Taxonomy of Peruvian gladiator frogs of the Boana pulchella species group (Anura: Hylidae) revisited: new insights from DNA sequences, bioacoustics and morphology

Based on newly collected specimens, tissue samples for molecular genetic analyses, and recent field recordings of advertisement calls, we reevaluate the taxonomic status of Peruvian species of the Boana balzani clade in the B. pulchella species group. Among the five nominal species recognized in this clade, our analyses corroborate the species status of B. balzani, B. gladiator, and B. melanopleura. In contrast, given their monophyly, low genetic divergence in the mitochondrial 16S rRNA gene, absence of species-specific differences in advertisement calls, and lack of diagnostic morphological traits, we conclude that B. aguilari and B. palaestes are conspecific. Consequently, we consider Hypsiboas aguilari Lehr, Faivovich & Jungfer, 2010 a junior synonym of Boana palaestes (Duellman, De la Riva & Wild, 1997), and update the current knowledge about the species’ geographical ranges.