Systematics and Ecological Observations on the Neotropical Frogs Hyla jahni and Hyla platydactyla

--The Venezuelan hylid frog Hyla jahni Rivero, a member of the Hyla bogotensis group synonymized with Hyla platydactyla Boulenger, is shown to be a distinct, valid species. Morphology, color patterns, mating calls, tadpoles, and ecology of H. jahni and H. platydactyla are compared. H. jahni is redescribed. Two of the more common sounds in the cloud forests surrounding the Venezuelan city of Merida, in the State of Merida, are the metallic clinking of Hyla platydactyla and the fluttery short notes of some Colostethus frogs. But from time to time a trilled call breaks the monotony of sounds of these species to add to the "concerto" of nocturnal calls in these Andean forests. The object of the present paper is to restore recognition of the quite distinct frog that produces this trilled sound from its synonymy with the sympatric H. platydactyla, and to present ecological data on both species. In 1961, Rivero named Hyla jahni and H. paramica from El Escurial and La Culata, NE of the city of Merida. He considered both forms to be different from H. platydactyla Boulenger, for which he did not have specimens. After examining the type series of all these species, Duellman (1972) considered H. jahni and H. paramica to be junior synonyms of H. platydactyla. Duellman stated that he could not find any "consistent structural differences... by which to distinguish more than one taxon in western Venezuela." Collections made near the city of Merida suggested the possibility that Duellman's H. platydactyla was a composite of the two species-one of Present address: Edificio La Marca, Local 3, Calle 15 con Carrers Septima, Guanare, Portuguesa 3310, Venezuela. them being Boulenger's (1905) H. platydactyla, the other being a frog Rivero had already distinguished as different and named H. jahni in 1961. Examinati n of the holotype of H. paramica Rivero confirms Duellman's (1972) synonymy of this name with H. platydactyla Boulenger. A list of some diagnostic characters differentiating H. jahni from H. platydactyla is given in Table 1. A redescription of H. jahni is given below. A escription of H. platydactyla is not necessary, since those provided by Boulenger (1905), Rivero (1961), and Duellman (1972) remain adequate with the exceptions here noted. MATERIALS AND METHODS Specimens of Hyla jahni and H. platydactyla were collected in cloud forests of Barinas and Merida states, Venezuela, in 1981, 1982, and 1983 (see Appendix 1). Developmental series for both species were obtained from tadpoles collected in the Parque Los Chorros de Milla, in the City of Merida, in 19781979. Collections have been deposited in Museo de Ciencias Naturales Guanae, Venezuela (MCNG), Museum of Zoology of the University of Michigan (UMMZ), and Colecci6n de Vertebrados de la Universidad de Los Andes at Merida, Venezuela (CVULA). Type specimens of H. jahni and H. paramica deposited at UMMZ were used for comparisons. Preserved specimens were measured under a dissecting microscope, using a dial caliper with a preThis content downloaded from 157.55.39.153 on Mon, 19 Sep 2016 05:03:35 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms