ischnodemus variegatus is a species of insect in the order of true bugs known by the common name myakka bug .

it is native to central and south america .

it is also known as an introduced species in florida in the united states .

this bug is elongated in shape with an m-shaped mark at the wing-cover bases .

the female is about 7 millimeters long and the male is about 6 millimeters .

the adult can fly , but each flight is just a jump of a few meters at most , and the gravid female tends not to fly .

the adult and juvenile produce a noxious scent when disturbed .

the female lays masses of up to 38 eggs each , with an average of 12 .

the egg is about 3 millimeters long and white when freshly laid , turning red in time .

the egg mass is usually deposited near the attachment of the leaf sheath to the stem of a plant .

the eggs hatch in about 12 days .

the newly emerged nymph is about 1.5 millimeters long .

there are five instars .

the new nymphs remain in a group near their eggs , and later hide under the leaf sheaths .

there they suck sap from the plant tissues .

by the fifth instar stage , many nymphs have dispersed and become solitary .

the fifth-instar nymph is about 5.5 millimeters long .

nymphal development takes about 29 days .

the main host plant for the bug is west indian marsh grass ( hymenachne amplexicaulis ) .

the bug is occasionally able to complete its life cycle on other plants , including water paspalum ( paspalum repens ) , beaked panicgrass ( panicum anceps ) , and fire flag ( thalia geniculata ) , but this is rare .

west indian marsh grass is a semiaquatic perennial grass that forms dense stands by spreading via stolons .

it is native to tropical central and south america , where it is utilized for forage on flood-prone land .

it has occasionally been introduced to other regions as a pasture grass , such as queensland .

it was noted as an introduced species in florida by the 1970s and it is still a notorious noxious weed of wetland habitats , where its thick stands displace native flora .

in 2000 , i. variegatus was discovered feeding voraciously on the weed in myakka river state park in sarasota county , florida .

damage by the bug causes a red discoloration of the leaves , followed by browning and the death of the plant .

the bug reduces photosynthesis , growth , and biomass .

because it is efficient and host-specific , the bug has been suggested as a potential agent of biological pest control for the weed .

among the natural enemies of the bug are a scelionid wasp of the genus eumicrosoma , which is an egg parasitoid , and the entomopathogenic fungus beauveria bassiana .

this species was formerly treated as synonymous with ischnodemus oblongus .

ischnodemus variegatus

ischnodemus variegatus <EOT> as mentioned above , both ischnodemus variegatus and hymenachne amplexicaulis now occur in florida .

the taxonomic status of this species was reviewed by slater ( 1987 ) who raised ischnodemus variegatus ( signoret ) from synonymy with ischnodemus oblongus fabricius .

figure 1 . adult female myakka bug , ischnodemus variegatus ( signoret ) . photograph by rodrigo diaz , university of florida .

figure 2 . scent gland of an adult myakka bug , ischnodemus variegatus ( signoret ) . photograph by rodrigo diaz , university of florida .

slater ja . 1987 . the taxonomic status of ischnodemus oblongus ( fabricius ) and ischnodemus variegatus ( signoret ) ( hemiptera : lygaeidae : blissinae ) . journal of the new york entomological society 95 : 294 - 297 .

the native distribution of ischnodemus variegatus includes central and south america . collection records indicate hymenachne amplexicaulis may be the only host ( baranowski 1979 , slater 1987 ) .

brambila j , santana f . 2004 . first records for ischnodemus variegatus ( hemiptera : blissidae ) in north america . florida entomologist 87 : 585 - 586 .

population outbreaks of ischnodemus variegatus during the summer produce a major stress on west indian marsh grass plants growing in poor conditions ( shallow canals ) . however , plants growing in resource rich environments ( deep floodplains , high nutrients runoff ) can sustain some damage by ischnodemus variegatus without impact on the plant ' s reproductive output ( diaz 2008 ) .

brambila j , santana f . 2004 . first records for ischnodemus variegatus ( hemiptera : blissidae ) in north america . florida entomologist 87 : 585 - 586 ( full text )

due to economic and ecological importance of grasses , scientists at the university of florida studied the host range of ischnodemus variegatus . they found that hymenachne amplexicaulis is the preferred host of ischnodemus variegatus in laboratory and field conditions . in laboratory conditions , developmental host range of ischnodemus variegatus was examined on 57 plant species across seven plant families . complete development was obtained from hymenachne amplexicaulis ( 23 . 4 % ) , compared to water paspalum , paspalum repens ( 0 . 4 % ) ; beaked panicgrass , panicum anceps ( 2 . 2 % ) ; and fire flag , thalia geniculata ( 0 . 3 % ) . in field experiments , hymenachne amplexicaulis had higher densities of ischnodemus variegatus than other species ( diaz et al . 2009 ) .

figure 10 . geographical information system map showing the predicted number of generations of the myakka bug , ischnodemus variegatus ( signoret ) , in florida . illustration by rodrigo diaz , university of florida .

diaz r . 2008 . biology , host specificity and impact of ischnodemus variegatus , a herbivore of hymenachne amplexicaulis . ph . d . thesis , university of florida , gainesville , fl . 187 pp .

damaged leaves turn dark red , due to the accumulation of anthocyanins ( a type of pigment in the host plant ) . persistent infestations eventually result in leaves turning brown and dying . feeding effects of ischnodemus variegatus diminish carbon dioxide assimilation , growth rate , photosynthetic capacity and biomass of hymenachne amplexicaulis ( overholt et al . 2004 ) . greenhouse experiments demonstrated that ischnodemus variegatus feeding damage negatively affected growth of hymenachne amplexicaulis seedlings ( diaz 2008 ) .

diaz r , overholt wa , cuda jp , pratt pd , fox a . 2009 . host specificity of ischnodemus variegatus , a herbivore of west indian marsh grass ( hymenachne amplexicaulis ) . biocontrol 54 : 307 - 321 .

figure 5 . first instar nymph of the myakka bug , ischnodemus variegatus ( signoret ) . average length is 1 . 45 mm ( ± 0 . 28 , n = 23 ) . photograph by rodrigo diaz , university of florida .

figure 6 . second instar nymph of the myakka bug , ischnodemus variegatus ( signoret ) . average length is 2 . 70 mm ( ± 0 . 39 , n = 47 ) . photograph by rodrigo diaz , university of florida .

figure 7 . third instar nymph of the myakka bug , ischnodemus variegatus ( signoret ) . average length is 3 . 06 mm ( ± 0 . 31 , n = 42 ) . photograph by rodrigo diaz , university of florida .

figure 8 . fourth instar nymph of the myakka bug , ischnodemus variegatus ( signoret ) . average length is 3 . 95 mm ( ± 0 . 32 , n = 53 ) . photograph by rodrigo diaz , university of florida .

figure 9 . fifth instar nymph of the myakka bug , ischnodemus variegatus ( signoret ) . average length is 5 . 45 mm ( ± 0 . 43 , n = 46 ) . photograph by rodrigo diaz , university of florida .

figure 3 . differences between the ventral sclerites at the tip of the abdomen of adult myakka bugs , ischnodemus variegatus ( signoret ) . female sclerites ( top ) ; male sclerites ( bottom ) . photographs by rodrigo diaz , university of florida .

figure 13 . west indian marsh grass , hymenachne amplexicaulis ( rudge ) nees ( poaceae ) , exhibiting signs of stress induced by feeding damage from the myakka bug , ischnodemus variegatus ( signoret ) . photograph by rodrigo diaz , university of florida .

overholt wa , ewe s , diaz r , morgan ec , moeri oe . 2004 . feeding effects of ischnodemus variegatus ( hemiptera : blissidae ) on photosynthesis and growth of hymenachne amplexicaulis ( poaceae ) . florida entomologist 87 : 312 - 316 .

scientists developed a temperature - dependent development model to predict the number of generations that ischnodemus variegates could complete per year at different locations in florida . in north florida , the model predicts that ischnodemus variegatus can complete two to three generations per year . in south florida , the predicted number of generations increases to four to five per year ( diaz et al . 2008 ) .

developmental time and survival of eggs as well as immature stages are affected by temperature . when ischnodemus variegatus is exposed to low temperatures from 8°c ( 46 . 4°f ) to 18°c ( 64 . 4°f ) and to a high temperature of 38°c ( 100 . 4°°f ) , low survivorship occurs . nymphs died within a few days at higher temperatures of 38°c ( 100 . 4°f ) and after weeks at lower extreme temperatures , suggesting that ischnodemus variegatus has a broader lower temperature threshold compared to the upper threshold .

ischnodemus variegatus has two natural enemies in florida : the egg parasitoid eumicrosoma sp . ( hymenoptera : scelionidae ) and the entomopathogen beauveria bassiana ( balsamo ) vuillemin ( deuteromycotina : hyphomycetes ) . the egg parasitoid was identified as a potentially accidentally introduced , non - native species for north america ( t . nuhn 2005 , personal communication ) . it attacks young and old eggs , and parasitized eggs turn black . field sampling in florida demonstrated that the impact of these natural enemies is minimal to ischnodemus variegatus populations .

nymphs : ischnodemus variegatus has five nymphal instars . instars initially remain aggregated near the site of oviposition , or egg laying . later nymphal instars migrate to tightly appressed spaces between leaves and stems . fourth and 5th instars are darker in color than early instars .

the optimal temperature range for development and survival is between 28°c ( 82 . 4°f ) and 33°c ( 91 . 4°f ) . these ideal conditions for ischnodemus variegatus development match with the weather conditions in central florida from april to october ( diaz et al . 2008 ) .

in 2000 , the " myakka bug , " ischnodemus variegatus ( signoret ) ( hemiptera : blissidae ) , was first reported causing severe damage to hymenachne amplexicaulis at myakka river state park , sarasota county , florida ( brambila and santana 2004 ) . ischnodemus variegatus was identified as a new record for the continental united states by the florida department of agriculture and consumer services ( fdacs ) ( halbert 2000 ) . research was conducted by university of florida scientists on the biology , host specificity , and potential impact for this newly introduced , exotic insect species .

figure 4 . egg mass of the myakka bug , ischnodemus variegatus ( signoret ) , on culm of the west indian marsh grrass hymenachne amplexicaulis . the eggs are 2 . 97 mm in length ( ± 0 . 13 , n = 25 ) . photograph by rodrigo diaz , university of florida .

diaz r , overholt wa , cuda jp , pratt pd , fox a . 2008 . temperature - dependent development , survival , and potential distribution of ischnodemus variegatus ( hemiptera : blissidae ) , a herbivore of west indian marsh grass . annals of the entomological society of america 101 : 604 - 612 .

the influence of ischnodemus variegatus feeding on photosynthesis and growth of the invasive semi - aquatic grass , hymenachne amplexicaulis , was investigated in field and greenhouse environments . in the field , carbon dioxide assimilation of infested plants was approximately 35 % less than that of non - infested plants , and the rate of assimilation was related to i . variegatus density . the relative growth rate of infested plants in the greenhouse was 77 % of that of non - infested plants , and biomass of infested plants was significantly less than for non - infested plants 79 days after infestation . the value of i . variegatus as a fortuitous biological control agent of h . amplexicaulis is discussed . view this article in bioone

west indian marsh grass , hymenachne amplexicaulis rudge ( nees ) ( poaceae ) , is an emergent wetland plant that is native to south and central america as well as portions of the caribbean , but is considered invasive in florida usa . the neotropical bug , ischnodemus variegatus ( signoret ) ( hemiptera : lygaeoidea : blissidae ) was observed feeding on h . amplexicaulis in florida in 2000 . to assess whether this insect could be considered as a specialist biological control agent or potential threat to native and cultivated grasses , the host specificity of i . variegatus was studied under laboratory and field conditions . developmental host range was examined on 57 plant species across seven plant families . complete development was obtained on h . amplexicaulis ( 23 . 4 % survivorship ) , paspalum repens ( 0 . 4 % ) , panicum anceps ( 2 . 2 % ) and thalia geniculata ( 0 . 3 % ) . adults survived 1 . 6 times longer and laid 6 . 6 times more eggs on h . amplexicaulis than the other species . oviposition on suboptimal host species was positively related to i . variegatus density under multiple choice conditions . results from field experiments indicated that h . amplexicaulis had higher densities of i . variegatus than other species . spill - over to suboptimal hosts occurred in an area where h . amplexicaulis was growing in poor conditions and there was a high density of i . variegatus . thus , laboratory and field studies demonstrate that i . variegatus had higher performance on h . amplexicaulis compared to any other host , and that suboptimal hosts could be colonized temporarily .

slater ja , wilcox db . 1969 . a revision of the genus ischnodemus in the neotropical region ( hemiptera : lygaeidae : blissinae ) . miscellaneous publications of the entomological society of america 6 : 199 - 238 .

baranowski rm . 1979 . notes on the biology of ischnodemus oblongus and i . fulvipes with descriptions of the immature stages ( hemiptera : lygaeidae ) . annals of the entomological society of america 72 : 655 - 658 .

members of the genus ischnodemus are characterized by elongate , parallel sided bodies , closed fore coxal cavities , terete ( cylindrical ) antennae , a straight apical ( tip ) margin , and a forewing membrane with a distinctive morphological texture ( i . e . the clause and corium are well differentiated ) ( slater and wilcox 1969 ) . slater ( 1976 ) classified this genus as a ' type i ' body shape which includes species with elongate , slender body shape that is usually slightly flattened . the ' type i ' body shape is advantageous for insects living on the stems of grasses .

html public " - / / w3c / / dtd xhtml 1 . 0 strict / / en " " urltoken "

west indian marsh grass , hymenachne amplexicaulis ( rudge ) nees ( poaceae ) , is a robust , stoloniferous , semiaquatic , perennial grass native to the neotropics ( tropical central and south america ) . this perennial grass is considered valuable forage in its native range ( tejos 1978 , enriquez - quiroz et al . 2006 ) . it reproduces from stolons or seeds in areas with fluctuating water levels and can survive long periods of flooding , but only persists along the edges of permanent deep water ( tejos 1980 ) . west indian marsh grass is especially adapted to low lying fresh water wetlands and flood plains containing high nutrient and sediment influx ( csurches et al . 1999 ) .

in the 1970s and 1980s , hymenachne amplexicaulis began invading wetlands in florida ( langeland and craddock - burks 1998 ) . although the introduction pathway of this grass into florida is uncertain , intentional introduction into florida is possible due to its high forage value ( antel et al . 1998 , diaz et al . 2009 , kibbler and bahnisch 1999 ) . hymenachne amplexicaulis , a florida exotic pest plant council category i invasive plant , competitively displaces native vegetation in wetland areas due to its aggressive growth patterns during the rainy season ( diaz et al . 2009 , fleppc 2009 ) .

in 1988 , hymenachne amplexicaulis was released in queensland for use as " ponded pasture " ( csurhes 1999 ) .

laboratory and field observations indicate the 1st through 4th instars are typically found in aggregations while 5th instars and adults are often observed exploring as individuals . if nymphs or adults are disturbed , they secrete a strong odor from the scent glands located in the thorax and abdomen ( diaz et al . 2008 ) .

adults : females ( 7 . 23 mm in length , ± 0 . 56 , n = 28 ) are larger than males ( 6 . 05 mm in length , ± 0 . 22 , n = 49 ) and both genders have a distinctive " m " pattern at the base of the hemelytra . female sclerites ( hardened plates ) at the ventral , or top side , tip of the abdomen are triangular in shape . the last sclerites of males are more rounded .

adult flying is restricted to short hops of a few meters or less . gravid females mostly walk , possibly due the large size of their abdomens ( diaz et al . 2008 ) .

eggs : the egg length is approximately 3 mm ( 0 . 1 inches ) . eggs are laid in masses ( averaging 12 eggs per mass , with a range of 1 to 38 ) between the leaf sheath and the culm ( or stem of the plant ) , preferentially near the node . newly deposited eggs are white and older eggs turn bright red ( diaz et al . 2008 ) .

average total development time from egg to adult is 40 days . eggs take an average of 12 days to hatch at 30 . 5° c ( 86 . 9°f ) . the nymphal stage reaches adulthood in an average of 29 days at 30 . 5° c ( 86 . 9°f ) . the preoviposition period is about seven days at 28°c ( 82 . 4°f ) ( diaz et al . 2008 ) . females lay their eggs in tight spaces between the leaf sheath and the stem . when the eggs hatch , the 1st instar nymph remains together near the site of emergence ( diaz et al . 2008 ) .

figure 11 . monoculture of west indian marsh grass , hymenachne amplexicaulis ( rudge ) nees ( poaceae ) , at myakka river state park , sarasota county , florida . august 2003 . photograph by rodrigo diaz , university of florida .

the seasonal cycle of hymenachne amplexicaulis in florida begins in spring during seed germination and new shoot growth . increases in the water level as well as favorable day - length and temperature in the summer allow the grass to grow aggressively . maximum biomass for hymenachne amplexicaulis is reached by late summer . later in the fall , short days trigger flower production ( tropical weeds research centre 2006 ) . during winter , some parts of the grass die , but the stolons and seeds remain dormant underwater until spring . based on herbarium specimens collected in the native range , a predictive model of the potential distribution of hymenachne amplexicaulis in florida was created suggests that its northern limit in florida will be alachua county .

figure 12 . model prediction of climate suitability for west indian marsh grass , hymenachne amplexicaulis ( rudge ) nees ( poaceae ) , in florida , using herbarium specimens from new york and missouri botanical gardens . illustration by rodrigo diaz , university of florida

antel npr , werger mja , medina e . 1998 . nitrogen distribution and leaf area indices in relation to photosynthetic nitrogen efficiency in savanna grasses . plant ecology 138 : 63 - 75 .

csurhes sm , mackey ap , fitzsimmons l . ( june 1999 ) . hymenache ( hymenachne amplexicaulis ) in queensland . queensland department of employment , economic development and innovation . ( 6 february 2013 ) .

enriquez - quiroz jf , quero - carrillo ar , hernandez - garay a , garcia - moya e . 2006 . azuche , hymenachne amplexicaulis ( rudge ) nees , forage genetic resources for floodplains in tropical mexico . genetic resources and crop evolution 53 : 1405 - 1412 .

fleppc . ( fall 2009 ) . florida exotic pest plant council 2009 list of invasive species . florida exotic pest plant council . ( 6 february 2013 ) .

halbert se . ( october 2000 ) . entomology section . trilogy 39 ( 5 ) . fdcas - division of plant industry .

kibbler h , bahnish lm . 1999 . physiological adaptations of hymenachne amplexicaulis to flooding . australian journal of experimental agriculture 39 : 429 - 435 .

langeland ka , craddock - burks k . 1998 . identification and biology of non - native plants in florida ' s natural areas . university press of florida , gainesville . 165 pp .

nuhn t . 2005 . personal communication . usda agricultural research service . museum specialist . systematic entomology laboratory . washington , dc .

slater ja . 1976 . monocots and chinch bugs : a study of host plant relationships in the lygaeid subfamily blissinae ( hempitera : lygaeidae ) . biotropica 8 : 143 - 165 .

tejos mr 1978 . effect of age on the productivity of paja de agua grass ( hymenachne amplexicaulis ( rudge ) nees ) in a controlled flooding savannah . agronomia tropical 28 : 613 - 626 .

tejos mr . 1980 . production of water straw grass ( hymenachne amplexicaulis ( rudge ) nees ) during a savanna period . congreso venezolano zootecnia guanare ( venezuela ) p . 24 .

tropical weeds research centre . ( august 2006 ) control methods and cases studies , hymenachne amplexicaulis . queensland department of natural resources , minas and water . urltoken ( 6 february 2013 ) .

html public " - / / w3c / / dtd xhtml 1 . 0 transitional / / en " " urltoken "

upcoming events 2018 bugguide gathering in virginia july 27 - 29 : registration and discussion photos of insects and people from the 2015 gathering in wisconsin , july 10 - 12 photos of insects and people from the 2014 gathering in virginia , june 4 - 7 . photos of insects and people from the 2013 gathering in arizona , july 25 - 28 photos of insects and people from the 2012 gathering in alabama photos of insects and people from the 2011 gathering in iowa photos from the 2010 workshop in grinnell , iowa photos from the 2009 gathering in washington

first collected in the us in sarasota co . , fl on 9 / 21 / 2000

disclaimer : dedicated naturalists volunteer their time and resources here to provide this service . we strive to provide accurate information , but we are mostly just amateurs attempting to make sense of a diverse natural world . if you need expert professional advice , contact your local extension office .

contributors own the copyright to and are solely responsible for contributed content . click the contributor ' s name for licensing and usage information . everything else copyright © 2003 - 2018 iowa state university , unless otherwise noted .

we express our gratitude to dennis giardina and mike barry , florida panther preserve , for collection and identification of grasses . diana cordeau , jackie markle , brittany evans , yordana valenzuela , brianne schobert , freddy soza , douglas gonzalez , veronica manrique , fabian diaz and larry markle provided great support during the data collection . paul benshoff and diane donaghy from myakka river state park provided support during the development of this project . several grasses were identified by mark a . garland at fdacs , dpi - gainesville . two anonymous reviewers provided useful comments . the university of florida - institute of food and agricultural sciences , florida department of environmental protection and the charlotte harbor national estuary program provided financial support for the project .

with descriptions of the immature stages ( hemiptera : lygaeidae ) . ann entomol soc am 72 : 655–658

baranowski rm , slater ja ( 2005 ) the lygaiedae of the west indies . agricultural experimental station , institute of food and agricultural sciences , university of florida , gainesville , fl , 402 pp

bernays ea , chapman rf ( 1994 ) host plant selection by phytophagous insects . chapman & hall , new york , 312 pp

bernays e , graham m ( 1988 ) on the evolution of host specificity in phytophagous arthropods . ecology 69 : 886–892

( rudge ) nees , forage genetic resources for floodplains in tropical mexico . genet resour crop ev 53 : 1405–1412

species of america north of mexico ( hemiptera : lygaeidae : blissinae ) . occ pap univ conn biol sci ser . 2 6 : 47–56

heard ta ( 2000 ) concepts in host selection behavior and their application to host specificity testing . in : van driesche rg , heard ta , mcclay a , reardon r ( eds ) host - specificity testing of exotic arthropod biological control agents : the biological basis for improvement in safety . usda forest health technology enterprise team , fhtet - 99 - 1 , morgantown , usa , pp 1–10

: effects on plant , macroinvertebrate and fish biodiversity in the fitzroy river , central queensland , australia . mar freshwater res 53 : 1235–1244

sas institute ( 1999 ) sas / stat user’s guide . sas institute , cary , nc

schoonhoven lm , van loon jja , dicke m ( 2005 ) insect - plant biology . oxford university press , oxford , uk

slater ja ( 1976 ) monocots and chinch bugs : a study of host plant relationships in the lygaeid subfamily blissinae ( hemiptera : lygaeidae ) . biotropica 8 : 143–165

( signoret ) ( hemiptera : lygaeidae : blissinae ) . j new york entomol soc 95 : 294–297

slater ja , baranowski rm ( 1990 ) lygaeidae of florida ( hemiptera : heteroptera ) , vol 14 . arthropods of florida and neighboring land areas . florida department of agriculture and consumer services , gainesville , florida 211 pp

in the neotropical region ( hemiptera : lygaeidae : blissinae ) . misc publ entomol soc am 6 : 199–238

slater ja , wilcox db ( 1973 ) the chinch bugs or blissinae of south africa ( hemiptera : lygaeidae ) . mem entomol soc s afr 12 : 1–135

soreng rj , davidse g , peterson pm , zuloaga fo , judziewicz ej , filgueiras ts , morrone o ( 2007 ) catalog of new world grasses .

( rudge ) nees ) in a controlled flooding savannah . agronomia tropical 28 : 613–626

united states department of agriculture ( usda ) , animal and plant inspection service ( aphis ) , plant protection and quarantine ( ppq ) ( 2000 ) reviewer’s manual for the technical advisory group of biological control agents of weeds : guidelines for evaluating the safety of candidate biological control agents . 224 pp

van klinken rd ( 2000 ) host specificity testing : why we do it and how can we do it better ? in : r . van driesche , t . heard , a . mcclay , & r . reardon ( eds . ) , proceedings : host specificity testing of exotic arthropod biological control agents : the biological basis for improvement in safety . forest service , morgantown , west virginia , pp 54–68

wapshere aj ( 1989 ) a testing sequence for reducing rejection of potential biological control agents for weeds . ann appl biol 114 : 515–526

wunderlin rp , hansen bf ( 2004 ) atlas of florida vascular plants . [ s . m . landry and k . n . campbell ( application development ) , florida center for community design and research . ] institute for systematic botany , university of south florida , tampa . available via .

william a . overholt , sharon m . l . ewe , rodrigo diaz , eric c . morgan , onour e . moeri

this site uses cookies to improve performance . if your browser does not accept cookies , you cannot view this site .

there are many reasons why a cookie could not be set correctly . below are the most common reasons :

you have cookies disabled in your browser . you need to reset your browser to accept cookies or to ask you if you want to accept cookies .

your browser asks you whether you want to accept cookies and you declined . to accept cookies from this site , use the back button and accept the cookie .

your browser does not support cookies . try a different browser if you suspect this .

the date on your computer is in the past . if your computer ' s clock shows a date before 1 jan 1970 , the browser will automatically forget the cookie . to fix this , set the correct time and date on your computer .

