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| (A, B) Qosqophryne flammiventris (Lehr & Catenazzi, 2010) (C, D) Q. gymnotis (Lehr & Catenazzi, 2009) (E, F) Q. mancoinca (Mamani, Catenazzi, Ttito, Mallqui, Chaparro, 2017)
in Catenazzi, Mamani, Lehr & von May, 2020.
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Abstract
We propose to erect a new genus of terrestrial-breeding frogs of the Terrarana clade to accommodate three species from the Province La Convención, Department of Cusco, Peru previously assigned to Bryophryne: B. flammiventris, B. gymnotis, and B. mancoinca. We examined types and specimens of most species, reviewed morphological and bioacoustic characteristics, and performed molecular analyses on the largest phylogeny of Bryophryne species to date. We performed phylogenetic analysis of a dataset of concatenated sequences from fragments of the 16S rRNA and 12S rRNA genes, the protein-coding gene cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI), the nuclear protein-coding gene recombination-activating protein 1 (RAG1), and the tyrosinase precursor (Tyr). The three species are immediately distinguishable from all other species of Bryophryne by the presence of a tympanic membrane and annulus, and by males having median subgular vocal sacs and emitting advertisement calls. Our molecular phylogeny confirms that the three species belong to a new, distinct clade, which we name Qosqophryne, and that they are reciprocally monophyletic with species of Microkayla. These two genera (Qosqophryne and Microkayla) are more closely related to species of Noblella and Psychrophrynella than to species of Bryophryne. Although there are no known morphological synapomorphies for either Microkayla or Qosqophryne, the high endemism of their species, and the disjoint geographic distribution of the two genera, with a gap region of ~310 km by airline where both genera are absent, provide further support for Qosqophryne having long diverged from Microkayla. The exploration of high elevation moss and leaf litter habitats in the tropical Andes will contribute to increase knowledge of the diversity and phylogenetic relationships within Terrarana.
Keywords: amphibian; Andes; Cusco; high elevation; Neotropical; Qosqophryne; tropical mountain; systematic; taxonomy
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| Figure 1. Holotypes of species of Qosqophryne gen. n. in dorsolateral and ventral views: (A, B) Q. flammiventris (MUSM 27613; SVL 19.8 mm): (C, D) Q. gymnotis (MUSM 25543; SVL 18.4 mm); (E, F) Q. mancoinca (MUBI 11152; SVL 26.5 mm).
Photographs by E. Lehr (A, B), A. Catenazzi (C, D) and L. Mamani (E, F).
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| Figure 3. Type localities of frogs in the genera Bryophryne (white circles, species details not shown), Microkayla (squares) and Qosqophryne gen. n. (red asterisks) in southern Peru and northern Bolivia. |
Taxonomy
Qosqophryne new genus
Type species. Bryophryne gymnotis Lehr and Catenazzi, 2009
Included species. Qosqophryne flammiventris (Lehr and Catenazzi, 2010), comb. nov.; Q. mancoinca (Mamani, Catenazzi, Ttito, Mallqui, Chaparro, 2017), comb. nov.
Diagnosis. (1) Head wider than long, narrower than body, body robust, extremities short; (2) tympanic membrane and annulus present; (3) cranial crests absent; (4) prevomerine teeth and dentigerous process of vomers present (but absent in Q. flammiventris); (5) trips of digits narrow, rounded, circumferential grooves absent, terminal phalanges T-shaped to knobbed; (6) Finger I shorter than Finger II, nuptial pads absent; (7) Toe V shorter than Toe III; (8) fingers and toes with lateral fringes (but absent in Q. flammiventris); (9) subarticular tubercles small, rounded; (10) dorsolateral folds short, discontinuous or continuous; (11) discoidal fold absent (present in Q. mancoinca); (12) trigeminal nerve passing external to m. adductor mandibulae externus (‘S’ condition; Lynch, 1986); (13) snout-vent length from 16.7–19.3 mm in males and 16.0–22.2 mm in females of Q. gymnotis, to 19.6–22.9 mm in males and 23.6–26.5 mm in females of Q. mancoinca; (14) males with median subgular vocal sac and vocal slits, nuptial pads absent; (15) advertisement call whistle-like, composed of a single, tonal note in Q. gymnotis, 2–3 short notes in Q. mancoinca, and 3–4 short notes in Q. flammiventris.
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Etymology. The name refers to the city of Cusco, using the spelling Qosqo which more closely reflects the name in Quechua. Qosqo is used in apposition with phryne, from the greek for “frog”. Thus, the name for the new genus alludes to the geographic distribution of the three known species in the Peruvian Department of Cusco.
Distribution, natural history, and conservation. The three species of Qosqophryne occur within a region of ~150 km2 in the upper montane forests and grasslands of the Cordilleras de Urubamba and Cordillera de Vilcabamba, Provincia La Convención, Department Cusco, Peru. These frogs inhabit cloud forests, elfin forests, montane scrub and humid grasslands (puna) from 3270 to 3800 m a.s.l. Similar to other regions in the high Andes, these habitats and their amphibian communities are threatened by pasture burning, climate change and associated expansion of agricultural activities, deforestation, and the fungal disease chytridiomycosis. Although chytridiomycosis has caused the collapse of montane frog communities at several sites in Departamento Cusco, terrestrial-breeding frogs have generally declined the least, and several species challenged in experimental infection trials appears to resist or tolerate infection. Protection of natural habitats will benefit conservation of these frogs. Two of the three species occur within naturally protected areas: Q. gymnotis within the Área de Conservación Privada Abra Málaga, and Q. mancoinca within Machu Picchu Historic Sanctuary.
Alessandro Catenazzi, Luis Mamani, Edgar Lehr and Rudolf von May. 2020. A New Genus of Terrestrial-Breeding Frogs (Holoadeninae, Strabomantidae, Terrarana) from Southern Peru. Diversity. 12(5); 184. DOI: 10.3390/d12050184
