PROC. BIOL. SOC. WASH. 93(4), 1980, pp. 928-942 THE STATUS OF THE CENTRAL AMERICAN LEPTODACTYLID FROGS ELEUTHERODACTYLUS MELANOSTICTUS (COPE) AND ELEUTHERODACTYLUS PLATYRHYNCHUS (GUNTHER) Jay M. Savage and James E. DeWeese Abstract. — Eleutherodactylus melanostictus, a species unique to the ge-nus in lower Central America in having dark transverse bars on the anterior, dorsal, and posterior surfaces of the thighs, is redefined. E. platyrhynchus is conspecific with melanostictus. In external and skeletal morphology the species seems allied to the unistrigatus-cruentus series. Jaw musculature (dfsq + e) allies this species to the fitzingeri-rugulosus series, whereas all known representatives of the unistrigatus-cruentus stock have a very dis-tinctive set of jaw muscles (DPSQ^AT + s). Karyologically the species has 2N = 22, N.F. = 36 and resembles several members of the fitzingeri-ru-gulosus series, especially E. berkenbuschii of eastern Mexico. Known mem-bers of the unistrigatus-cruentus series have 2N = 26, 32, 34; N.F. = 32, 36, 46. These differences make E. melanostictus the sole representative of a monotypic species group. Among the numerous species of rain frogs, genus Eleutherodactylus, found in the Cordilleras of Costa Rica and western Panama, is a series of populations distinctive from all others in having transverse dark bars on the anterior, dorsal, and posterior surface of the thighs. In life the contrasting light interspaces on the posterior thighs range from cream through yellow-green to orange, salmon, magenta, and scarlet to make these animals among the most conspicuous forms in the genus. Several names have been applied to the populations — including Hy lodes brocchi Boulenger, 1882 (Giinther, 1900), now known to be restricted to Guatemala (Savage, 1975); Lithodytes melanostictus Cope, 1875; and Hylodes platyrhynchus Giinther, 1900 (Dunn, 1937; Taylor, 1952), each based on Costa Rican frogs. Prior to 1960 these frogs were known from a few individuals from scat-tered localities. While the problem of the status of the various samples has been recognized for some years, it is only now that sufficient material has been accumulated to make a review of the populations possible. Comparison of Populations Frogs of the melanostictus-platyrhynchus population system are found along the slopes of the cordilleras of Costa Rica and western Panama, from
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