 |
| Pristimantis petersioides Carrión-Olmedo & Ron, 2021 |
Abstract
With 566 species, the neotropical genus Pristimantis is the most speciose vertebrate genus. As a result of its striking diversity, taxonomic reviews remain a challenge. Herein, we present an updated phylogeny of the Pristimantis lacrimosus group and describe a new species from Llanganates and Sangay National Parks. We also report, for the first time, the phylogenetic position of Pristimantis degener, P. eugeniae, P. katoptroides, and P. petersi. Based on our phylogeny, we add two species to the Pristimantis lacrimosus group. Through the integration of molecular and bioacoustic evidence, we describe a new species which was hidden under “Pristimantis petersi”. Pristimantis petersioides sp. nov. is most closely related to Pristimantis petersi and an undescribed species from Peru. It can be distinguished from P. petersi by its advertisement call and large genetic differences (uncorrected p-genetic distances 7.9% to 8.4% for gene 16S). Moreover, the new species and P. petersi are not sister species. We suggest assigning the new species to the Endangered Red List category because it has a small distribution range with deforestation as result of agriculture and other anthropogenic influences.
Key Words: Amphibia, Bioacoustics, Conservation, Diversity, National Parks, Phylogeny, Taxonomy
 |
| Figure 3. Holotype of Pristimantis petersioides sp. nov. QCAZ58939, adult female, SVL = 22.02 mm. Sangay National Park, Sardinayacu, Ecuador. A lateral view of live individual, B dorsal view of live individual, C dorsal view of preserved individual, D ventral view of preserved individual. Photographs A, B by Juan Carlos Sánchez, C, D by Julio C. Carrión-Olmedo |
Pristimantis petersioides sp. nov.
Eleutherodactylus petersi Lynch & Duellman 1980 (in part)
Pristimantis petersi Batallas & Brito 2016
Pristimantis petersi Brito et al. 2017
Suggested common name: English: Sardinayacu’s Rain Frog.
Spanish: Cutín de Sardinayacu
Diagnosis: The assignment of the new species to the genus Pristimantis is based on the phylogeny (Fig. 1). Pristimantis petersioides sp. nov. is characterized by the following combination of characters: (1) Skin on dorsum smooth to shagreen with or without scattered small tubercles, head with or without one interorbital small tubercle, skin of venter shagreened to weakly areolate; discoidal fold present, ill-defined; dorsolateral folds absent; (2) tympanic membrane and tympanic annulus present, round, its length 2/5 to 1/2 of eye diameter; its upper border weakly concealed by inconspicuous supratympanic fold; (3) snout rounded to truncate in dorsal view, truncate in lateral view, bearing a small rostral papilla; (4) interorbital space flat, broader than upper eyelid; upper eyelid with one distinct subconical tubercle surrounded by lower, indistinct rounded tubercles; cranial crests absent; (5) vomerine odontophores low to prominent, oblique, moderately separated, posteromedial to choanae; (6) males with prominent, subgular vocal sac and vocal slits; (7) first finger shorter than second; all fingers long, discs broadly expanded, rounded to truncate; all fingers bearing a hyperdistal tubercle (Fig. 4B); (8) fingers with narrow lateral fringes; (9) few ulnar tubercles; (10) no knee and heel tubercles, outer tarsal fold bearing one to three indistinct tubercles; (11) two metatarsal tubercles, inner oval, 3x the size of outer conical and elliptical metatarsal tubercle; supernumerary plantar tubercles numerous; (12) all toes with hyperdistal tubercles; toes with narrow lateral fringes; basal toe webbing absent, discs broadly expanded, Toe IV much longer than Toe III (disc on Toe III reaches proximal edge of penultimate subarticular tubercle on Toe IV, disc on Toe V exceeds the distal edge of penultimate subarticular tubercle on Toe IV), discs as expanded as those on fingers (Fig. 4A); (13) SVL 22.8 ± 1.4 mm (20.4–24.8 mm; n = 15) in females, 18.5 ± 1.5 mm (15.8–23.9 mm; n = 39) in males.
 |
| Figure 5. Live specimens of Pristimantis petersioides sp. nov. and most similar species. A Pristimantis petersioides sp. nov., QCAZ58938, adult male (SVL 17.99 mm), B Pristimantis petersi, QCAZ63455, adult male (SVL 16.49 mm), C Pristimantis sp., QCAZ62940, adult male (SVL 23.45 mm), D Pristimantis bromeliaceus, QCAZ56454, adult male (SVL 21.93 mm) E Pristimantis schultei, QCAZ51551, adult male (SVL 24.60 mm). Photographs by Juan Carlos Sánchez A, by David Velalcázar B, by Valeria Chasiluisa C, by Jorge Brito D, by Diego Paucar E. |
 |
| Figure 7. Variation in live adult individuals of Pristimantis petersioides sp. nov. A QCAZ59471 (SVL 17.45 mm), B QCAZ59455 (SVL 18.2 mm), C QCAZ58943 (SVL 17.73 mm), D QCAZ59456 (SVL 19.05 mm), E QCAZ58938 (SVL 17.99 mm), F QCAZ59458 (SVL 21.84 mm), G QCAZ58941 (SVL 20.42 mm), H QCAZ59466 (SVL 19.06 mm). Dorsolateral view on the left, ventral view on the right. Photographs A and H by Santiago R. Ron, B–G by Juan Carlos Sánchez. |
Etymology: The specific epithet is a masculine noun in apposition. The suffix oides is derived from the Greek eidos meaning similar. The name makes reference to the similarity between the new species and its sister species, Pristimantis petersi.
Distribution and natural history: Pristimantis petersioides sp. nov. is known from six localities in the eastern Andean slopes of central Ecuador between 1221–2300 m (Fig. 9). It inhabits the Eastern Andean Foothills Forest and Eastern Montane Forest natural regions (as defined by Ron et al. 2019). It has been recorded in primary forest and, less frequently, in secondary forest. Individuals were found during nocturnal surveys, usually perching on ferns, herbs, or Heliconia leaves, branches, or inside bromeliads up to 350 cm above the ground, usually near water bodies. Three amplectant pairs were found on January and February 2015 in Sardinayacu and Zarentza.
Julio C. Carrión-Olmedo and Santiago R. Ron. 2021. A New Cryptic Species of the Pristimantis lacrimosus group (Anura, Strabomantidae) from the eastern Slopes of the Ecuadorian Andes. Evolutionary Systematics 5: 151-175. DOI: 10.3897/evolsyst.5.62661
