Mez; F. Mussununga, the natural habitat at the type locality. |
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| A. Map showing thedistribution of Phyllodytes gravata sp. nov. and its sister species, P. amadoi and Phyllodytes sp. 7. in southern Bahia, northeastern Brazil. B. Phyllodytes gravata sp. nov., paratype, ♂ (MZUESC 23915). C. Phyllodytes amadoi, ♂ (MZUESC 24030 – photograph by Tadeu T. Medeiros). D. Phyllodytes sp. 7, ♂. |
Phyllodytes gravata sp. nov.
Laisa Souza dos Santos, Miguel Trefaut Rodrigues and Iuri Ribeiro Dias. 2026. Another Piece in the Puzzle: A New Species of Phyllodytes Wagler, 1830 (Anura, Hylidae) from the Atlantic Forest of southern Bahia, northeastern Brazil. European Journal of Taxonomy. 1048(1); 62–83. DOI: doi.org/10.5852/ejt.2026.1048.3235 [2026-03-27]