Systematics of treefrogs of the Hypsiboas calcaratus and Hypsiboas fasciatus species complex (Anura, Hylidae) with the description of four new species

Book excerpt: This monograph presents a detailed review of the systematics of the species complex of Amazonian frogs Hypsiboas calcaratus – H. fasciatus. These frogs have a wide distribution in the Amazon basin and are a prominent component of scientific collections in the region. The review includes a phylogeny based on genetic evidence and also an integrative analysis of genetics, morphology and bioacoustics to determine species limits. The analysis indicates the existence of 11 candidate species, a five-fold in-crease relative to the current taxonomy. Four of the candidate species are described as new species and one is resurrected from a previous synonymy. The review is thoroughly illustrated with high-quality images. All multimedia elements (photographs and advertisement calls) are available at the FaunaWebEcuador web-site: http://zoologia.puce.edu.ec/Vertebrados/Vertebrata.aspx