Tadpoles of Three Species of the Rhinella granulosa Group with a Reinterpretation of Larval Characters

Abstract

The Rhinella granulosa group currently comprises 14 species of Neotropical toadswhose monophyly is strongly supported by several synapomorphies, including adistinctive set of larval characters. Recently, the identity of specimens used in tadpole description of R. major and R. mirandaribeiroi was questioned. In this work, we revise the larval external morphology of these species based on tadpoles properly identified, and examine for the first time the tadpoles of R. bernardoi. Tadpoles of R. major have the labial tooth row formula 2/2 and the tail striped pattern recovered as synapomorphies of the group. Tadpoles of R. mirandaribeiroi show instead a third posterior labial ridge arranged on a medial flap, a condition suggested as synapomorphy of a derived subclade of the R. granulosa group. Lastly, tadpoles of R. bernardoi differ from the remaining tadpoles within the group by lacking the typical striped tail muscle pigmentation.