Hyperolius mariae Barbour & Loveridge, 1928

Rappia vermiculata Pfeffer, 1893. Syntype ZMB 10988 (other ZMB syntypes destroyed) “Sansibar (= Zanzibar, Tanzania) The name is preoccupied by Hyperolius vermiculatus Peters, 1882, and so is not available, although it appears to be the oldest name for this taxon. Above brown with many small yellow flecks. A dark band runs from eye to snout tip. Eyelid very dark with thin yellow margin.

Hyperolius mariae Barbour & Loveridge, 1928. MCZ 13267, “near the mill dam at Derema, Usambara Mtns., Tanganyika Territory ” Tanzania. Colour in life: Above uniform greyish-white, with a black speck on snout, nostrils ringed with black, edge of upper eyelid black. A broad cream-coloured stripe laterally with a broad black one below it. Lower lip with red marks, belly blood-red.

Hyperolius callichromus paratypes from Dar es Salaam ZMB 85869–85872 (Tillack et al. 2021), are assigned as synonyms of H. mariae as this is the only clade known from Dar es Salaam.

Hyperolius vermicularis Ahl, 1931. ZMB 10988, Zanzibar, Tanzania. (Replacement name for Rappia vermiculata Pfeffer, 1893). Only the H. mariae clade is known from Zanzibar. Sequences from the adjacent mainland form part of the clade. Above brown with very many small yellow flecks, forming vermiculation. A dark band from snout tip to eye, eyelid with a thin yellow margin, tibia with small dark speckles.

Hyperolius melanopthalmus Ahl, 1931. ZMB 85670–85672, “ Sansibar ”, (Zanzibar, Tanzania). Synonymy by Loveridge (1936). Colour in alcohol: Above pale grey, nostrils ringed with black, upper eyelid with dark fleck. A broad lateral dark or violet band between the limbs, sometimes marbled.

Hyperolius rubripes Ahl, 1931. ZMB 36110 and 57530, “Kililana”, Kenya. Synonymy by Wieczorek et al. (2000). Colour in alcohol: Above uniform pale yellow, pink or brownish.

Hyperolius renschi Ahl, 1931. ZMB type lost (Tillack et al. 2021) Zanzibar, Tanzania. Synonymy by Loveridge (1936). Colour in alcohol: Above pale yellow, with a lateral violet band.

Hyperolius marmoratus mafianus Laurent, 1961. BMNH 1937.7.1.42–44, This is a new name for specimens of H. albifrons Ahl, 1931, from Mafia Island, reported on by Parker (1937). Only one clade is known from northern coastal Tanzania. Back and sides yellowish-brown. Upper surface of snout silvery-white or yellowish-green, extending back to the eyes, continuing as lateral stripes to the level of the shoulder. The lateral stripes may branch to form a dorsal marbling, or may unite over the coccyx.A dark subdermal lateral band is present. Limbs the same colour as the back.

Hyperolius udjidjiensis Ahl, 1931 was removed from the synonymy of H. mariae and placed in the synonymy of Hyperolius parallelus Günther, 1858 by Wieczorek et al. (2000).

Sequences were available from Mafia Island (as H. mariae and H. viridiflavus mariae) and Mtai Forest, Tanzania; Arabuko Sokoke, Kenya (as H. viridiflavus mariae and H. v. rubripes). The minimum uncorrected p- distances from other clades were 4.0–6.5% (Table 2). The sample occurs in coastal Tanzania and Kenya (Fig. 9C). The localities of taxa now regarded as junior synonyms of H. mariae are listed in Table 3.

The most common pattern elements in the descriptions of the types included in H. mariae are various markings on the head such as black-ringed nostrils (50%), followed by a dark lateral band (33%). The percentages are not additive, as the pattern elements may be shared.

Advertisement calls from Mikumi, Tanzania (no vouchers), show a series of brief notes, with an emphasised frequency of about 3200 Hz, and a note rate of 5 s-1 (Schiøtz 1975, 1999 as H. v. mariae). This is similar to another call (no voucher) from the same locality (Pickersgill 2007, as H. mariae). A call from Kingupira, Tanzania (no voucher) has an emphasised frequency of 2750 Hz (Schiøtz 1975, as H. marginatus), similar to calls from Karonga, Malawi (no vouchers) (Pickersgill, 2007, as H. nyassae) and Bububu, Zanzibar (no vouchers) (Pickersgill 2007, as H. renschi).