 |
| Pristimantis milpe Ron, Paredes-Aguirre, Paucar, López, Apunte & Ortega, 2026 |
Abstract
As currently defined, Pristimantis subsigillatus is a species of the P. lacrimosus species group distributed in the Chocó of Colombia and Ecuador, from lowlands to Andean foothill forests. Upon re-examination of the holotype of P. subsigillatus, we conclude that the populations currently ascribed to P. subsigillatus are not conspecific with the holotype. Instead, the holotype is conspecific with one of the syntypes of P. latidiscus, a species described four years before from a nearby locality. To avoid the ambiguity in the application of the binomen Hylodes latidiscus, we designate a lectotype. As a result, P. subsigillatus becomes a junior synonym of P. latidiscus. The misidentified populations represent an undescribed species which we describe based on morphological, bioacoustic, and genetic data as Pristimantis milpe sp. nov. The new species has one of the widest distributions among Chocoan Pristimantis and is unusual for having sexual dimorphism in coloration. It is most closely related to Pristimantis degener from which it diverged in the late Miocene and is morphologically distinct. The fact that such a common species remained “invisible” to taxonomy highlights the importance of correctly establishing the link between the name-bearing types and natural populations. Finally, we discuss how taxonomic treatments of Pristimantis during the second half of the 20th century often made this non-trivial error.
Key words: Andes, holotype, integrative taxonomy, lectotype, phylogeny, systematics
Pristimantis milpe sp. nov.
Common name. English: Milpe Rain Frog.
Spanish: Cutín de Milpe.
Spanish: Cutín de Milpe.
Diagnosis. We assign the new species to the genus Pristimantis based on the phylogeny (Fig. 5). Species of Pristimantis characterized by: (1) smooth to slightly tuberculate dorsal skin, areolate belly; discoidal fold evident; dorsolateral folds absent; (2) tympanum condition B; tympanic ring covered dorsally by supratympanic fold, tympanic membrane not differentiated; (3) truncate snout in dorsal view and protruding in lateral view; (4) upper eyelid generally without tubercles (occasionally one tiny tubercle present); (5) cranial crests absent; (6) oblique dentigerous processes of vomers; (7) vocal slits present, nuptial pads ...
 |
| Photographs showing color variation in living adult males of Pristimantis milpe sp. nov. A. QCAZ-A 77106, holotype, SVL = 24.77 mm; B. QCAZ-A 76585, paratype, SVL = 26.97 mm; C. QCAZ-A 76518, paratype, SVL = 26.06 mm; D. QCAZ-A 65561, SVL = 19.64 mm; E. QCAZ-A 67428, SVL = 26.47 mm. Left column: dorsolateral view; central column: dorsal view; right column: ventral view. F. QCAZ-A 79899; note significant color change within a period of less than 24 h. Locality data for all specimens is provided in the holotype and paratypes sections. |
 |
| Photographs showing color variation in living adult/subadult females of Pristimantis milpe sp. nov. A. QCAZ-A 67424, paratype, adult female, SVL = 32.07 mm; B. QCAZ-A 45268, paratype, subadult female, SVL = 29.44 mm; C. QCAZ-A 74171, paratype, adult female, SVL = 34.21 mm; D. QCAZ-A 74172, paratype, adult female, SVL = 34.17 mm; E. QCAZ-A 51314, adult female, SVL = 33.13 mm. Left column: dorsolateral view; central column: dorsal view; right column: ventral view. Locality data for all specimens is provided in the paratypes section. |
Etymology. The specific epithet is a noun in apposition and refers to the type locality, the Milpe Bird Sanctuary, a private reserve in Pichincha Province, Ecuador. The sanctuary protects ~ 100 ha of Foothill Montane Forest and is part of the Andean Chocó, one of the most diverse and threatened regions on the planet. The Milpe Bird Sanctuary is managed by the Mindo Cloudforest Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to the conservation of biodiversity in the Andean Chocó. The Foundation maintains close relationships with local communities, promoting environmental education, sustainable livelihoods, and participatory management of natural resources. It also supports other private reserves and local Decentralized Autonomous Governments in forest restoration through the production of native plants in their nurseries, strengthening long-term conservation in the region.
Santiago R. Ron, Poulette Paredes-Aguirre, Diego A. Paucar, Yaara López, Katherine Apunte and Jhael A. Ortega. 2026. Long overdue: A New, widespread, species of Pristimantis (Anura, Strabomantidae) from the Chocó region and the synonymy of Pristimantis subsigillatus. ZooKeys. 1286: 121-152. DOI: doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1286.194383 [24 Jul 2026]