you have installed an application that monitors or blocks cookies from being set . you must disable the application while logging in or check with your system administrator .

this site uses cookies to improve performance by remembering that you are logged in when you go from page to page . to provide access without cookies would require the site to create a new session for every page you visit , which slows the system down to an unacceptable level .

this site stores nothing other than an automatically generated session id in the cookie ; no other information is captured .

in general , only the information that you provide , or the choices you make while visiting a web site , can be stored in a cookie . for example , the site cannot determine your email name unless you choose to type it . allowing a website to create a cookie does not give that or any other site access to the rest of your computer , and only the site that created the cookie can read it .

this translation tool is powered by google . fao is not responsible for the accuracy of translations .


uperoleia is a genus of frogs in the family myobatrachidae .

they are native to northern and eastern australia and southern lowlands of new guinea .

these are small squat frogs , more commonly known as " toadlets " .

they have glandular skin , often with a pair of raised glands behind each eye , or on the flanks .

they have bumpy , rough skin giving them the appearance of a small toad , hence the name " toadlet " , although they are often called " gungans " in queensland .

there are two distinct types of calls — uperoleia species make either a " click " or a " squelch " .

generally , the " clicking " uperoleia have long thin inguinal glands that run along the dorsal surface , while the " squelching " uperoleia have round inguinal glands restricted to the posterior half of the dorsal surface .

it is unusual to find more than one species of " clickers " or " squelchers " in the same location , although finding one of each is quite frequent in northern australia .

the species in this genus show great similarities in body shape and colouration making them difficult to tell apart .

call analysis is often required to confirm identification .

this genus is the largest of any in the myobatrachidae family .

clicking uperoleia include u. glandulosa , u. aspera , u. minima , u. trachyderma , u. lithomoda , u. littlejohni , u. altissima , u. mimula , and u. rugosa .

the squelching uperoleia include u. russelli , u. saxatilis , u. talpa , u. borealis , u. crassa , and u. inundata .

the eastern species u. laevigata , u. fusca , u. tyleri , and u. martini are also squelchers , but are distantly related .

the species u. mjobergi , u. micromeles , u. micra , and u. daviesae are distinct from these other groups .

uperoleia

uperoleia <EOT> amphibia , anura , cryptic species , toadlet , uperoleia mahonyi sp . nov .

uperoleia gray , 1841 , ann . mag . nat . hist . , ser . 1 , 7 : 90 . type species : uperoleia marmorata gray , 1841 , by monotypy .

in the 2004 frogwatch census uperoleia laevigata was detected in 27 % of all sites monitored .

a new species of australian frog ( myobatrachidae : uperoleia ) from the new south wales mid - north coast sandplains .

uperoliidae günther , 1858 , proc . zool . soc . london , 1858 : 346 . type genus : uperoleia gray , 1841 .

a new species of australian frog ( myobatrachidae : uperoleia ) from the new south wales mid - north coast sandplains . - pubmed - ncbi

clemann , n . ( 2015 ) action statement no . 265 , martin’s toadlet ( uperoleia martini ) , department of environment , land , water , and planning , victoria , australia . available from : urltoken 321818 / martins - toadlet - uperoleia - martini . pdf ( accessed 2 nov . 2016 )

species description : doughty p , roberts jd 2008 a new species of uperoleia ( anura : myobatrachidae ) from the northwest kimberley , western australia . zootaxa 1939 : 10 - 18 .

this was the first uperoleia species discovered in australia , in 1841 . despite numerous sightings at the time , it has not been recorded since and is now known only from the original specimen .

doughty , p . & roberts , j . d . ( 2008 ) a new species of uperoleia ( anura : myobatrachidae ) from the northwest kimberley , western australia . zootaxa , 1939 , 10 - –18 .

tyler , m . j . & davies , m . ( 1984 ) uperoleia gray ( anura : leptodactylidae ) in new guinea . transactions of the royal society of south australia , 108 , 123 - –125 .

tyler , m . j . , davies , m . & martin , a . a . ( 1981a ) australian frogs of the leptodactylid genus uperoleia gray . australian journal of zoology , 79 , 1– - 64 .

davies , m . & mcdonald , k . r . ( 1985 ) a redefinition of uperoleia rugosa ( andersson ) ( anura : leptodactylidae ) . transactions of the royal society of south australia , 109 , 37– - 42 .

species description : clulow s , anstis m , keogh js , catullo ra 2016 a new species of australian frog ( myobatrachidae : uperoleia ) from the new south wales mid - north coast sandplains . zootaxa 4184 : 285 - 315 .

davies , m . & littlejohn , m . j . ( 1986 ) frogs of the genus uperoleia gray ( anura : leptodactylidae ) in south - eastern australia . transactions of the royal society of south australia , 110 , 111– - 143 .

davies , m . , mcdonald , k . r . & corben , c . ( 1986 ) the genus uperoleia gray ( anura : leptodactylidae ) in queensland , australia . proceedings of the royal society of victoria , 98 , 147 - –188 .

catullo , r . a . & keogh , j . s . ( 2014 ) aridification drove repeated episodes of diversification between australian biomes : evidence from a multi - locus phylogeny of australian toadlets ( uperoleia : myobatrachidae ) . molecular phylogenetics and evolution , 79 , 106– - 117 .

young , j . e . , tyler , m . j . & kent , s . a . ( 2005 ) diminuitive new species of uperoleia gray ( anura : myobatrachidae ) from the vicinity of darwin , northern territory , australia . journal of herpetology , 39 , 603– - 609 .

catullo , r . a . , doughty , p . & keogh , j . s . ( 2014a ) a new frog species ( myobatrachidae : uperoleia ) from the northern deserts region of australia , with a redescription of u . trachyderma . zootaxa , 3753 ( 3 ) , 251– - 262 . urltoken

davies , m . , mahony , m . & roberts , j . d . ( 1985 ) a new species of uperoleia ( anura : leptodactylidae ) from the pilbara region , western australia . transactions of the royal society of south australia . transactions of the royal society of south australia , 109 , 103 - –108 .

catullo , r . a . , lanfear , r . , doughty , p . & keogh , j . s . ( 2014b ) the biogeographical boundaries of northern australia : evidence from ecological niche models and a multi - locus phylogeny of uperoleia toadlets ( anura : myobatrachidae ) . journal of biogeography , 41 , 659 - –672 .

catullo , r . a . , doughty , p . , roberts , j . d . & keogh , j . s . ( 2011 ) multi - locus phylogeny and taxonomic revision of uperoleia toadlets ( anura : myobatrachidae ) from the western arid zone of australia , with a description of a new species . zootaxa , 2902 , 1 - –43 .

the systematics and biology of some australian species were reviewed by tyler , davies , and martin , 1981 , aust . j . zool . , suppl . ser . , 29 ( 79 ) : 1 - 64 ; davies and littlejohn , 1986 , trans . r . soc . s . aust . , 110 : 111 - 143 ; and davies , mcdonald , and corben , 1986 , proc . r . soc . victoria , 98 : 147 - 188 . see barker , grigg , and tyler , 1995 , field guide aust . frogs . , ed . 2 , for keys and accounts . see comment under spicospina . catullo , doughty , roberts , and keogh , 2011 , zootaxa , 2902 : 1 - 43 , provided a molecular phylogeny , morphological identification key , and accounts of the species . catullo , doughty , and keogh , 2014 , zootaxa , 3753 : 251 - 262 , reported on molecular phylogenetics . catullo and keogh , 2014 , mol . phylogenet . evol . , 79 : 106–117 , provided a multi - locus phylogeny of the species and inferred a biogeography driven by cycles of aridification . these authors noted cases where populations of one species contained the mtdna ( e . g . , some individuals of uperoleia inundata ) of others and other cases where nudna did not recover some species as natural groups ( e . g . , uperoleia borealis , uperoleia lithomoda ) . catullo , lanfear , doughty , and keogh , 2014 , j . biogeograph . , 41 : 659–672 , provided a multilocus phylogeny and biogeography of uperoleia , as well as presenting data on calls and morphology , with special attention to the species of northern australia .

hosmeria wells and wellington , 1985 , aust . j . herpetol . , suppl . ser . , 1 : 2 . type species : uperoleia marmorata laevigata keferstein , 1867 , by original designation . synonymy by catullo , doughty , roberts , and keogh , 2011 , zootaxa , 2902 : 15 . see also tyler , 1985 , herpetol . rev . , 16 : 69 ; australian society of herpetologists , 1987 , bull . zool . nomencl . , 44 : 116 - 121 ; tyler , 1988 , bull . zool . nomencl . , 45 : 152 ; holthius , 1988 , bull . zool . nomencl . , 45 and decision by iczn ( anonymous , 1991 , bull . zool . nomencl . , 48 : 337 - 338 ) .

amphibian research centre . ( 2005 ) . available online : urltoken s , taustralian frogs database ( 2005 . ) . uperoleia laevigata . available online : urltoken s , tdepartment of environment and heritage , ( 2004 ) . chytridiomycosis factsheet urltoken s , tenvironment act . ( 2004 ) . summary of results . available online : urltoken p , s , tenvironment act . ( 2004 ) . uperleia laevigata ; smooth teoadlet . available online : urltoken s , tzoological parks and gardens board . frog pond checklist . available online : urltoken p , s , tspeare , r et al ( 1998 ) . how to reduce the risks of you transmitting an infectious agent between frogs and between sites . available online : urltoken s , tzoological parks board n > s > w . ( 2005 . ) . asx frog focus . available online : urltoken p , s ( school activity program )

the discovery of new vertebrate species in developed countries is still occurring at surprising rates for some taxonomic groups , especially the amphibians and reptiles . while this most often occurs in under - explored areas , it occasionally still happens in well - inhabited regions . we report such a case with the discovery and description of u . mahonyi sp . nov . , a new species of frog from a highly populated region of new south wales , australia . we provide details of its morphology , calls , embryos and tadpoles , and phylogenetic relationships to other species of eastern uperoleia . we also provide the results of targeted surveys to establish its distribution and provide observations of its habitat associations . as a consequence of these surveys , we comment on the likely restricted nature of the species’ distribution and habitat , and place this in the context of a preliminary assessment of its putative conservation status , which should be assessed for listing under the iucn’s red list . we note this species , which is morphologically distinct , has gone unnoticed for many decades despite numerous ecological surveys for local development applications .

the discovery of new vertebrate species in developed countries is still occurring at surprising rates for some taxonomic groups , especially the amphibians and reptiles . while this most often occurs in under - explored areas , it occasionally still happens in well - inhabited regions . we report such a case with the discovery and description of u . mahonyi sp . nov . , a new species of frog from a highly populated region of new south wales , australia . we provide details of its morphology , calls , embryos and tadpoles , and phylogenetic relationships to other species of eastern uperoleia . we also provide the results of targeted surveys to establish its distribution and provide observations of its habitat associations . as a consequence of these surveys , we comment on the likely restricted nature of the species ' distribution and habitat , and place this in the context of a preliminary assessment of its putative conservation status , which should be assessed for listing under the iucn ' s red list . we note this species , which is morphologically distinct , has gone unnoticed for many decades despite numerous ecological surveys for local development applications .

* will not find nomina inquirenda ; use basic search ( above ) for that purpose .

will find all uses of " hyl . . . " anywhere in a record : e . g . , hylarana , hyla , hylidae , hylinae , hylaedactyla .

will find all uses of " . . . hyla " anywhere in a record : e . g . , hyla , hylidae , plectrohyla , ptychadena hylaea , adenomera hylaedactyla

will find all records that contain stand - alone uses of hyla : e . g . , hyla , hyla arenicolor

interprets this as " lithobates or pipiens " so will find the union of all records that contain either " lithobates " or " pipiens " : e . g . , lithobates omiltemanus , hylorana pipiens

interprets this as " lithobates and pipiens " so will return all records that have the character string " lithobates pipiens " anywhere within a record : e . g . , all members of the lithobates pipiens complex .

myobatrachinae schlegel in gray , 1850 , proc . zool . soc . london , 1850 : 10 . type genus : myobatrachus schlegel , 1850 .

myiobatrachidae bonaparte , 1850 , conspect . syst . herpetol . amph . : 1 p . type genus : myiobatrachus bonaparte , 1850 .

myiobatrachina — bonaparte , 1850 , conspect . syst . herpetol . amph . : 1 p . incorrect subsequent spelling .

criniae cope , 1866 , j . acad . nat . sci . philadelphia , ser . 2 , 6 : 89 . type genus : crinia tschudi , 1838 .

uperoleiidae — keferstein , 1867 , nachr . ges . wiss . göttingen , 18 : 349 .

uperoliina — mivart , 1869 , proc . zool . soc . london , 1869 : 291 .

myobatrachinae — parker , 1940 , novit . zool . , 42 : 6 ; laurent , 1980 " 1979 " , bull . soc . zool . france , 104 : 417 .

myobatrachidae — lynch , 1973 , in vial ( ed . ) , evol . biol . anurans : 170 ; heyer and liem , 1976 , smithson . contrib . zool . , 233 : 1 ; laurent , 1980 " 1979 " , bull . soc . zool . france , 104 : 417 ; davies , 2003 , in duellman ( ed . ) , grzimek ' s animal life enclop . , 6 ( amph . ) : 147 .

rheobatrachinae heyer and liem , 1976 , smithson . contrib . zool . , 233 : 11 . type genus : rheobatrachus liem , 1973 . synonymy by implication of ford and cannatella , 1993 , herpetol . monogr . , 7 : 105 ; frost , grant , faivovich , bain , haas , haddad , de sá , channing , wilkinson , donnellan , raxworthy , campbell , blotto , moler , drewes , nussbaum , lynch , green , and wheeler , 2006 , bull . am . mus . nat . hist . , 297 : 195 .

rheobatrachidae — laurent , 1980 " 1979 " , bull . soc . zool . france , 104 : 401 ; laurent , 1986 , in grassé and delsol ( eds . ) , traite de zool . , 14 : 674 .

myobatrachoidea — irisarri , san mauro , abascal , ohler , vences , and zardoya , 2012 , bmc genomics , 13 ( 626 ) : 5 . formal superfamily to contain myobatrachidae and limnodynastidae .

australian water frogs ( halliday and adler , 2002 , new encyclop . rept . amph . : 84 ) .

australian toadlets ( halliday and adler , 2002 , new encyclop . rept . amph . : 84 ) .

australian froglets ( frank and ramus , 1995 , compl . guide scient . common names amph . rept . world : 93 ) .

ground frogs ( wells and wellington , 1989 , aust . herpetologist , 506 : 3 ) .

parental - care frogs ( ingram , nattrass , and czechura , 1993 , mem . queensland mus . , 33 : 222 ) .

spicospina roberts , horwitz , wardell - johnson , maxson , and mahony , 1997 ( 1 sp . )

please note : these links will take you to external websites not affiliated with the american museum of natural history . we are not responsible for their content .

copyright © 1998 - 2018 , darrel frost and the american museum of natural history . all rights reserved .

hyperolia agassiz , 1846 , nomencl . zool . , fasc . 12 : 384 . unjustified emendation .

glauertia loveridge , 1933 , occas . pap . boston soc . nat . hist . , 8 : 89 . type species : glauertia russelli loveridge , 1933 , by monotypy . synonymy by tyler , davies , and martin , 1981 , aust . j . zool . , suppl . ser . , 29 ( 79 ) : 9 .

prohartia wells and wellington , 1985 , aust . j . herpetol . , suppl . ser . , 1 : 3 . type species : pseudophryne fimbrianus parker , 1926 , by original designation . synonymy by catullo , doughty , roberts , and keogh , 2011 , zootaxa , 2902 : 15 . see tyler , 1985 , herpetol . rev . , 16 : 69 ; australian society of herpetologists , 1987 , bull . zool . nomencl . , 44 : 116 - 121 ; tyler , 1988 , bull . zool . nomencl . , 45 : 152 ; holthius , 1988 , bull . zool . nomencl . , 45 and decision by iczn ( anonymous , 1991 , bull . zool . nomencl . , 48 : 337 - 338 ) .

australian toadlets ( frank and ramus , 1995 , compl . guide scient . common names amph . rept . world : 95 ) .

html public " - / / w3c / / dtd xhtml 1 . 0 strict / / en " " urltoken "

thank you for taking the time to provide feedback on the iucn red list of threatened species website , we are grateful for your input .

justification : listed as least concern in view of its wide distribution , tolerance of a broad range of habitats , presumed large population , and because it is unlikely to be declining fast enough to qualify for listing in a more threatened category .

this australian endemic is known from coastal and inland areas of southeastern queensland , northeastern and central new south wales ( west of the great dividing range ) . the extent of occurrence of the species is approximately 963 , 500km2 .

the species is found in dry sclerophyll forest and open woodland and grasslands . it shelters underground emerging after heavy spring and summer rains to breed in flooded grassland or in billabongs and slow - flowing streams . it can tolerate disturbances such as grazing and selective clearing . it breeds in spring and summer in temporary pools . males call from the water’s edge whilst hidden beneath ground debris or in cavities at the base of grass tussocks . in disturbed areas it may call from depressions left in the mud by the hooves of livestock . eggs and larvae are unknown .

