We describe a new species of theDendropsophus decipiensGroup, morphologically most resemblingD.haddadibut genetically more closely related toD.oliveiraiand likely endemic from the Atlantic Forest biome, northeastern Brazil. The new species can be distinguished from all species of theD.decipiensGroup based on the combination of morphological features, advertisement call and phylogenetic position based on mitochondrial DNA gene sequences. The new species emits simple calls in series of 3–9 notes, each with 9–29 pulses, and dominant frequency varying from 5578–6422 Hz, and exhibit a minimum of 8% genetic distance (16Smitochondrial gene) in comparison to its congeners. The new taxa represent the sixth species of theD.decipiensGroup, which likely harbors more undescribed taxa, corroborating the view that Neotropical species richness is fairly underestimated.

In the current study, two new species of Cosmocercidae nematodes parasitizing the anuran Leptodactylus macrosternum (Leptodactylidae) from two localities in the municipality of Petrolina, sub-middle Sao Francisco river, state of Pernambuco, Brazil, were described. Oxysomatium petrolinensis n. sp. differs from all congeneric species for having the male caudal papillae distribution pattern unique in this genus, in which the last three pairs of pre-cloacal papillae are located lateroventrally on the anterior border of the cloacal aperture. Additionally, the new species has an unpaired medial precloacal papilla, seven pairs of postcloacal papillae, and a relatively unique spicule size. Oxyascaris caatingae n. sp. differs from all congeneric species mainly for having males with a medial unpaired precloacal papilla and a distribution pattern of caudal papillae unique to this species, being the only species of the genus with adcloacal papillae. The current study proposes the description of Oxysomatium petrolinensis n. sp., fourth species and the first report of this genus in hosts from the Neotropical region. In addition, it describes Oxyascaris caatingae n. sp., which is the fifth species of the genus.

Assumptions about the distribution of zooplankton communities in various ecosystems are often limited by lack of data on dispersal mechanisms. Many studies on frog-mediated passive dispersal have been developed in bromeliads, but they usually focus on ostracods and annelids. We investigated the potential for external phoresy of zooplankton (rotifers, cladocerans, copepods) by treefrogs in bromeliad phytotelms. Our hypotheses are that (1) zooplankton composition on frogs’ skin and in phytotelm tanks is similar, and (2) frogs with larger body size carry more propagules of these invertebrates. We filtered phytotelm water (10 to 150 mL) using plankton net (45 µm), and fixed invertebrates with 4% formalin. Frogs were actively collected in and around bromeliads (up to ~1.5 m radius) and then washed with distilled water. Fourteen species of rotifers and three of crustaceans were registered in phytotelm water and frog bodies. We captured 17 frogs with a snout-vent length (SVL) ranging from 2 to 5 cm and belonging to five species: Pristimantis ramagii (Boulenger, 1888), Dendropsophus decipiens (A. Lutz, 1925), Scinax auratus (Wied-Neuwied,1821), S. pachycrus (Miranda-Ribeiro, 1937) and S. x-signatus (Spix, 1824). Among them, 12 (70.59%) had propagules adhered to their bodies, of which the majority (ten individuals) had active zooplankton forms, while only two had dormant eggs. Ten rotifer and two microcrustacean species were recorded adhered to frogs. The zooplankton composition differed between phytotelms and anuran skin, and frog body size does not explain the number of propagules carried, refuting both hypotheses. However, evidence of dispersal was found due to the high number of propagules adhered to anurans. Our study provides evidence that frogs may be potential dispersers of dormant and active forms of zooplankton in bromeliads, through external phoresy.

Urban landscapes restrain the distribution of forest‐dwelling species, which may be related to challenging conditions that impair body condition. The dynamics in urban areas lead to the simplification of communities that inhabit forest patches in cities with the turnover of sensitive species for opportunistic ones. In this study, we investigated the effect of urbanization on the body condition and diversity of scorpions at the landscape scale. Sampling was carried out in 10 forest patches in an urban matrix in Brazil, originally covered by a tropical rainforest. The surroundings of the landscape of each forest patch were characterized through the amount of forest, agriculture, and urban land cover. Individual body length, dry, lipid, and muscular masses were used as proxies of Tityus pusillus body condition. In total, 147 scorpions were collected, belonging to the species Ananteris mauryi, T. pusillus, T. stigmurus, and T. neglectus. Forest cover explained 28% of species variation. There was a positive relationship between forest cover and T. pusillus and A. mauryi abundances, while T. stigmurus was negatively affected by forest cover. Species richness and total scorpion abundance were not influenced by landscape metrics. In terms of body condition, only females of T. pusillus were affected by landscape variables, with individuals showing higher body mass with an increase in forest cover. Our results suggest that urban forests can support scorpion assemblages. However, there is a turnover in specialist forest species for opportunistic species. Forest cover is a crucial factor in maintaining healthy scorpion populations in urban areas.