Melanophryniscus vilavelhensis Steinbach-Padilha 2008

Diagnosis Melanophryniscus vilavelhensis is diagnosed by a combination of the following characters: (1) small size for the genus (snout-vent length males 12.8-14.0 mm, N=11; female 17.2 mm, N=1); (2) body elongated; (3) head longer than wide; (4) dorsum copper brown, covered with small spinulose black warts; (5) flank black, finely spotted with white posteriorly; (6) limbs black, covered with small spinulose black warts; (7) posterior region of abdomen and ventral surface of hand, forearm and foot with red stains.

Known only from the type locality, a natural grassland area with patches of Araucaria Forest, located at Parque Estadual de Vila Velha, Campos Gerais region, municipality of Ponta Grossa, Paraná State, Southern Brazil.

Description of holotype body elongate, limbs slender. Head slightly longer than wide (head width/head length = 0.84); head length approximately 38% of snout-vent length. Snout short, truncated in dorsal view, rounded in lateral profile, and slightly protruding. Nostrils small, oval, laterally directed, located near the tip of the snout. Pupil horizontally elliptical. Eye diameter slightly smaller than interorbital distance (eye diameter/ interorbital distance = 0.9) and longer than interorbital distance (eye diameter/ interorbital distance = 1.95), upper eyelid width (eye diameter/upper eyelid width = 1.95) and eye-nostril distance (eye diameter/eye-nostril distance = 1.63). upper eyelid width and internarinal distance equal (upper eyelid width / internarinal distance = 1.0) and smaller than interorbital distance (upper eyelid width / interorbital distance and internarinal distance / interorbital distance = 0.45). Tympanic membrane concealed; vocal sac subgular; tongue cylindrical, rounded; choanae small, rounded and broadly separated. Fingers short, basal webbed, relative length of fingers IV < I < II < III, finger III twice as long as finger II; finger tips not expanded; outer metacarpal tubercle prominent, large, rounded; inner metacarpal tubercle approximately one third of the outer, less prominent, elliptic; palmar supernumerary tubercles present, rounded, small. Toes short, basal webbed; relative length of toes I < II < V < III < IV, toe IV three times as long as toe III; toe tips not expanded; metatarsal tubercles elliptic, not prominent, outer metatarsal tubercle twice the size of inner metatarsal tubercle; subarticular tubercles small and poorly developed. Skin of dorsum and limbs rugose, covered by small spinulose black warts. Ventral surface of body predominantly smooth, with small warts concentrated on arms and femoral region. Color of holotype in life: dorsum copper brown covered by black spinulose warts; interocular region black. Snout with black stains, upper and lower lip margins with small white spots. Limbs black with black spinulose warts; hind limbs with dorsal gray stains; forelimbs finely spotted with light brown proximally and light gray distally. Dorsal surface of hands black with light gray spots; fingers black with light red stains along fingers I and II, small light red spots scattered along finger III, on tip of finger IV and on interdigital membranes. Dorsal surface of foot black, with light gray spots; toes black with light red stains along fingers I and II, scattered and small spots on toes III and IV and on tip of toe V. Black stains from below eyes to axils; lateral body, between fore and hind limbs, black spotted with white, inguinal region copper brown with black stains, with a few inconspicuous white spots.Venter black with white spots and light red stains at the posterior abdomen, hand, foot and forearm; vent surrounded with a dark red stain. Iris black with fine copper spots, and bordered with silver spots. Measurements of holotype: snout-vent length 13.0, head length 4.9, head width 4.1, eye diameter 1.95, interorbital distance 2.2, eye-nsotril distance 1.2, internarinal distance 1.0, upper eyelid width 1.0, tight length 5.2, tibia length 5.0, foot length 4.8. Color of holotype in ethanol: the red color tones on venter become grayish-white. The white and copper brown colors darken slightly, but remain clearly visible. The black color remains unchanged. Variation individuals of Melanophryniscus vilavelhensis show variation in size and some differences related to the distribution and color of spots, and the presence of stripes and stains on the head and body. It includes the presence of a narrow copper brown occipital stripe (present in MHNCI 4874, 4877-78 and 4883), black stains on dorsum (present in MHNCI 4874, 4877-79), fine spots on forelimbs near the hands pale yellow (present in MHNCI 4874-75 and 4880), dorsum black with copper brown longitudinal stripes (present in MHNCI 4882 and 4884), copper brown stains on hind limbs (present in MHNCI 4876), dark red stain around the vent with a fine white line (present in MHNCI 4876), and presence of a row of white spots on lateral head from the tympanum to the nostril (present in MHNCI 4877, 4879-80). Juveniles present dorsal surface of body and limbs black, covered with small silver and white spots; snout as dorsum but without white spots; head laterally black. Foot light brown; flank dark brown. Venter light brown spotted with silver and white, except abdomen, which is black. Female larger than males and its color pattern differs from that of the males by the following features: a narrow strip formed by pale red spots extends from the nostrils, around the upper lip, to the axils; the skin around urostyle is black. On venter, the light red stain on the abdomen is much larger than in males. Warts in the dorsum are less prominent than in males. Variation in measurements of males (n= 10) and females (n=1) with range (mean±standard desviation): snout-vent length 12.8-14.0 (13.42 ± 0.5) 17.2; head length 4.2-5.5 (4.89 ± 0.32) 5.5; head width 4.1-4.7 (4.37 ± 0.22) 5.3; eye diameter 1.7-2.0 (1.88 ± 0.11) 2.2; interorbital distance 2.0-3.0 (2.54 ± 0.43) 3.2; eye-nostril distance 1.4-1.9 (1.7 ± 0.18) 1.5; internarinal distance 1.0-1.5 (1.18 ± 0.18) 1.3; upper eyelid width 1.0-1.3 (1.17 ± 0.08) 1.5; tight length 4.1-5.5 (4.87 ± 0.4) 6.0; tibia length 4.0-5.0 (4.32 ± 0.29) 5.0; foot length 4.0-5.0(4.65 ± 0.42) 6.3.

NE.Not evaluated.