Systematics of Oreobates and the Eleutherodactylus discoidalis species group (Amphibia, Anura), based on two mitochondrial DNA genes and external morphology

We present morphological and molecular (mitochondrial DNA, mtDNA) evidence supporting the validity and monophyly of the genus Oreobates . This genus also includes members of the former Eleutherodactylus discoidalis species group plus Eleutherodactylus heterodactylus . The presence of prominent conical subarticular tubercles and prominent supernumerary tubercles associated with the axis of fingers and toes, the presence of glandular axillary pads, and the absence of vocal sacs are proposed as morphological synapomorphies. Species of this taxon form a well-supported crown clade in a phylogeny including members of the genera Craugastor and Eleutherodactylus s.l. The sister taxon to Oreobates is the Eleutherodactylus martinicensis series; Oreobates does not appear to be closely related to the Eleutherodactylus binotatus series or to members of the Eleutherodactylus dolops and Eleutherodactylus nigrovittatus species groups. The taxonomic status of all species of Oreobates is reassessed. Hylodes philippi and Hylodes verrucosus are removed from the synonymy of Oreobates quixensis . We redescribe Oreobates cruralis on the basis of the holotype and new material from Bolivia and Peru, and restrict its distribution to the humid forests of the lowlands and adjacent foothills of the Andes, from southern Peru to central Bolivia. Oreobates granulosus is rediscovered, redescribed, and resurrected, on the basis of the examination of the holotype and additional material from Peru. Phylogenetic analyses of partial 16S mtDNA are used to test the independence of lineages (species). The 14 species of Oreobates are distributed from southern Ecuador to northern Argentina. © 2008 The Linnean Society of London, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society , 2008, 152 , 737–773.     

A revision of the augochlorine bee genus Chlerogas Vachal (Hymenoptera: Halictidae)

The augochlorine bee genus Chlerogas Vachal is revised and the female is described for the first time. The genus is newly diagnosed and new characters discussed for its separation from other augochlorine genera. Seven new species are recognized– Chlerogas araguaensis, C. boliviensis, C. colombiensis, C. cyaneus, C. ttephos, C. tiara, and C. tozvnesi –in addition to two previously described species: C. chlerogas (Vachal) and C. hirsutipennis Cockerell. The group was previously only recorded from Peru, but is now known in Bolivia, Colombia, Venezuela, and Ecuador. A key is provided for the identification of all species.     

Schulzia chiribita n. sp. (Nematoda, Trichostrongylina, Molineoidea) parasite of Leptodactylus rhodonotus (Amphibian) from Peru

A third species of the genus Schulzia Travassos, 1937 a parasite of Leptodactylus rhodonotus (Amphibian, Leptodactylidae) originating from Peru is described. By the pattern of the caudal bursa, the specimens are closely related to the two other species. They are distinguished from Schulzia uzu Lent & Santos, 1989, parasite from Atelopus oxyrhynchus in Venezuela, by the shape of the ovejector and from Schulzia travassosi Durette-Desset, Baker & Vaucher, 1985, parasite from Bufo crucifer in Brasil, Bufo granulosus and Leptodactylus bufonius in Paraguay, by the shape of the spicules. The presence of a new species in Peru points out the wide geographic distribution of the genus in the Neotropical region.     

Cryptic diversity and deep divergence in an upper Amazonian leaflitter frog, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Eleutherodactylus ockendeni</Emphasis>

Background  

The forests of the upper Amazon basin harbour some of the world's highest anuran species richness, but to date we have only the sparsest understanding of the distribution of genetic diversity within and among species in this region. To quantify region-wide genealogical patterns and to test for the presence of deep intraspecific divergences that have been documented in some other neotropical anurans, we developed a molecular phylogeny of the wide-spread terrestrial leaflitter frog Eleutherodactylus ockendeni (Leptodactylidae) from 13 localities throughout its range in Ecuador using data from two mitochondrial genes (16S and cyt b; 1246 base pairs). We examined the relation between divergence of mtDNA and the nuclear genome, as sampled by five species-specific microsatellite loci, to evaluate indirectly whether lineages are reproductively isolated where they co-occur. Our extensive phylogeographic survey thus assesses the spatial distribution of E. ockendeni genetic diversity across eastern Ecuador.     

Desulfotomaculum genus- and subgenus-specific 16S rRNA hybridization probes for environmental studies

Based on comparative analysis of 16S rRNA sequences and the recently established phylogeny of the genus Desulfotomaculum , a set of phylogenetically nested hybridization probes was developed and characterized. A genus-specific probe targets all known Desulfotomaculum species (with the exception of Desulfotomaculum acetoxidans ), and five specific probes target subclusters within the Desulfotomaculum genus. The dissociation temperature of each probe was determined experimentally. Probe specificities were verified through hybridizations with pure culture rRNA isolated from a wide variety of target and non-target organisms and through an evaluation of probe 'nesting' using samples obtained from four different environments. Fixation and hybridization conditions for fluorescence in situ hybridizations were also optimized. The probes were used in quantitative membrane hybridizations to determine the abundance of Desulfotomaculum species in thermophilic anaerobic digesters, in soil, in human faeces and in pig colon samples. Desulfotomaculum rRNA accounted for 0.3–2.1% of the total rRNA in the digesters, 2.6–6.6% in soil, 1.5–3.3% in human faeces and 2.5–6.2% in pig colon samples.     

A new species of Drepanocnemis (Diptera,Muscidae) from Andes in Peru,with an updated phylogenetic analysis of species

Drepanocnemis Stein (Diptera, Muscidae) is a small genus of flies that occur in high altitudes in the Colombian Andes, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia. Herein we describe Drepanocnemis aurifronssp. nov. from Cuzco, Peru, which is found from high (2904 m) to lower altitudes (707 m). An updated phylogeny, key to species and map of species’ distributions are provided, together with images and illustrations of the male and the female terminalia.     

Identity of Schizachyrium sulcatum and S. brevifolium (Poaceae: Andropogoneae)

Schizachyrium sulcatum, distributed in Brazil, Bolivia and Colombia, is described, illustrated, and reported for the first time from Peru and Venezuela. Synonymy, geographical distribution, ecology, and a list of representative specimens examined are provided. Characters of taxonomic value are established in order to differentiate this species fromS. brevifolium. A comparative study based on morphology, leaf anatomy, and micromorphological features of the spikelets and leaf blade are included. The multivariate analysis based on morphological variables allowsS. sulcatum to be distinguished clearly fromS. brevifolium.     

A new species of the sharpshooter genus Onega Distant, 1908 (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Cicadellini) from Ecuador and Peru

Onega comprises nine valid species distributed in South American countries, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay and Peru, commonly at high altitudes. The genus has as diagnostic characteristics the transition crown-frons with transversal carina; crown and superior portion of frons with concavities; pronotum wider than transocular width of head; and paraphysis, when present, as a median esclerite. The present paper describes Onega musa sp. nov., from Ecuador and Peru, which can be distinguished from other Onega species by: body mostly yellow, with brown maculae distributed on dorsum; posterior margin of male pygofer serrate, with long microsetae on the basiventral margin; aedeagus with shaft bisinuate with dorsal acute preapical process; female sternite VII with posterior margin slightly convex; and first valvula of ovipositor with 38 noncontiguous teeth. Intraspecific morphological variations are discussed.     

Two new species of Phrynopus (Anura: Leptodactylidae) from the Bolivian cloud forests]

We describe two new species of Phrynopus from cloud forests in Cochabamba, Bolivia. The new species are assigned to the P. peruanus group and are characterized by the presence of basal webbing, distinctive coloration, and by having the first finger shorter than the second. The first of these new species was collected near Montepunko in Parque Nacional Carrasco and is known from eight males and six females. Among its distinctive characteristics are round cream-colored glands on its flanks. A second species is known from one male and one female collected near "Zona de Aguirre" near the northwest border of the park. V and X-shaped blotches and a dorsum that is smooth except for dorsolateral and scapular folds characterize this species. Musculature has rarely been described for species of Phrynopus. The species from Montepunko has unusual gular and thigh musculature that is quite unlike other species of the genus.     

