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| Bolitoglossa copinhorum
Itgen, Sessions, Wilson & Townsend, 2020
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Abstract
The diversity of the tropical climbing salamander genus Bolitoglossa (Magnadigita) in Honduras has been underestimated historically, with 11 new species having been described in the past quarter-century. Bolitoglossa celaque is known to occur in three disjunct mountain ranges across the Lenca Highlands region of southwestern Honduras, and previous studies have independently demonstrated differences in mitochondrial genealogy and genome size between populations to the east and west of the Mejocote–San Juan Depression. Sampling from all three mountain ranges represented two genetically distinct clades: one associated with the vicinity of the type locality, Montaña de Celaque, and the second consisting of several eastern populations from the departments of Intibucá and La Paz. Distinctiveness of these two clades was further investigated and supported by analyses of morphological variation, geometric morphometrics of foot morphology, and comparative osteology. Based on congruent signals from each line of evidence, we restrict the taxon B. celaque to Montaña de Celaque and describe the eastern populations as a new species of Bolitoglossa.
KEYWORDS: Bolitoglossa copinhorum sp. nov., Chortís Block, comparative morphology, Geomorphic morphometrics, Integrative taxonomy, montane forests, Nuclear Central America, osteology, phylogenetics
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| Holotype adult male Bolitoglossa copinhorum (CM 163182) from Refugio de Vida Silvestre Mixcure, Intibuca; (A) details of head and anterior portion of body in lateral view; (B) dorsolateral view of entire body; and (C) dorsal and ventral aspects of the preserved holotype specimen. |
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| Variation in Bolitoglossa copinhorum: (A) an adult male from San Pedro La Loma (CM 170771); (B) an adult male from the Sierra de Opalaca, Intibuca (CM 170752); (C) an adult female from San Pedro La Loma (CM 170770); (D) a juvenile from the Sierra de Opalaca, Intibuca. |
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| Habitat at other localities where Bolitoglossa copinhorum occurs: (A) Zacate Blanco, (B) San Pedro la Loma, (C) Agua Negra in the nuclear zone of Opalaca, (D) San Pedro La Loma, (E) Guajiquiro, Departamento de La Paz. |
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| Type locality of Bolitoglossa copinhorum; Refugio de Vida Silvestre Mixcure, 2150 m elevation, Departamento de Intibuca, Honduras; (A) Mixcure, west of El Rodeo; (B–C) forest interior at Mixcure, west of El Rodeo. |
Michael W. Itgen, Stanley K. Sessions, Larry David Wilson and Josiah H. Townsend. 2020. Integrative Systematic Revision of Bolitoglossa celaque (Caudata: Plethodontidae), with A New Species from the Lenca Highlands of Honduras. Herpetological Monographs. 33(1); 48-70. DOI: 10.1655/HERPMONOGRAPHS-D-19-00001.1
