Herpetology Notes, volume 5: 431-433 (2012) (published online on 11 September 2012)
New records and geographic distribution of
Aplastodiscus eugenioi (Anura: Hylidae) in southeastern Brazil
Rodrigo de Oliveira Lula Salles*, Rafael Cunha Pontes, Thiago Silva-Soares
The genus Aplastodiscus Lutz, 1950 occurs from central
and southeastern Brazil to adjacent Argentina (Frost,
2011). Currently, the genus is composed of 15 species,
which are divided in three groups: A. albofrenatus, A.
perviridis, and A. albosignatus group with six, two
and seven species respectively (Faivovich et al., 2005;
Frost, 2011). The latter includes Aplastodiscus eugenioi
(Carvalho-e-Silva and Carvalho-e-Silva, 2005), an
endemic species from the Atlantic rainforest domain,
highly associated with epiphytic bromeliads.
This species has been recorded from the state of
São Paulo, in the municipalities of Ubatuba and
Caraguatatuba (Hartmann, Hartmann and Haddad,
2004; Carvalho-e-Silva and Carvalho-e-Silva, 2005)
and to the state of Rio de Janeiro, in the municipalities
of Mangaratiba (type locality), Angra dos Reis, Duque
de Caxias, Engenheiro Paulo de Frontin, Magé, Nova
Iguaçu and Parati (Carvalho-e-Silva and Carvalho-eSilva, 2005; Carvalho-e-Silva, Silva and Carvalho-eSilva, 2008; Salles, Weber and Silva-Soares, 2009).
According to Carvalho-e-Silva (2006) and Stuart et al.
(2008), the conservation status of A. eugenioi is Near
Threatened. The species has been signed to this category
since its former geographical distribution was less than
ten localities, in an area smaller than 5,000 km2. Also
the species is likely to be suffering a continuing decline
in extent and quality of its habitat (Carvalho-e-Silva,
2006). However the author suggests that further surveys
were very likely to reveal A. eugenioi occurring in other
locations.
In this study we i) present new records of Aplastodiscus
eugenioi in the state of Rio de Janeiro, ii) provide
an updated distribution map for this species and iii)
comment on the exact location of a paratype specimen.
During a field expedition in October 2010 at Reserva
Museu Nacional, Departamento de Vertebrados, Universidade
Federal do Rio de Janeiro. Quinta da Boa Vista s/n. CEP
20940-040. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
*Corresponding author: [email protected]
Ecológica de Guapiaçu (REGUA), municipality
of Cachoeiras de Macacu, state of Rio de Janeiro,
southeastern Brazil (22º25’S, 42º44’W, 140 m above
sea level), we found an adult male of A. eugenioi
(Figure 1; MNRJ 72577), which was calling from an
epiphyte bromeliad fixed at a fallen tree. At least six
other males were calling around the area. Although this
species uses bromeliads as calling site, eggs masses
are deposited in canopied forest streams (Hartmann,
Hartmann and Haddad, 2004). Aplastodiscus eugenioi
is therefore classified as habitual bromelicolous species
(sensu Peixoto, 1985) for using bromeliad as shelter or
calling site as previously suggested (Carvalho-e-Silva,
Carvalho-e-Silva and Silva, 2008).
The specimen of Aplastodiscus eugenioi was
collected and housed at the Coleção de Anfíbios do
Museu Nacional, Universidade Federal do Rio de
Janeiro (MNRJ). Moreover, we examined all the other
specimens of A. eugenioi that are housed at the MNRJ
(Appendix 1). In its description, two paratypes (ZUFRJ
6932-3) are cited to Raiz da Serra, municipality of
Duque de Caxias (Carvalho-e-Silva and Carvalho-eSilva, 2005). However, a correction should be made
regarding the locality of this specimen because Raiz da
Serra is actually located in the municipality of Magé.
Figure 2. Aplastodiscus eugenioi (MNRJ 72577) from Reserva
Ecológica de Guapiaçu, municipality of Cachoeira de Macacu,
state of Rio de Janeiro. Photograph by T. Silva-Soares.
432
Rodrigo de Oliveira Lula Salles et al.
Figure 2. Distribution map of Aplastodiscus eugenioi. Red star: Reserva Ecológica de Guapiaçu, municipality of Cachoeiras
de Macacu, Rio de Janeiro (collected specimens). Red circle (collection record): municipality of Guapimirim, Rio de Janeiro.
Blue circle (literature records): 1 – Raiz da Serra, municipality of Magé, Rio de Janeiro; 2 – Parque Natural Municipal da
Taquara, municipality of Duque de Caxias, Rio de Janeiro; 3 – Tinguá, municipality of Nova Iguaçu, Rio de Janeiro; 4 – Sacra
da Família Tinguá, municipality of Engenheiro Paulo de Frontin, Rio de Janeiro; 5 – Serra do Piloto, municipality of
Mangaratiba, Rio de Janeiro (Type locality); 6 – Reserva Ecológica Rio das Pedras, municipality of Mangaratiba, Rio de
Janeiro; 7 – Ilha Grande, municipality of Angra dos Reis, Rio de Janeiro; 8 – municipality of Parati, Rio de Janeiro; 9 –
Picinguaba, municipality of Ubatuba, São Paulo; 10 – municipality of Caraguatatuba, São Paulo.
