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| Pristimantis donnelsoni Reyes-Puig, Urgilés-Merchán, Franco-Mena, Guayasamin, Batallas & Reyes-Puig, 2023. |
Abstract
The explosive diversity of rainfrogs (Pristimantis spp) reaches its highest levels in the mountains of the Tropical Andes, with remarkable cryptic species mainly in unexplored areas of Ecuador. Based on phylogenetics, morphometric traits, skull osteology and bioacoustics, we describe two new species of Pristimantis, previously confused with Pristimantis gladiator, that belong to the subgenus Trachyphrynus traditionally known as the Pristimantis myersi species group. The two new taxa are closely related, but have allopatric distributions. We discuss the importance of the Quijos and Pastaza River valleys in the diversification along Amazonian slopes of the Ecuadorian Andes.
Key words: Cryptic species, Ecuadorian Andean slopes, osteology, Pristimantis taxonomy
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| Life dorsal and ventral views of Pristimantis donnelsoni sp. nov., in situ A, B holotype male DHMECN 14701, LRC: 15.42 mm, from Chamana Reserve C, D paratype female DHMECN 13321, LRC: 15.47 mm, from Cerro Candelaria E, F paratype female DHMECN 16175, LRC:13.71 mm, from Cerro Candelaria G, H paratype female DHMECN 18159, LRC:18.72 mm, from Hacienda Guamag I, J adult male DHMECN 18185, LRC:14.26 mm, from Finca Palmonte. Photographs by JPRP. |
Pristimantis donnelsoni sp. nov.
Pristimantis kayi sp. nov.
Juan M. Guayasamin, Miguel Urgilés-Merchán, Daniela Franco-Mena, Carolina Reyes-Puig, Diego Batallas & Juan Pablo Reyes-Puig
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| Habitat vegetation at type localities and etymology of the two new frogs described herein. A panoramic view of the upper Pastaza Valley and its adjacent mountains, main geographic barriers promoting speciation at a regional scale, at back Tungurahua Volcano and mountains south of the Pastaza River habitat of Pristimantis donnelsoni sp. nov., image from the slopes of Cerro Mayordomo type locality of Pristimantis kayi sp. nov., in the northern mountains to the Pastaza River B Tungurahua Volcano eruption, from Chamana Reserve C Montane forest in Candelaria Reserve E Sumaco Volcano seen from Wawa Sumaku, habitat of P. kayi sp. nov. F Montane forest and subpáramo in Leito, Patate Photographs by JPRP and Zane Libke |
Juan Pablo Reyes-Puig, Miguel Urgilés-Merchán, Daniela Franco-Mena, Juan M. Guayasamin, Diego Batallas and Carolina Reyes-Puig. 2023. Two New Species of Terrestrial Frogs of the Pristimantis gladiator Complex (Anura, Strabomantidae) from the Ecuadorian Andes, with insights on their Biogeography and Skull Morphology. ZooKeys. 1180: 257-293. DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1180.107333