habitat loss / degradation associated with human settlement and agro - industry farming are major threats .

to make use of this information , please check the < terms of use > .

justification : listed as data deficient in view of continuing uncertainty as to its taxonomic status as well as absence of recent information on its extent of occurrence , status and ecological requirements .

this species is known only from the original collection site , south of the mouth of prince regent river in the kimberley zone of western australia , australia . the exact locality is not known , so when its range is mapped a large area is covered , within which the exact locality is assumed to be .

justification : listed as least concern in view of its wide distribution , presumed large population , and because it is unlikely to be declining fast enough to qualify for listing in a more threatened category .

this australian endemic is currently known from a large area of land stretching across central northern territory , around the region of elliott , and in northwestern queensland , and into a small area of northeastern western australia . the extent of occurrence of the species is approximately 241 , 000km2 .

the species is found amongst grassland on blacksoils and grey self - mulching cracking clays . the areas flood during the wet season . breeding biology and tadpoles are unknown .

there are no known threats to the species and it occurs in a remote region with little human disturbance .

jean - marc hero , dale roberts , paul horner , richard retallick . 2004 .

if you have images for this taxon that you would like to share with atlas of living australia , please upload using the upload tools .

keferstein , w . 1867 , " ueber einige neue oder seltene batrachier aus australien und dem tropischen amerika " , nachrichten von der gesellschaft der wissenschaften zu göttingen , vol . 18 , pp . 341 - 361

urn : lsid : biodiversity . org . au : afd . taxon : 7417cc38 - befd - 4af6 - b9ba - 95224091deb7

urn : lsid : biodiversity . org . au : afd . taxon : 777cb78c - 685e - 49ae - bcfe - 95618a1bf28a

urn : lsid : biodiversity . org . au : afd . taxon : 973a668d - 8a07 - 4e9d - b84e - 207d862882d5

urn : lsid : biodiversity . org . au : afd . taxon : e25fbc28 - d3f5 - 4fe0 - 8e8a - e6f17c1ebbfa

urn : lsid : biodiversity . org . au : afd . taxon : d47e5f3b - 54e1 - 4fcb - 907c - bec914b48a29

urn : lsid : biodiversity . org . au : afd . name : 371961

explore species occurrence records in the context of their environment . find records and model species distributions . export reports , maps and data .

find out how you can contribute to a citizen science project in your area , or explore one of the many citizen science projects supported by the ala .

did you see something ? photograph something ? contribute your sighting to the atlas of living australia .

the atlas of living australia acknowledges australia ' s traditional owners and pays respect to the past and present elders of the nation ' s aboriginal and torres strait islander communities . we honour and celebrate the spiritual , cultural and customary connections of traditional owners to country and the biodiversity that forms part of that country .

urn : lsid : biodiversity . org . au : afd . taxon : 5dbd42d9 - 1bec - 4e34 - bc36 - 9460e5408872

urn : lsid : biodiversity . org . au : afd . taxon : 98c38a62 - ac77 - 45c4 - a155 - b3acd8682369

urn : lsid : biodiversity . org . au : afd . taxon : b1ab1cd2 - 3a02 - 47a9 - a716 - 592e5c43c7c8

urn : lsid : biodiversity . org . au : afd . taxon : e3a91b0f - 660e - 485d - ad35 - db213a664aa6

urn : lsid : biodiversity . org . au : afd . taxon : ae9d1ea3 - 894a - 4b21 - 8c7c - c0e1de2904fa

urn : lsid : biodiversity . org . au : afd . name : 320116

html public " - / / w3c / / dtd xhtml 1 . 0 transitional / / en " " urltoken "

simon clulow , marion anstis , j . scott keogh , renee a . catullo

anstis , m . ( 2013 ) tadpoles and frogs of australia . sydney : new holland publishers .

bouckaert , r . , heled , j . , kühnert , d . , vaughan , t . , wu , c . - h . , xie , d . , suchard , m . a . , rambaut , a & drummond , a . j . ( 2014 ) beast 2 : a software platform for bayesian evolutionary analysis . plos comput biol , 10 , e1003537 .

byrne , m . , steane , d . a . , joseph , l . , yeates , d . k . , jordan , g . j . , crayn , d . , aplin , a . , cantrill , d . j . , cook , l . g . , crisp , m . d . , keogh , j . s . , melville , j . , moritz , c . , porch , n . , sniderman , j . m . , k . , sunnucks , p . & weston , p . h . ( 2011 ) decline of a biome : evolution , contraction , fragmentation , extinction and invasion of the australian mesic zone biota . journal of biogeography , 38 , 1635 - - - –1656 .

chapple , d . g . , hoskin , c . j . , chapple , s . n . & thompson , m . b . ( 2011 ) phylogeographic divergence in the widespread delicate skink ( lampropholis delicata ) corresponds to dry habitat barriers in eastern australia . bmc evolutionary biology , 11 , 191 .

cogger , h . g . ( 2014 ) reptiles and amphibians of australia ( 6th ed . ) . reed new holland , sydney .

department of primary industries ( 2012 ) guidelines for riparian corridors on waterfront land sydney : nsw office of water . available from : urltoken licensing _ approvals _ controlled _ activit ies _ riparian _ corridors . pdf ( accessed 2 nov . 2016 )

department of sustainability and environment , victoria , australia ( 2013 ) advisory list of threatened vertebrate fauna in victoria , 2013 . available from : urltoken threatened - vertebrate - fauna _ final - 2013 . pdf ( accessed 2 nov . 2016 )

doughty , p . , maryan , b . , donnellan , s . & hutchinson , m . ( 2007a ) a new species of taipan ( elapidae : oxyuranus ) from central australia . zootaxa , 1422 , 45– - 58 .

doughty , p . , maryan , b . , melville , j . & austin , j . ( 2007b ) a new species of ctenophorus ( lacertilia : agamidae ) from lake disappointment , western australia . herpetologica , 63 , 72 - –86 .

doughty , p . & oliver , p . ( 2013 ) systematics of diplodactylus ( squamata : diplodactylidae ) from the south - western australian biodiversity hotspot : redefinition of d . polyophthalmus and the description of two new species . records of the western australia museum , 28 , 044– - 065 .

gosner , k . l . ( 1960 ) a simplified table for staging anuran embryos and larvae with notes on identification . herpetologica , 16 , 183– - 190 .

hoskin , c . j . & couper , p . j . ( 2013 ) a spectacular new leaf - tailed gecko ( carphodactylidae : saltuarius ) from the melville range , north - east australia . zootaxa , 3717 ( 4 ) , 543– - 558 .

hutchinson , m . , sistrom , m . , donnellan , s . & hutchinson , r . g . ( 2014 ) taxonomic revision of the australian arid zone lizards gehyra variegata and g . montium ( squamata , gekkonidae ) with description of three new species . zootaxa , 3814 ( 2 ) , 221– - 241 .

iucn ( 2001 ) iucn red list categories and criteria : version 3 . 1 ( 2nd ed . ) . available from : urltoken technical - documents / categories - and - criteria / 2001 - categories - criteria ( accessed 2 nov . 2016 )

katoh , k . , misawa , k . , kuma , k . & miyata , t . ( 2002 ) mafft : a novel method for rapid multiple sequence alignment based on fast fourier transform . nucleic acids research , 30 , 3059–3066 .

lanfear , r . , calcott , b . , ho , s . y . w . & guindon , s . ( 2012 ) partitionfinder : combined selection of partitioning schemes and substitution models for phylogenetic analyses . molecular biology and evolution , 29 , 1695– - 1701 .

meyer , e . , hero , j . - m . , shoo , l . & lewis , b . ( 2006 ) national recovery plan for the wallum sedgefrog and other wallum - dependent frog species . report to department of the environment and water resources , canberra . queensland parks and wildlife service . urltoken

minh , b . q . , nguyen , m . a . t . & haeseler , a . v . ( 2013 ) ultrafast approximation for phylogenetic bootstrap . molecular biology and evolution , 30 , 1188 - –1195 .

nylander , j . a . a . , wilgenbusch , j . c . , warren , d . l . & swofford , d . l . ( 2008 ) awty ( are we there yet ? ) : a system for graphical exploration of mcmc convergence in bayesian phylogenetics . bioinformatics , 24 , 581 - –583 .

oliver , p . , couper , p . j . & pepper , m . ( 2014a ) independent transitions between monsoonal and arid biomes revealed by systematic revison of a complex of australian geckos ( diplodactylus ; diplodactylidae ) . plos one , 9 , e111895 .

