The First Bromeligenous Species of Dendropsophus (Anura: Hylidae) from Brazil\u27s Atlantic Forest

We describe a new treefrog species of Dendropsophus collected on rocky outcrops in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. Ecologically, the new species can be distinguished from all known congeners by having a larval phase associated with rainwater accumulated in bromeliad phytotelms instead of temporary or lentic water bodies. Phylogenetic analysis based on molecular data confirms that the new species is a member of Dendropsophus; our analysis does not assign it to any recognized species group in the genus. Morphologically, based on comparison with the 96 known congeners, the new species is diagnosed by its small size, framed dorsal color pattern, and short webbing between toes IV-V. The advertisement call is composed of a moderate-pitched two-note call (~5 kHz). The territorial call contains more notes and pulses than the advertisement call. Field observations suggest that this new bromeligenous species uses a variety of bromeliad species to breed in, and may be both territorial and exhibit male parental care

Bromeliad Selection of Phyllodytes Luteolus (Anura, Hylidae): The Influence of Plant Structure and Water Quality Factors

Bromeliads are used by many frog species because of their capacity to accumulate rainwater. The bromeligenous frog, Phyllodytes luteolus (Yellow Heart-Tongued Frog), uses bromeliads for its entire life cycle including shelter, foraging, and reproduction. We evaluated the effect of plant morphometrics and the properties of water accumulated in bromeliads on the selection of these plants by P. luteolus. We sampled 103 bromeliads of which 41 were unoccupied and 62 were occupied by P. luteolus. Results suggest that bromeliad occupation by P. luteolus is nonrandom. We found that occupied plants were shorter in height, had a greater number of leaves, and had lower water conductivity than did unoccupied plants. Males were more likely to occupy plants with more leaves than were females. Plant selection may be related to the reproductive success of P. luteolus because frogs using plants with more leaves and lower conductivity may experience reductions in competition for space, predator encounters, and desiccation. Considering that illegal bromeliad harvesting threatens many bromeligenous frogs, improved understanding of bromeliad selection may determine which bromeliad species should be targeted for conservation to ensure the population viability of frogs