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| Chimerella zoeterra Venegas, García-Ayachi, Köhler & Vences, 2025 SALAMANDRA. 61(4); |
Abstract
Based on molecular genetics, bioacoustics, and morphological comparisons, we provide independent lines of evidence for the recognition and description of a new species of Chimerella from the Amazonian slopes of the eastern Andes in northeastern Peru, departments of Amazonas and San Martín. Chimerella zoeterra sp. n. is distinguished from C. corleone and C. mira by exhibiting a light yellow-green dorsum covered with dark green punctuation and scattered black flecks in life, and the iris bearing an orange or grayish-red median streak. However, in life, the new species is morphologically indistinguishable from C. mariaelenae, differentiated from it only by the dorsal coloration in preservative (ethanol 70%): cream with a lavender hue in the new species and distinctly lavender in C. mariaelenae. The advertisement call of the new species differs from the calls of all other nominal Chimerella species by qualitative and quantitative character traits. Its call consists of 3 to 5 high-pitched, pulsed notes of 26–35 ms duration. Genetically, samples of the new species form a divergent mitochondrial lineage with uncorrected pairwise distances for the 16S rRNA gene of 2.3–4.2% to the other three nominal species of Chimerella. Furthermore, there is a lack of haplotype sharing with other nominal species in certain nuclear markers studied (RAG-1, KIAA 1239, and SACS). The new species inhabits riparian vegetation of black water streams in humid montane forest on white sand outcrops.
Key words. Amphibia, Chimerella zoeterra sp. n., C. mariaelenae, Marañón River, bioacoustics, molecular genetics, morphology, phylogeny, taxonomy.
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| Uncollected individuals of Chimerella zoeterra sp. n. and an egg clutch in situ, photographed at night on 22 January 2020 at Fundo Alto Nieva, Amazonas department, Peru: (A, B) amplectant couples; (C) a metamorph at Gosner stage 44 at ca. 20 cm height on a leaf; and (D) an egg clutch containing fifteen eggs. Photographs by L. A. García-Ayachi. |
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| Adult male specimens of Chimerella zoeterra sp. n. in life: (A) dorsolateral and (B) ventral views of male holotype CORBIDI 24684; (C) dorsal view of CORBIDI 24688; (D) dorsolateral view of CORBIDI 24717; (E) dorsal view of CORBIDI 24677; (F) dorsolateral and (G) ventral views of CORBIDI 24685; (H) and (I) frontal views of CORBIDI 24691 and 24715, respectively. Photographs by E. Quispe. |
Chimerella zoeterra sp. nov.
Pablo J. Venegas, Luis A. García-Ayachi, Jörn Köhler and Miguel Vences. 2025. Bioacoustics and Molecular Genetics reveal A New Species of Glassfrog, Genus Chimerella (Anura: Centrolenidae), from white sand outcrops in the Yungas Ecoregion of northeastern Peru. SALAMANDRA. 61(4); [2025-10-30]