oliver , p . , laver , r . j . , melville , j . & doughty , p . ( 2014b ) a new species of velvet gecko ( oedura : diplodactylidae ) from the limestone ranges of the southern kimberley , western australia . zootaxa , 3873 ( 1 ) , 49– - 61 .

oliver , p . & parkin , t . ( 2014 ) a new phasmid gecko ( squamata : diplodactylidae : strophurus ) from the arnhem plateau : more new diversity in rare vertebrates from northern australia . zootaxa , 3878 ( 1 ) , 37– - 48 .

pepper , m . , barquero , m . d . , whiting , m . j . & keogh , j . s . ( 2014 ) a multi - locus molecular phylogeny for australia’s iconic jacky dragon ( agamidae : amphibolurus muricatus ) : phylogeographic structure along the great dividing range of south - eastern australia . molecular phylogenetics and evolution , 71 , 149– - 156 .

pepper , m . , doughty , p . , fujita , m . k . , moritz , c . & keogh , j . s . ( 2013 ) speciation on the rocks : integrated systematics of the heteronotia spelea species complex ( gekkota ; reptilia ) from western and central australia . plos one , 8 ( 11 ) , e78110 .

tyler , m . j . ( 1962 ) on the preservation of anuran tadpoles . australian journal of science , 25 , 222

tyler , m . j . , davies , m . & martin , a . a . ( 1981b ) frog fauna of the northern territory : new distributional records and the description of a new species . transactions of the royal society of south australia , 105 , 149– - 154 .

tyler , m . j . , davies , m . & martin , a . a . ( 1981c ) new and rediscovered species of frogs from the derby - broome area of western australia . records of the western australia museum , 9 , 147–172 .

westgate , m . j . , driscoll , d . a . & lindenmayer , d . b . ( 2012 ) limited influence of stream networks on the terrestrial movements of three wetland - dependent frog species . biological conservation , 153 , 169– - 176 .

warning : the ncbi web site requires javascript to function . more . . .

clulow s 1 , anstis m 2 , keogh js 3 , catullo ra 4 .

school of environmental and life sciences , university of newcastle , nsw 2308 australia ; email : simon . clulow @ newcastle . edu . au .

school of environmental and life sciences , university of newcastle , nsw 2308 australia ; email : unknown .

evolution , ecology & genetics , research school of biology , the australian national university , act 0200 , australia ; email : unknown .

evolution , ecology & genetics , research school of biology , the australian national university , act 0200 , australia biological sciences , macquarie university , nsw 2109 australia school of science & health , western sydney university , nsw 2751 australia ; email : unknown .

this australian endemic occurs in eastern australia , from southeastern queensland , through new south wales to eastern victoria . the extent of occurrence of the species is approximately 442 , 200km2 .

the species is found in seasonally dry areas ; associated with grassland and woodland habitats . it breeds in shallow , ephemeral waters . larvae are free - swimming . it is often found in partly disturbed habitat and occasionally artificial habitat including artificial ponds and roadside ditches / drainage ditches .

broad - scale threats include habitat loss and modification , due to processes such as urbanisation and the introduction of alien plants . livestock over - grazing and resulting damage to native habitats is also thought to have a negative impact on the species . although u . laevigata may currently be common within the act region the introduction of diseases could be fatal to the species . care should be taken at all times when entering frog habitats due to the risk of spreading disease , including the chytrid fungus ( chytridiomycosis ) . to prevent the spread of the chytrid fungus it is important to wash your shoes before entering and after leaving frog habitats . for more information on the chytrid fungus - link to fact sheet urltoken

you can encourage frogs into your own backyard by including habitat features in your garden . the ginninderra catchment group , australian national university and environment act have developed a guideline to help you encourage frogs into your backyard called creating a frog friendly habitat in the act community .

you can also get involved in monitoring local frog populations . frogwatch is an annual program run to monitor the presence and abundance of frogs within the act region . the frogwatch program provides training for community volunteers each october , with monitoring then being undertaken by volunteers over a two week period .

adults range from 2 . 5 - 3cm in length . �smooth� is a misnomer , as the back of this species indeed has a warty appearance , though the belly is smooth . the back colour ranges from brown to orange brown and is often a mottled mix of the two . orange patches usually stand out both behind and in front of each thigh . the call of the species is monotonous and low pitched , described as a �wwhhrrkkkkk� .

the call of u . laevigata and crinea parinsignifera ( plains froglet ) are often confused . the call of u . laevigata is slightly lower and longer , however , it may take some practice to tell the two apart . also look at the surrounding habitat . the smooth toadlet typically prefers dryer locations to those preferred by the plains froglet .

very common in the canberra region , particularly in hilly areas . the species extends from south - east qld , along the eastern edge of nsw and just crossing the border into victoria .

the most common technique for monitoring frog populations is based on call identification , with each frog species having a unique call . frogs should not be handled without the use of sterile gloves , as their skin is very sensitive to chemicals , including sunscreen and soap .

calls from september through to november , with breeding occurring from october though november .

males often call from hidden positions ( amongst vegetation or fallen timber ) as far as 10 metres away from water bodies .

may include native birds , such as the white - faced heron ( egretta novaehollandiae ) and intermediate egret , and fish , including the introduced carp , goldfish and trout . introduced species such as cats ( felis catus ) and foxes may also predate on frogs .

barker , j . , grigg , g . , tyler , m . ( 1995 ) . a field guide to australian frogs . surry beatty & sons . nsw , australia . s , tlintermans , m . & osborne , w . ( 2002 ) . wet & wild : a field guide to the freshwater animals of the southern tablelands and high country of the act and nsw . environment act . canberra , australia . s , trobinson , m . ( 1993 ) . a field guide to frogs of australia . australian museum / reed books . nsw , australia . s , tturner , j . ( 2004 ) . frogs of australia . pensoft . bulgaria . p , styler , j . ( 1994 ) . australian frogs : a natural history . reed new holland . australia . s , tswan , g . ( 2001 ) . green guide : frogs of australia . new holland publishers . sydney , australia . p , s

diagnosis : the following combination of characters distinguish this species from congeners : small body size , dark brown dorsum with small darker spotting , loreal and lateral regions with bluish - white spotting , femoral patches of pale orange - red , slightly tuberculate dorsum and upper limbs , speckled and somewhat granular venter , toes with basal webbing , outer metatarsal tubercle usually spatulate and oriented perpendicular to foot , maxillary teeth present , frontoparietal fontanelle broadly exposed , presence of moderately developed parotoid and inguinal glands and less developed coccygeal glands , and a high - pitched rasping advertisement call ( doughty and roberts 2008 ) .

description : adult males measure 18 . 0 - 21 . 5 mm svl . one adult female measured 20 . 5 mm svl . small rotund body with short limbs . small head with an oval tongue . eyes protrude slightly and the anterior corner of the eye is covered by a flap of skin . pupil is rhomboidal in shape . lacks vomerine teeth , but has maxillary teeth . rounded canthus rostralis and moderately steep , slightly concave loreal region . infralabial glands ( one to three ) present beneath jaw angle . the tympanum is covered by the skin and parotoid glands . unwebbed fingers with moderately developed tubercles ( one each on fingers i and ii ; two each on fingers iii and iv ) . finger i shorter than finger ii . short legs . toes are basally webbed , have weakly developed flanges along their length , and moderately developed tubercles underneath ( one on toes i , ii ; two on toes iii and v ; three on toe iv ) . inner metatarsal tubercle weakly developed . outer metatarsal tubercle generally spatulate in shape ( sometimes round ) and protruding perpendicularly from the foot . usually has parotoid , dorsolateral , and coccygeal glands . cloacal flap is present . scattered low tubercles on the skin of the dorsum , head and limbs . ventral surfaces are moderately granular . males have a nuptial pad on the inner part of finger i , from halfway down the finger to the base of the wrist and barely onto the palm ( doughty and roberts 2008 ) .

in life , specimens from the mainland had a slightly different coloration than those from katers island . in mainland specimens , the dorsum ranged from a charcoal black to dark brown with random smaller dark blotches and faint bars on the limbs . slight orange - red tint on dorsum , and orange - red blotches on the parotoid glands , snout tip , submandibular glands , vertebral area , and upper arms . pale bluish - white specks are found on the tip of the snout , through the loreal region , along the sides and on the undersurfaces of the limbs . pale white ventral surfaces speckled with dark spots , except for abdomen which is uniformly pale ( neither white nor speckled ) . chin margin is slightly more pigmented . iris is chestnut brown with a green tint . creamy white fingers and toes ( doughty and roberts 2008 ) .

