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| Erythrolamprus darwinnunezi Torres-Carvajal, Hinojosa & Paucar, 2024 |
Abstract
We describe a new species of Erythrolamprus from the eastern slopes of the Tropical Andes in Ecuador. The most similar species in morphology and color patterns are E. fraseri and E. lamonae. However, this new species differs in dorsal and ventral color patterning, as well as scale count and hemipenial morphology. Previous molecular phylogenies strongly support monophyly of the new species described herein and its sister taxon relationship with E. fraseri from the western slopes of the Andes of Ecuador and northern Peru. An identification key for species of Ecuadorian Erythrolamprus formerly assigned as subspecies of E. epinephelus is provided.
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| Holotype of Erythrolamprus darwinnunezi sp. nov. (female, QCAZ 9972) in preservative. Dorsal (A) and ventral (B) views of the body (374 mm SVL), and dorsal (C), lateral (D), and ventral (E) views of the head. Scale bar (C, D, E) = 10 mm. |
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| General view of specimens of Erythrolamprus darwinnunezi sp. nov. in life. QCAZ 10001, male, 215 mm SVL (A) and QCAZ 18245, male, 281 mm SVL (B). Photographs by author Diego A. Paucar. |
Erythrolamprus darwinnunezi sp. nov.
Diagnosis.—E. darwinnunezi sp. nov. differs from all other known congeners by the following combination of characters: (1) dorsal scales in 17–17–15 rows; (2) eight supralabials, with fourth and fifth contacting orbit; (3) 8–10 infralabials, with anterior five or six contacting chinshields; (4) one preocular; (5) two postoculars; (6) 1 + 2 temporals; (7) one or two preventrals; (8) 143–154 ventrals in males, 138–159 in females; (9) 55–66 divided subcaudals in males, 56–66 in females; (10) two pairs of black longitudinal stripes from about midbody to tip of tail, and the ventrolateral stripe is wider, extending over dorsal scale rows II and III, and the dorsal stripe forms a thin line between dorsal rows VI and VII; and (11) yellowish venter, with scattered dark, hill-shaped marks, with the hill base on the proximal border of the ventral scale, except on the tail.
Etymology.—The specific epithet darwinnunezi is a noun in the genitive case and is a patronym for Darwin Núñez, Ecuadorian herpetologist, in recognition for his extensive field collections that have contributed to science and conservation of the herpetofauna of Ecuador. In addition to the present description, Núñez has collected type specimens of several species of amphibians and reptiles described in recent years, such as Hyloscirtus hillisi (Ron et al., 2018), Pristimantis anaiae (Ortega et al., 2022), Pholidobolus condor, and P. fascinatus (Parra et al., 2020).
Omar Torres-Carvajal, Katherin C. Hinojosa and Diego A. Paucar. 2024. A New Species of Erythrolamprus (Serpentes: Dipsadidae) from the Andes of Ecuador. Journal of Herpetology. 58 (2), 198-208. DOI: doi.org/10.1670/2237051