Single origin and subsequent diversification of central Andean endemic Umbilicaria species

We studied an Andean endemic group of species of the lichen-forming fungal genus Umbilicaria from the subalpine and low-alpine zone, with their biogeographic center in Bolivia and Peru. A number of species and varieties have been described from this element, but apparent instability in several morphological traits has made it difficult to precisely delimit taxa. Based on DNA sequences of nuclear ITS, LSU and mitochondrial SSU from extensive collections from Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru, we present here a molecular phylogenetic analysis of this Andean endemic element within genus Umbilicaria. All analyses (MP, ML and Bayesian) support a single origin for the element and a division into two major groups characterized by different apothecium types: the Umbilicaria dichroa group and U. calvescens group. Taxa U. krempelhuberi, U. peruviana and U. subcalvescens are nested withinn U. calvescens and are treated as conspecific with the latter species. The endemic element shares a most recent common ancestor with the Umbilicaria vellea group, which has a worldwide distribution and contains several asexually reproducing (sorediate) species. Independent reversals to sexual reproduction might explain the evolution of two types of apothecia in this monophyletic endemic lineage. A number of cosmopolitan, mostly high-alpine, species of Umbilicaria also present in the central Andes are related only remotely to the endemic element and do not exhibit speciation into endemics. Because the An-dean element dominates the Umbilicaria habitats of the low- and subalpine zones we propose that the founder colonized the Andes at a time when the mountains had not yet reached their current elevation while the high-alpine species arrived more recently.     

Four new species and new records of Symplocos (Symplocaceae) from Peru and Bolivia, and a key to all species of Symplocos known to occur in Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia

Four new species of Symplocos (Symplocaceae) are described from montane forests in Peru. Symplocos cuscoënsis Ståhl (from Dept Cusco) is distinguished inter alia by enlarged floral bracts and anthers that are longer than wide, S. excoriata Ståhl (Dept Amazonas and Cajamarca) by the exfoliating bark on young shoots, S. serratifolia Ståhl (Dept Cajamarca and Cusco) by tomentulose young shoots and lower leaf surfaces as well as long petioles, and S. trichocarpa Ståhl (Dept Cajamarca) by its tuberculate young shoots and pilose fruits. Symplocos guianensis (Aubl.) Gürke is reported as new to Bolivia and S. nitens (Pohl) Benth. is reported as new to Bolivia and Peru. A key to all 67 species of Symplocos known from Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia is provided.     

A new species of Ficus (Moraceae) from Bolivia and Peru

Ficus boliviana is described from Bolivia and Peru, illustrated, and compared with other species in the genus.     

Alzateaceae,a plant family new to Colombia

Alzateaceae is a rarely collected monotypic family (order Myrtales) whose relationships, until recently, have been obscure and controversial. Known previously from a few sites in Costa Rica, Panama, Peru, and Bolivia, it is here reported for the first time from a geographically intermediate locality—a cloud forest of the Cerro del Torrá, Departamento del Chocó, Colombia. The Chocoan population belongs to the Central American subspecies (Alzatea verticillata subsp.amplifolia S. A. Graham), rather than subsp.verticillata of Peru and Bolivia. Explanations for the present geographic distribution are considered.     

The Evolutionary History and Genetic Diversity of Kinkajous, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Potos flavus</Emphasis> (Carnivora,Procyonidae)

The genus Potos (Procyonidae) is currently recognized as a monotypic genus comprising the single species Potos flavus, the kinkajou. Kinkajous are widely distributed throughout forested habitats of tropical Central and South America, extending from eastern Brazil across central Bolivia, eastern Peru, northern Ecuador, Guianas, Suriname, Venezuela, Colombia, and then through Central America and into western Mexico. The taxonomic history of the species is complex, with seven or eight subspecies historically recognized to acknowledge the phenotypic variation among populations. In this study, the systematics and the evolutionary history of Potos flavus were investigated based on the mitochondrial gene cytochrome b, including specimens from a large range of localities, covering most of the distribution of the species, from central Middle America (Costa Rica and Panama) through South America (Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Brazil, Guyana, and French Guiana). Analyses of 30 Potos flavus sequences showed 27 haplotypes that were grouped in five main clades in all phylogenetic analyses. These clades suggested a high geographic structure with specimens from (1) Costa Rica, (2) Guianas and North Brazil, (3) North Peru, (4) Ecuador and Panama, (5a) interfluves Branco-Negro rivers in the Brazilian Amazon, (5b) Eastern Atlantic Forest, (5c) Amazonian lowlands east Negro river including Bolivia, Peru, and West Brazil. Each of these clades differs from 4.5 % to 9.3 % in their genetic distance estimates, which suggests that the specific status of some of these lineages should be reconsidered. Divergence dating and biogeographic analysis suggested that crown Potos diversified in the Miocene-Pliocene in South America, and geographic barriers, such as savannas and rivers, may have played a significant role in the kinkajou diversification.     

