Mantidactylus betsileanus (Boulenger, 1882)

Class: Amphibia > Order: Anura > Family: Mantellidae > Subfamily: Mantellinae > Genus: Mantidactylus > Species: Mantidactylus betsileanus

Rana betsileana Boulenger, 1882, Cat. Batr. Sal. Coll. Brit. Mus., Ed. 2: 460. Syntypes: BMNH 1947.2.26.33-45 (according to Blommers-Schlösser and Blanc, 1991, Faune de Madagascar, 75: 242), MCZ 15362 (on exchange from BMNH, Barbour and Loveridge, 1946, Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool., 96: 181).  Scherz, Crottini, Hutter, Hildenbrand, Andreone, Fulgence, Köhler, Ndriantsoa, Ohler, Preick, Rakotoarison, Rancilhac, Raselimanana, Riemann, Rödel, Rosa, Streicher, Vieites, Köhler, Hofreiter, Glaw, and Vences, 2022, Megataxa, 7: 113, regarded the number of syntypes as uncertain and designated BMNH 1947.2.26.45 lectotype. Type localities: "East Betsileo" and "Ankafana, Betsileo", Madagascar.

Rhacophorus fumigatus Mocquard, 1895, Bull. Soc. Philomath., Paris, Ser. 8, 7: 106. Holotype: MNHNP 1895.258, according to Guibé, 1950 "1948", Cat. Types Amph. Mus. Natl. Hist. Nat.: 48. Type locality: "Madagascar . . . . côte ouest" (thought to likely be in error due to being outside of known range, according to  Scherz, Crottini, Hutter, Hildenbrand, Andreone, Fulgence, Köhler, Ndriantsoa, Ohler, Preick, Rakotoarison, Rancilhac, Raselimanana, Riemann, Rödel, Rosa, Streicher, Vieites, Köhler, Hofreiter, Glaw, and Vences, 2022, Megataxa, 7: 214). Synonymy by Guibé, 1947, Bull. Mus. Natl. Hist. Nat. Paris, Ser. 2, 19: 43.

Mantidactylus betsileanusBoulenger, 1895, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., Ser. 6, 15: 450; Boulenger, 1918, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1918: 258.

Mantidactylus multiplicatus Boettger, 1913, in Voeltzkow (ed.), Reise Ost-Afr., 3(4): 273. Holotype: SMF 6733 (formerly 1068.5a) according to Mertens, 1967, Senckenb. Biol., 48(A): 47. Type locality: "Alaotra-See, Ost-Madagascar". Synonymy (and discussion) by  Scherz, Crottini, Hutter, Hildenbrand, Andreone, Fulgence, Köhler, Ndriantsoa, Ohler, Preick, Rakotoarison, Rancilhac, Raselimanana, Riemann, Rödel, Rosa, Streicher, Vieites, Köhler, Hofreiter, Glaw, and Vences, 2022, Megataxa, 7: 214.

Mantidactylus brunneus Ahl, 1929 "1928", Mitt. Zool. Mus. Berlin, 14: 474. Holotype: ZMB unnumbered according to the original publication; lost, according to Guibé, 1978, Bonn. Zool. Monogr., 11: 45. Type locality: "Nord-West-Madagascar". Considered a nomen dubium by Guibé, 1978, Bonn. Zool. Monogr., 11: 45. Considered a junior synonym of Mantidactylus betsileanus by Glaw and Vences, 1992, Fieldguide Amph. Rept. Madagascar: 277.

Mantidactylus (Mantidactylus) betsileanusAhl, 1931, Das Tierreich, 55: 15; Laurent, 1943, Bull. Mus. R. Hist. Nat. Belg., 19: 7.

Mantidactylus (Mantidactylus) brunneusAhl, 1931, Das Tierreich, 55: 19.

Rhacophorus (Rhacophorus) fumigatusAhl, 1931, Das Tierreich, 55: 190.

Mantidactylus (Brygoomantis) betsileanusDubois, 1992, Bull. Mens. Soc. Linn. Lyon, 61: 311; Glaw and Vences, 2006, Organisms Divers. Evol., Electron. Suppl., 11(1): 3.

English Names

Betsileo Madagascar Frog (Frank and Ramus, 1995, Compl. Guide Scient. Common Names Amph. Rept. World: 101).

Distribution

Widespread over a large area of central Madagascar, from sea level on the east coast to the central highlands; known from the vicinity of Lac Alaotra, Ambatovaky, Ambodisakoa, Ambohitantely, Andasibe, Anjozorobe, Anosibe An’Ala, Antara, Antsirakambiaty forest, Befanjana, Betampona, Fierenana, Fivahona, Itremo, Mahasoa, Mandraka, Maromizaha, Marotandrano-Riamalandy, Namoly, Ranomafana and surrounds, Sahambaky Forest (Lakato), Torotorofotsy, Tsaranoro, and Tsinjoarivo. Elevation range: 190–1648 m. 

Geographic Occurrence

Natural Resident: Madagascar

Endemic: Madagascar

Comment

Glaw and Vences, 2007, Field Guide Amph. Rept. Madagascar, Ed. 3: 234–235, provided an account and noted similar unnamed species from 1) Nosy Boraha; 2) Andranofotsy 3) Tolagnaro; 4) Tomasina; 5) Andasibe; 6) Andohahela. Rodriguez, Börner, Pabijan, Gehara, Haddad, and Vences, 2015, Evol. Ecol., 29: 765–785 (and supplemental data), reported on phylogeographic diversity and its causes. Poth, Wollenberg, Vences, and Schulz, 2012, Angerw. Chem. Internatl. Ed., 51: 1–5, regarded Mantidactylus multiplicatus as distinct, but this was discussed (showing that the taxon addressed by Poth et al., 2012, is actually Mantidactylus katae, and reversed by Scherz, Crottini, Hutter, Hildenbrand, Andreone, Fulgence, Köhler, Ndriantsoa, Ohler, Preick, Rakotoarison, Rancilhac, Raselimanana, Riemann, Rödel, Rosa, Streicher, Vieites, Köhler, Hofreiter, Glaw, and Vences, 2022, Megataxa, 7: 113–311, who placed this species in the subgenus Brygoomantis, Mantidactylus betsileanus clade and provided an account detailing (pp. 213–217) diagnosis, natural history, adult and larval morphology, advertisement call, and distribution. 

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