specimens from katers island had slightly lighter coloration and orange - red inguinal glands ( doughty and roberts 2008 ) .

in preservative , the body is almost completely black with a tint of orange and red visible in some areas ( doughty and roberts 2008 ) .

endemic to australia . only found in high rainfall areas ( over 1000 mm / year ) such as the northwest kimberley , western australia , the prince regent river nature reserve south to walcott inlet , western australia and on katers island , western australia . the type locality is near bachsten creek , in the southwest portion of the prince regent river nature reserve . habitat consists of generally moist areas such as creeks and rocks near water ( doughty and roberts 2008 ) .

males called from moist crevices in sandstone rocks on a high ridge or from crevices and cracks in rock faces with vegetation and seepages . others were found calling on hard - capped sandstone surfaces with small pools of slow flowing water among clumps of

vegetation . long high - pitched call with a dominant frequency of 3347 hz ; there is some modulation as frequency rises later in the call . reproduction is aquatic . eggs are small and pigmented , hatching into free - swimming larvae ( doughty and roberts 2008 ) .

which alludes to the species ' small size ( doughty and roberts 2008 ) .

doughty , p . and roberts , j . d . ( 2008 ) . ' ' a new species of

( anura : myobatrachidae ) from the northwest kimberley , western australia . ' '

> university of california , berkeley , ca , usa . accessed jul 9 , 2018 .

> university of california , berkeley , ca , usa . accessed 9 jul 2018 .


eupithecia silenicolata is a moth in the family geometridae .

it is found from southern europe ( southern france , central italy and the balkan peninsula ) and morocco to western asia ( turkey , russia and the caucasus ) , iran and pakistan .

in the north , the range extends to southern switzerland , austria and northern italy .

the wingspan is about 22 mm .

adults are on wing from may to june and again from july to august in two generations per year .

the larvae feed on silene species which are related to silene nutans , especially silene paradoxa .

the species overwinters in the pupal stage .

eupithecia silenicolata

eupithecia silenicolata <EOT> eupithecia silenicolata zengoensis ssp . nova ( lepidoptera : geometridae ) . linneana belgica , 711 : 406 - 410 , 1979

habitat : eupithecia silenicolata inhabits light open and partly grazed forests ( quercus ) with embedded grasslands and loamy embankments with open ground where the larval host plant finds optimal growing conditions .

remarks : eupithecia silenicolata ioccurs in southern europe ( southern france . central italy , the balkans ) and the western asia ( e . g . turkey , russia , the caucasus ) . there are also records from morocco . in the north eupithecia silenicolata is distributed in the southern and parts of the central alps ( southern switzerland , austria , northern italy ) .

new eupithecia species from south america lepidoptera geometridae nouveaux eupithecia damerique du sud lepidoptera geometridae . miscellanea entomologica , 512 : 55 - 65 , 1987

eupithecia inturbata new for the netherlands lepidoptera geometridae eupithecia inturbata nieuw voor nederland lepidoptera geometridae . entomologische berichten ( amsterdam ) . september ; 619 : 130 - 131 , 2001

additional information on the first estonian record of eupithecia distinctaria lepidoptera , geometridae lisateavet liivatee - pisivaksiku eupithecia distinctaria esmasleiu kohta lepidoptera , geometridae . lepinfo . juuni ; 13 : 7 , 2002

the expansionist eupithecia sinuosaria eversm has now reached north ticino lepidoptera geometridae der arealerweiterer eupithecia sinuosaria eversm hat nun auch den nordtessin erreicht lepidoptera geometridae . entomologische berichte luzern . september ; 49 : 155 - 156 , 2003

on the characteristics of some new or already known eupithecia males from south america lepidoptera geometridae sur les particularites propres aux males de quelques eupithecia damerique du sud nouveaux ou deja connus lepidoptera geometridae . miscellanea entomologica , 512 : 41 - 54 , 1987

observations on geometrid moths 10 lepidoptera , geometridae a new subspecies of eupithecia impurata hubner , 1813 blutenspanner - beobachtungen 10 lepidoptera , geometridae eine neue unterart von eupithecia impurata hubner , 1813 . dortmunder beitraege zur landeskunde , 23 : 39 - 46 , 1989

life cycle : the pupa hibernates . i found larvae in mid - july 2007 ( and also in 2011 and 2012 ) in northern greece in about 1000m above sea level . according to literature , eupithecia silenicolata has two generations with moths from may to june and july to august . probably there is only a partial second generation due to the phenology of the larval host plant .

eupithecia pernotata enictata new subspecies from southern finland lepidoptera geometridae larentiinae . notulae entomologicae 64 ( 2 ) : 54 - 56 , 1984

new eupithecia species and subspecies from asia and north africa lepidoptera geometridae . acta zoologica academiae scientiarum hungaricae 23 ( 1 - 2 ) : 227 - 236 , 1977

new species and subspecies of geometrid moths of the genus eupithecia curt . ( lepidoptera , geometridae ) from caucasus and transcaucasia . trudy zoologicheskogo instituta , 291 : 101 - 110 , 2001

a taxon identifier is composed of name , author , year and attribute , all separated by a blank . these are all extracted from the original publication .

the name is reproduced exactly as proposed in the original publication . the name of a genus is made up of one word and species made up of two words ( genus and species ) separated by a blank .

the author ' s name is made up of a string of letters , with no blanks , and multiple authors ' names are separated by a comma . spelling of author ' s name is based on the original publication . if there are more than three authors , only the names of the first two authors are shown , followed by " , + " and the number of omitted authors .

attribute is enclosed in square brackets . this is rarely needed , but to differentiate homo - identifiers , this will contain the page , line or plate number of original publication .

all diacritic marks , hyphens , and apostrophes are eliminated , thus only the following characters are used : a to z , a to z , 0 to 9 , blank , comma , and opening and closing square brackets . although upper and lower cases are used for the convenience of human recognition , it is not case sensitive .

created by dicky sick ki yu 1997 - 2012 please send me information about errors and omissions ( contact information ) with supporting references , possibly with pdf or hard copy .

html public " - / / w3c / / dtd xhtml 1 . 0 strict / / en " " urltoken "

host plants : the larvae feed on silene species that are related to silene nutans . apparently the species is particularly found at silene paradoxa , where i found it in northern greece together with caterpillars of hadena adriana .

if is associated with an alamy account you ' ll receive an email with instructions on how to reset your password .

enter your log in email address and well send you a link to reset your password .

if you want to use this image commercially and we ' ve indicated * that alamy doesn ' t have a release , you might need additional permission from the model , artist , owner , estate , trademark or brand . more information .

sorry , this image isn ' t available for this licence . please refer to the license restrictions for more information .

on the alamy prints site ( powered by art . com ) choose your frame , the size and finish of your photo .

enter your log in email address and we ' ll send you a link to reset your password .

html public " - / / w3c / / dtd html 4 . 01 transitional / / en " " urltoken "

website © jim wheeler 2016 - 2018 . nola - x database system © jim wheeler 2018 . - sponsored by urltoken & urltoken

html public " - / / w3c / / dtd xhtml 1 . 0 transitional / / en " " urltoken "

subscription or article purchase required to access item . to verify subscription , access previous purchase , or purchase article , log in to journal .

e . s . zengoensis ssp . nov . , a geometrid moth from southern hungary ( mt . mecsek area ) , is described . morphological , phenological , ecological and zoogeogrpahical considerations are included .

our website has detected that you are using an outdated insecure browser that will prevent you from using the site . we suggest you upgrade to a modern browser .

austria , bulgaria , hungary , greece , italy , corsica , romania , slovakia , france , yugoslavia .

rf regions : west caucasus , middle - volzhsky , sredneobskaya , south ural .

austria , bulgaria , hungary , greece ( mainland ) , italy ( mainland ) , corsica , macedonia , romania , russia , slovakia , france ( mainland ) , yugoslavia .

[ 10 ] de jong , y . s . d . m . ( ed . ) ( 2011 ) fauna europaea version 2 . 4 ( faunaeur . org )

note : you should have a urltoken account to upload new topics and comments . please , create an account or log in to add comments

* our website is multilingual . some comments have been translated from other languages .

there are no photos of this species on the website yet . you can offer your photo by logging into your account

curators : konstantin efetov , vasiliy feoktistov , svyatoslav knyazev , evgeny komarov , stan korb , alexander zhakov .

species catalog enables to sort by characteristics such as expansion , flight time , etc . .

popular : trivia , history , america , television , tv , usa , geography , cities , . . . more