Frogs at the summits: phylogeny of the Andean frogs of the genus Telmatobius (Anura,Telmatobiidae) based on phenotypic characters

A phylogenetic hypothesis for the frogs of the genus Telmatobius that includes a comprehensive sample of the morphological and geographical variation is lacking. Obtaining such a hypothesis constitutes the main focus of this contribution. A phylogenetic matrix was generated based on 97 phenotypic characters and 56 terminals. A parsimony analysis of this matrix was performed with TNT. Telmatobius is found to be monophyletic and well supported by 11 synapomorphies. Although the consensus tree shows several polytomies, four main groups have been recovered. The well‐supported T. verrucosus Group includes forest and sub‐paramo species from Bolivia and Peru, and is the sister group of the remaining species. The T. bolivianus Group includes forest and inter‐Andean valley species from Argentina and Bolivia but it is poorly supported. Two supported high‐altitude groups have been recovered, the T. macrostomus Group from the Central Andes of Peru, and the T. marmoratus Group from the Altiplano‐Puna Plateau of Argentina, Bolivia, Peru and Chile and its adjacent Pacific and Northern slopes. The synapomorphies proposed for Telmatobius are discussed as well as the evolution of some of these synapomorphies and other characters within the genus.     

The biogeography of Hoffmannseggia (Leguminosae, Caesalpinioideae, Caesalpinieae): a tale of many travels

Aim The flowering plant genus Hoffmannseggia consists of 21 species distributed amphitropically between the arid regions of the south‐western United States and adjacent Mexico, and west‐central South America. This pattern of geographical disjunction is shared by numerous other angiosperm genera and has been the subject of discussions for more than a century with various authors advocating a northern origin for particular taxa and others advocating a southern origin. This study uses a well‐supported phylogeny of a genus with numerous species in each area to address the issues of a northern or southern origin and the facility with which organisms move between the two continents. Location South‐western United States and northern Mexico, northern Chile and Argentina, southern Bolivia, and western Peru. Methods Using DNA sequence data from the nuclear and chloroplast genomes, we generated a phylogenetic hypothesis for all species of Hoffmannseggia rooted with Zuccagnia and Balsamocarpon. Geographical data were optimized on the resultant tree to assess the probable continent of origin for the genus, the pattern of disjunctions between North and South America, and species radiations within the genus. Main conclusions Hoffmannseggia arose in South America and initially split into a suffrutescent (somewhat woody) and an herbaceous clade. Within each of these major clades, there have been at least two exchanges between North and South America. There are no data to support an ancestral pan‐American range for Hoffmannseggia and we therefore ascribe the amphitropical disjunctions to long‐distance dispersal. The phylogeny clearly shows that all dispersals were from South to North America and they occurred at different times and thus the pattern is not the result of a single simultaneous set of dispersals.     

A synopsis of the neotropical genus Pentaplaris, with remarks on its systematic position within core Malvales

Pentaplaris davidsmithii from Peru and Bolivia andP. huaoranica from Ecuador are described and compared to the only other species previously known in the genus,P. doroteae from Costa Rica. Morphological and palynological characters support the inclusion ofPentaplaris in core Malvales while suggesting that the original assumption that the genus belonged in Tiliaceae-Brownlowieae cannot be maintained.Pentaplaris, which comprises three isolated and evidently rare species, probably belongs to the malvoid-bombacoid alliance, but its position within this clade ramains unresolved.     

A molecular phylogeny of eurytomid wasps inferred from DNA sequence data of 28S, 18S, 16S, and COI genes

Using partial DNA sequence data from nuclear 28S and 18S genes and mitochondrial 16S and COI genes, we reconstructed a phylogeny of the family Eurytomidae. Both maximum parsimony and Bayesian methods were employed. The analysis revealed a significant incongruence between the mitochondrial genes and the nuclear genes, and we chose the results from the nuclear genes as our preferred hypothesis. Our phylogeny suggested that the family Eurytomidae is not a monophyletic group; neither are the genera Eurytoma and Bruchophagus. The monophyly of genera Sycophila and Plutarchia was well supported, as was the close association of the genera Aiolomorphus, Tenuipetiolus, Bephratelloides, and Phylloxeroxenus. Our phylogeny also revealed an anticipated pattern, in which species groups from the genera Eurytoma and Bruchophagus are often more closely related to other small genera than to other species groups of the same genus. Subsequent taxonomic revisions include elevating the subfamily Rileyinae to a family status and the divisions of the genera Eurytoma and Bruchophagus.