Monday, November 14, 2011

[Herpetology • 2007] 3 new Pristimantis; P. aquilonaris, P. bellator & P. caeruleonotus • from Northern Peru, South America




Pristimantis bellator sp. nov.
"Nueva York" hill, Rio Blanco Basin istrito de Carmen de la Frontera, Provincia de Huancabamba, Departamento de Piura, Peru.
Etymology. The specific name is derived from the Latin noun bellator, meaning
soldier or warrior. The name refers to the dorsal and lateral coloration consisting of green, brown, yellow, and black markings reminding us of camouflage clothing used by soldiers.

Distribution and ecology. This species is known from four localities at elevations of 1900-3100 m in northern Departamento de Piura and adjacent Departamento de Caja marca (Fig. 1), it occurs in paramo and humid montane forest. Pristimantis bellator was found during day on moss and at night on the ground or on vegetation up to 1.7 m above the ground. One individual (MHNSM 24506) was in a terrestrial bromeliad at 1852 h, and another (MHNSM 24507) was in an arboreal bromeliad 2.0 m above ground at 0055 h. Sympatric anurans include Pristimantis aquilonaris, P. colodactylus, P. galdi, P. cajamarcensis, Phrynopus parkeri and an unidentified species of Gastrotheca.


Abstract:
Three new species of Pristimantis are described from montane forests and paramos at elevations of 1900-3200 m in the Cordillera de Huancabamba in the northern Peruvian departamentos de Cajamarca and Piura. The new species are assigned to the Pristimantis unistrigatus Group and are compared with species from southern Ecuador and northern Peru. One of the new species has a black W-shaped occipital fold, and the groin, anterior and posteriorsurfaces of the thigh, the concealed surface of tarsus, and axilla are blackish brown withyellowish-orange or reddish-orange flecks. The second species has an olive green dorsum with black and brown flecks, and a yellow groin and the anterior and posterior surfaces of thighs are yellow. Another species is unique in having blue flecks in the groin and on the anterior and posterior surfaces of the thigh and ventral surfaces of the shank.

Key words: Anura; Huancabamba Depression, Leptodactylidae; New species; Peru; Pristimantis



Fig. 1. Map with the type localities (as indicated by numbered stars) of Pristimantis aquilonaris (1), P. bellator (2), and P. caeruleonotus (2) in northern Peru. The Huancabamba Depression includes the river valleys of Rio Chamaya and Rio Maranon




Pristimantis aquilonaris sp. nov.
from Alto Samaniego Distrito de Carmen de la Frontera, Provincia de Huancabamba, Depar tamento de Piura, Peru,

Etymology. The specific name is the Latin adjective aquilonaris meaning northern. The name is used in reference to one of the collecting sites of the new species which is in northern Peru close to the Ecuadorian border ascompromised by the Rio Blanco.


Pristimantis caeruleonotus sp. nov.
Etymology. The specific name is derived from the Latin adjective caeruleus, meaning sky-blue, and the Latin noun nota, meaning mark or sign. The specific name refers to the sky-blue spots in the axilla, groin and on parts of the hind limbs.

Distribution and ecology. Pristimantis caeruleonotus is known only at elevations of 2500-2900 m in the vicinity of the type locality (Fig. 1). All specimens were found at night at 2000-2240 h on vegetation 0.2-1.5 m above ground. Specimen MTD 46844 was found in a terrestrial bromeliad. Sympatric anurans include P. aquilonaris, P. bellator and P. colodactylus.

Edgar Lehr, César Aguilar, Karen Siu-Ting, Juan Carlos Jordán. 2007. Three New Species of Pristimantis (Anura: Leptodactylidae) from the Cordillera de Huancabamba in Northern Peru. Herpetologica. 63(4). pp. 519-536.: http://www.jstor.org/stable/25209088