Elachistocleis is a genus of microhylid frogs found in southern America from Panama southwards. Their common name is oval frogs, although for historic reasons not all species are named so.[1][2]
A 2021 study found that the genus originated in the Andes during the Oligocene, and contains two distinct clades that diverged from one another during the Middle Miocene. They dispersed throughout South America following the drying-out of the Pebas mega-wetland system, aided by the Amazon basin and other hydrological systems.[3]
Recent taxonomic evidence indicates that the type species, E. ovalis, is a nomen nudum, as it has no holotype, type locality, and its description lacks detail. The name has been applied to many Elachistocleis populations across South America, which are all now considered to represent undescribed species (with one of these from Trinidad and northern Venezuela being described as E. nigrogularis in 2021). In addition, another Elachistocleis identified from Trinidad in a 1980 study likely represents another undescribed species.[3]
The following species are recognised in the genus Elachistocleis:[1]
Binomial name and author Common name Elachistocleis bicolor (Guérin-Méneville, 1838) Two-colored oval frog Elachistocleis bumbameuboi Caramaschi, 2010 Maranhão Oval Frog Elachistocleis carvalhoi Caramaschi, 2010 Northwestern Tocantins Oval Frog Elachistocleis cesarii (Miranda-Ribeiro, 1920) São Paulo Oval Frog Elachistocleis corumbaensis (Miranda-Ribeiro, 1920)Piva, Caramaschi, and Albuquerque, 2017 Piraputangas Oval Frog Elachistocleis erythrogaster Kwet & Di-Bernardo, 1998 Red-bellied oval frog[4] Elachistocleis haroi Pereyra, Akmentins, Laufer & Vaira, 2013[5] Jujuy Oval Frog Elachistocleis helianneae Caramaschi, 2010 Humaitá Oval Frog Elachistocleis nigrogularis Jowers, Othman, Borzée, Rivas, Sánchez-Ramírez, Auguste, Downie, Read & Murphy, 2021 Black-throated Oval Frog (nomen nudum)[6] Elachistocleis magna Toledo, 2010 Rondônia Oval Frog Elachistocleis matogrosso Caramaschi, 2010 Mato Grosso Oval Frog Elachistocleis muiraquitan Nunes-de-Almeida and Toledo, 2012 Acre's Oval Frog Elachistocleis ovalis (Schneider, 1799) Common oval frog (nomen nudum)[3] Elachistocleis panamensis (Dunn, Trapido, and Evans, 1948) Panama humming frog Elachistocleis pearsei (Ruthven, 1914) Colombian plump prog Elachistocleis piauiensis Caramaschi & Jim, 1983 Piaui oval frog Elachistocleis skotogaster Lavilla, Vaira & Ferrari, 2003 Santa Victoria oval frog Elachistocleis surinamensis (Daudin, 1802) Surinam oval frog Elachistocleis surumu Caramaschi, 2010 Roraima Oval FrogElachistocleis is a genus of microhylid frogs found in southern America from Panama southwards. Their common name is oval frogs, although for historic reasons not all species are named so.
