The identity of the poorly known treefrog Hyla varelae Carrizo, 1992 (Anura: Hylidae)

Abstract

Hyla varelae Carrizo, 1992 is an Argentinean species only known from the holotype. The study of this specimen indicates that it pertains to the Boana pulchella group and it is a junior synonym of Hyla riojana Koslowsky, 1895 (currently Boana riojana). We traced the itinerary of the field trip in which the holotype was collected using the catalog of the collection where it was initially housed (Centro Nacional de Estudios Iológicos—CENAI). These data and the study of other specimens collected during that trip indicate that the type specimen was wrongly associated with the reported type locality of H. varelae (Selvas del Río de Oro, Chaco, Argentina; far away from the known distribution of B. riojana). The holotype was most probably collected in Horco Molle, Yerba Buena, Tucumán, Argentina.