Two New Species of Pristimantis (Anura: Strabomantidae) from Amazonas Department in Northeastern Peru

Pablo J Venegas,Luis A García-Ayachi,Alessandro Catenazzi

doi:10.3390/taxonomy2010002

Abstract

We describe two new species of terrestrial-breeding frogs in the genus Pristimantis from the Andes of northeastern Peru, Amazonas Department. Both species share several characters with other congeners from northern Peru, such as the presence of prominent conical tubercles on their eyelids and heel, prominent conical tubercles along the outer edge of the tarsus, and discs on fingers and toes widely expanded. However, both species can be diagnosed from morphologically similar Pristimantis in the region. Pristimantis kiruhampatu has axillae, groins, and hidden surfaces of hindlimbs that are cherry with white minute flecks, tympanic membrane and tympanic annulus evident, conical tubercles along the edge of snout and outer edge of tibia, and \/ shaped folds in the scapular region. Pristimantis paulpittmani has yellow or dirty cream groins and hidden surfaces of hindlimbs, whitish cream irises with scattered dark brown reticulations, and a thin vertical dark brown streak at the middle of the eye, snout subacuminate with a conical tubercle at the tip, and lacks a tympanic annulus and membrane. Additionally, we provide a short description of the advertisement call of P. kiruhampatu.

Highlights

The genus Pristimantis is the most species-rich genus of frogs, with 569 species named to date [1]
We provide diagnostic characters to differentiate the new species from similar congeners in northern Peru and Ecuador, and we describe the call of one of the new species
An adult female with slender body (Figure 2); head narrow, not as wide as body, wider than long; head width 40% of SVL; head length 30% of SVL; snout short, bearing a terminal pointed conical tubercle on the tip, subacuminate in dorsal and lateral view; eye-nostril distance 90% of eye diameter; nostrils elliptical, slightly protuberant, directed laterally; canthus rostralis curved in dorsal view, straight in profile; loreal region slightly concave; conical tubercles, heterogeneous in size on head and margin of lower jaw; upper eyelid bearing a distinct enlarged conical tubercle and numerous subconical tubercles; upper eyelid width 70% of IOD; tympanic annulus present; supratympanic fold absent; tympanum diameter 57% of eye diameter, tympanic membrane smooth; enlarged conical postrictal tubercles present

Summary

Introduction

The genus Pristimantis is the most species-rich genus of frogs, with 569 species named to date [1]. The genus occurs in southern Central and South America, where it reaches elevations from sea level in the Caribbean and Lesser Antilles up to 4000 m a.s.l. in the Andes. Many more species are described every year, on average over a dozen every year [1]. Since 2010, researchers have named 138 species of Pristimantis, nearly three times the number in the second genus with the most descriptions (Leptobrachella from southern Asia), and nearly 8% of all new species of amphibians described. The rate of new Pristimantis descriptions has increased noticeably in 2019 and 2020 (19 and 18 new species, respectively) [1]

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Conclusion