title: Taxonomic status of Pseudopaludicola riopiedadensis Mercadal de Barrio and Barrio, 1994 (Anura, Leptodactylidae, Leiuperinae).
abstract: Pseudopaludicola riopiedadensis was described by Mercadal de Barrio and Barrio (1994) based on two adult females collected by Luiz Dino Vizotto in 1963 from Rio Piedade, São José do Rio Preto, São Paulo, Brazil. This taxon was differentiated from P. ternetzi based on a series of qualitative and morphometric characters. Nevertheless, the original description and the type material of P. ternetzi were not considered by Mercadal de Barrio and Barrio, and the morphological variation of P. ternetzi was not documented. This work reviews the sample collected by Vizotto in P. riopiedadensis type locality, evaluates the advertisement calls obtained from such population, the two vouchers assigned to P. riopiedadensis, and a large data set, including type specimens of P. ternetzi to document the morphological variation along its known distribution. Results indicate that P. riopiedadensis was described on the basis of highly variable characters applied to a small sample and share the unique P. ternetzi autapomorphy, a robust body structure with immaculate belly. The lack of differentiation in both advertisement call and morphology rejects the status of P. riopiedadensis as distinct species, and we therefore suggest to formally consider P. riopiedadensis as junior synonym of P. ternetzi.
authors.affiliation: CONICET. Instituto de Biología Subtropical, Laboratorio de Genética Evolutiva, Universidad Nacional de Misiones; Félix de Azara 1552, CPA N3300LQF. Posadas, Misiones, Argentina; Email: darcardz@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Darío
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cardozo
authors.affiliation: Museu de Zoologia "Prof. Adão José Cardoso", Instituto de Biologia (IB), Universidade Estadual de Campinas (Unicamp), 13083-970, Caixa Postal 6109, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil; Email: unknown.
authors.forename: Luís Felipe
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Toledo
mesh_terms: D063147:Animal Distribution; D000825:Animal Structures / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D000818:Animals; D001001:Anura / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000145:classification* / Q000502:physiology; D001938:Brazil; D017753:Ecosystem; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D014828:Vocalization, Animal