Our study adds two new records to the former
geographical distribution of A. eugenioi; one at
REGUA, municipality of Cachoeiras de Macacu
(collected specimen) and another to the municipality of
Guapimirim (22º 31’S , 42º 59’W) (specimens found
housed at the MNRJ). The record at REGUA (Figure
2; red star) extends the known geographical distribution
of A. eugenioi ca. 50 km east from the nearest record
in Raiz da Serra (Figure 2; blue circle 1), becoming
the easternmost record for this treefrog. Now, its
geographical range goes from the northern coast of
Serra do Mar region, state of São Paulo, to the state of
Rio de Janeiro at the south-central region, entering the
southern portion of Serra dos Órgãos (regional name for
that part of the Serra do Mar).
The occurrence area of Aplastodiscus eugenioi reaches
now ca. 5590 km2 and, also, it is known to occur in
three protected reserves: Reserva Ecológica de Rio das
Pedras (Carvalho-e-Silva, Silva and Carvalho-e-Silva,
2008), Parque Natural Municipal da Taquara (Salles,
Weber and Silva-Soares, 2009), and Reserva Ecológica
de Guapiaçu (presente work). Although these new
information could move this species to a lower threatened
category, it might be more appropriate to maintain
the current conservation status due to the undergoing
deforestation and disturbance of its habitat. However,
for the reasons outlined above, we recommend that the
conservation status of A. eugenioi should be reassessed
in IUCN Red List in a short future. We still look forward
to find the species occurring in several other localities in
New records and geographic distribution map of Aplastodiscus eugenioi
the southeastern of Brazil expanding and/or filling the
gaps of its distribution.
Acknowledgements. We are especially grateful to Nicholas
Locke and Raquel Rissopatron de Locke who invited us to
carry out biological investigations within the Reserva Ecológica
de Guapiaçu, a protected reserve of its own implementation
and responsibility. We are thankful to Jéssica Fratani, Nathalia
Gonzaga, Raphael Jonas, Rômulo Rodrigues and Thamires
Benício for all assistance during fieldwork. To Luiz N. Weber
who kindly revised the manuscript. Conselho Nacional de
Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) and
Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior
(CAPES) provided financial support.
433
Hartmann, M.T., Hartmann, P.A., Haddad, C.F.B. (2004): Visual
signaling and reproductive biology in a nocturnal treefrog, genus Hyla (Anura: Hylidae). Amphibia-Reptilia 25: 395-406.
Peixoto, O.L. (1995): Associação de anuros a bromeliáceas na
Mata Atlântica. Revista da Universidade Rural, Série Ciência
da Vida 17 (2): 75-83.
Salles, R.O.L., Weber, L.N., Silva-Soares, T. (2009): Amphibia,
Anura, Parque Natural Municipal da Taquara, municipality of
Duque de Caxias, state of Rio de Janeiro, southeastern Brazil.
Check List 5(4): 840-854.
Stuart, S.N., Hoffmann, M., Chanson, J.S., Cox, N.A., Berridge,
R.J., Ramani, P., Young, B.E. (2008). Threatened Amphibians
of the World. Barcelona, Spain, Lynx Edicions; Gland, Switzerland, IUCN; and Arlington, Virginia, USA, Conservation
International.
References
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de Janeiro and São Paulo, Brazil (Anura, Hylidae). Journal of
Herpetology 39: 73-81.
Carvalho-e-Silva, S.P. (2006): Aplastodiscus eugenioi. In: IUCN
2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2.
<www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 24 April 2012.
Carvalho-e-Silva, A.M.T., Silva, G.R., Carvalho-e-Silva, S.P.
(2008): Anuros da Reserva Rio das Pedras, Mangaratiba, RJ,
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Faivovich, J., Haddad, C.F.B., Garcia, P.C.A., Frost, D.R., Campbell, J.A., Wheeler, W.C. (2005): Systematic review of the frog
family Hylidae, with special reference to Hylinae: a phylogenetic analysis and taxonomic revision. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 294: 1-240.
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Appendix 1. Material examined
BRAZIL: RIO DE JANEIRO: Municipality of Angra dos Reis: Ilha
Grande, RJ (MNRJ 48502–48504, 62324–62325, 63936–63937).
Municipality of Cachoeiras de Macacu: Reserva Ecológica de Guapiaçu (MNRJ 45783, 57950, 60197-60198, 72577). Municipality
of Duque de Caxias: Parque Natural Municipal da Taquara (MNRJ
47486); Sítio 13, road Cachoeira das Dores, Taquara (MNRJ 54586–
54587). Municipality of Guapimirim: (MNRJ 59583–59584); Estação Ecológica do Paraíso (MNRJ 45786–45789). Municipality of
Parati: Martins de Sá (MNRJ 63926–63927). Municipality of Paulo
de Frontin: Morro Azul (MNRJ 21658–21668); Sítio Pau Ferro
(MNRJ 66237). Municipality of Silva Jardim: border with Cachoeiras de Macacu, Serra dos Gaviões (MNRJ 53753-53754). SÃO
PAULO: Municipality of Ubatuba: Picinguaba (MNRJ 48414).
Accepted by Zoltan T. Nagy; Managing Editor: Sandra Flechas