A new genus of Cophomantini, with comments on the taxonomic status of Boana liliae (Anura: Hylidae)

Abstract

The non-monophyly of both the genus Myersiohyla and the Boana punctata group has been recovered in a number ofpublished phylogenetic analyses. In this paper we report on the analysis of sequences of Boana liliae, a species originallyassigned to the B. punctata group, in a dataset of Cophomantini that recovered novel phylogenetic relationships forthis hylid tribe. Our results reveal Myersiohyla to be paraphyletic with respect to B. liliae. Support for the placement ofMyersiohyla kanaima is poor, but this taxon is recovered as the sister taxon of the other Cophomantini genera (excludingMyersiohyla) or as the sister taxon of the remaining species of Myersiohyla (including B. liliae). These results leadus to propose two taxonomic changes in order to remedy the paraphyly of Myersiohyla: (1) a new genus is described forM. kanaima, and (2) Boana liliae is transferred to Myersiohyla. We further provide notes on the natural history andvocalizations of the new monotypic genus, a new diagnosis of the former B. liliae in the context of Myersiohyla, and discussthe evolution of tadpole morphology and biogeography of the earlier diverging clades of Cophomantini.