Boana lanciformis (Cope, 1871)

Schiesari, Luis, Rossa-Feres, Denise De Cerqueira, Menin, Marcelo & Hödl, Walter, 2022, Tadpoles of Central Amazonia (Amphibia: Anura), Zootaxa 5223 (1), pp. 1-149 : 45-47

Boana lanciformis

External morphology. Description based on four tadpoles at Stages 35 and 36 (LCS 595, 677). Total length 36.2 ± 3.9 mm (N = 4). Body elongate oval in dorsal view and globular/depressed in lateral view ( Fig. 20A, B ).

Snout rounded in dorsal and lateral views. Eyes medium-sized, dorsolaterally positioned and laterally directed. Nostrils small, oval, dorsolaterally positioned, near to eyes, with opening anterolaterally directed, with a small projection on the marginal rim. Oral disc ( Fig. 20C ) anteroventral, ventrolaterally emarginate; marginal papillae conical, uniseriate, with a dorsal gap. Submarginal papillae absent. LTRF 2(1,2)/3(1); A1 and A2 of the same length; P2 slightly longer than P1; P3 slightly shorter than P2. Jaw sheaths moderately wide, finely serrated; anterior jaw sheath arch-shaped, posterior jaw sheath V-shaped. Spiracle single, sinistral, cylindrical, long and wide, posterodorsally directed, opening in the posterior third of the body, with the centripetal wall not fused to the body wall and longer than the external wall. Vent tube medial, fused to the ventral fin, with a dextral opening. Caudal musculature of moderate width; in lateral view gradually tapering to a pointed tip. Dorsal fin of moderate height and convex, originating at the tail-body junction; ventral fin shallow, convex. Tail tip pointed.

Colour. In preservative dorsum light grayish brown with many black dots; caudal musculature creamy and fins translucent, both with irregular vertical bars; venter light whitish to beige; gut barely visible. Tadpoles of B. lanciformis from Ecuador have body dark brown above and laterally, and gray ventrally; with green lichenous markings; caudal musculature tan, fins transparent, both marked with vertical dark brown bars; iris dull reddish brown ( Duellman 1978).

Variation. LTRF 2(2)/3 or 2(2)/3(1) between Stages 28 and 30.

Metamorphs. Metamorphs yellowish-brown with brown dorsolateral and middorsal longitudinal lines and scattered spots ( Fig. 20D ).

Natural history. Eggs were not observed in Central Amazonia. Clutches of B. lanciformis from Ecuador contain from 2,100 to 2,400 pigmented eggs ( Crump 1974; Duellman 1978). Tadpoles are found in permanent ponds and lakes in forest edge and deforested land.

Comments. Tadpoles from Ecuador described by Duellman (1978) and from Colombia by Lynch & SuárezMayorga (2011). Tadpoles from Ecuador differ from those herein characterized by presenting body ovoid in dorsal view, spiracle posteriorly directed, oral disc laterally emarginate, LTRF 2(2)/3, and P3 much shorter than other tooth row as the tadpoles from Colombia ( Lynch & Suárez-Mayorga 2011).

Figures

FIGURE 20. Tadpole of Boana lanciformis (LCS 595) at Stage 35: (A) lateral view, (B) dorsal view (scale = 10 mm), and (C) oral disc (scale = 1 mm). (D) Dorsolateral view of newly metamorphosed froglet.