Herpetologica, 68(2), 2012, 244–255 E 2012 by The Herpetologists’ League, Inc. A NEW SPECIES OF THE PRISTIMANTIS FRATER GROUP (ANURA: STRABOMANTIDAE) FROM THE EASTERN EVERGREEN LOWLAND FORESTS OF ECUADOR 1,2,4,5 3 H. MAURICIO ORTEGA-ANDRADE AND JORGE H. VALENCIA 1Instituto de Ecologı´a, A.C. Carretera antigua a Coatepec, El Haya, AP 63, Xalapa, Veracruz, Me´xico 2Fundacio´n EcoCiencia, Programa para la Conservacio´n de Especies Amenazadas de Extincio´n en el Ecuador, Pasaje Estocolmo E2-166 y Avenida Amazonas, Quito, Ecuador and Museo Ecuatoriano de Ciencias Naturales, Seccio´nde Vertebrados, Divisio´n de Herpetologı´a, calle Rumipamba 341 y Avenida de los Shyris, Quito, Ecuador 3Fundacio´n Herpetolo´gica Gustavo Orce´s, Avenida Amazonas 3008, Parque La Carolina, Quito, Ecuador ABSTRACT: We describe a new species of Pristimantis from evergreen lowland forest in the Amazon Basin of Ecuador. We observed all specimens to be active at night, located over leaves of shrubs in both primary forest and in the edge of forest clearings. The new species is tentatively assigned to Pristimantis (Pristimantis) frater group based on its small size (17.0–22.1 mm in snout–vent length of four males and 24.1 mm in a single female), relatively narrow head, short and subacuminate snout, lack of canthal stripes and labial bars, moderately long limbs, Finger I shorter than Finger II, and Toe V longer than Toe III. The new species differs from other congeneric species in Amazonia by possessing dense black reticulations on upper and lower borders of the iris, a dorsum that is orange or dark reddish brown without distinct pattern in life, a tympanic membrane not differentiated but ventral part of the tympanic annulus visible, and a small tubercle on each heel and eyelid. RESUMEN: Una nueva especie de Pristimantis es descrita de los bosques siempreverde de tierras bajas de las Cuenca Amazo´nica de Ecuador. Todos los especı´menes fueron observados durante la noche localizados sobre hojas de arbustos, tanto en a´reas de bosque primario y en los bordes con a´reas abiertas. La nueva especie es tentativamente asignada al grupo Pristimantis (Pristimantis) frater, por su taman˜ o pequen˜ o (17.0– 22.1 mm en la longitud hocico-cloaca de cuatro machos; 24.1 mm en una hembra), con la cabeza relativamente angosta, rostro corto subacuminado, carece de lı´neas cantales o barras en los labios y extremidades moderadamente largas; con el dedo I ma´s corto que el dedo II en las manos, y el dedo V ma´s largo que el dedo III en el pie. La nueva especie difiere de otras especies congene´ricas de la Amazonı´a por poseer densas reticulaciones negras en el borde superior e inferior del iris, exhibir el dorso anaranjado o cafe´ rojizo uniforme en vida, con la membrana timpa´nica no diferenciada pero la parte ventral del anillo timpa´nico visible, y por presentar un pequen˜ o tube´rculo en los pa´rpados y talones. Key words: Amazonia; Anura; Ecuador; Lowland forest; Pristimantis matidiktyo; Strabomantidae; Systematics THE Pristimantis (Pristimantis) frater group librarius, P. martiae,andP. quaquaversus)in is composed of 14 named species (Hedges Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia (Duell- et al., 2008; Duellman and Lehr, 2009) and is man and Lehr, 2009; Frost, 2011). Only P. loosely characterized by several morphological taeniatus is known from the Pacific lowlands and molecular traits (Hedges et al., 2008; from Colombia through central Panama Duellman and Lehr, 2009). Species of this (Duellman and Lehr, 2009; Frost, 2011). In group occur in humid lowland and montane Ecuador, there are 139 recognized species of forests, the Pacific lowlands, the Cauca and Pristimantis (Coloma, 2010), five of which Magdalena valleys, the Sierra de Macarena (P. belong to the Pristimantis (Pristimantis) frater paisa, P. miyatai, P. ptochus, P. suetus, P. group (P. librarius, P. martiae, P. quaquaver- frater, P. viejas, and P. zophus); the eastern sus, P. pecki,andP. incomptus). slopes of the Andes (P. pecki, P. incomptus, The Amazon Basin is one of the most and P. ockendeni); and the Amazon Basin (P. diverse ecosystems in the world (Santos et al., 2009). Although Amazonia is one of the best- 4 studied parts of South America (Duellman, PRESENT ADDRESS: Red de Biologı´a Evolutiva, In- stituto de Ecologı´a A.C., Carretera antigua a Coatepec, El 1979, 1999, 2005; Lynch, 1979; Cisneros- Haya, AP 63, Xalapa, Veracruz, Me´xico Heredia, 2006; Ron, 2009), this vast region 5 CORRESPONDENCE: e-mail, [email protected] still includes unexplored areas from which 244 June 2012] HERPETOLOGICA 245 new species (Duellman and Mendelson, 1995; femur from groin to knee; (9) tibia length (TL), Faivovich et al., 2006; Guayasamin et al., length of flexed leg from knee to heel; and (10) 2006; McCracken et al., 2007; Elmer and foot length (FoL), distance from the heel to the Cannatella, 2008), range extensions (Cisneros- tipofToeIV.Wealsoidentifiedthesexinall Heredia, 2007; Cisneros-Heredia and Rey- specimens and recorded the testis coloration for nolds, 2007; Cisneros-Heredia et al., 2009; all males. Information on amphibian conserva- Ortega-Andrade, 2009; Ortega-Andrade and tion status is based on IUCN (2011) global Valencia, 2010), and unidentified specimens threatened categories. Geographic coordinates are frequently described (Duellman and are provided in decimal degrees, based on the Mendelson, 1995; Vigle, 2008). Herpetologi- WGS84 datum. The research authorization cal explorations of Central Amazonia in (001-IC-FAU/FLO-DRFN-P/MA) was issued Ecuador have resulted in the discovery of at by the Ministerio del Ambiente de Ecuador, and least seven undescribed species of Pristiman- access to Pastaza Basin was allowed by Nacio- tis (H. Mauricio Ortega-Andrade, personal nalidad Achuar del Ecuador, Nacionalidad observation). Here, we describe one of these Shiwiar del Ecuador, and Nacionalidad Sa´para new species from evergreen lowland forest in del Ecuador since 2006. the Amazon Basin of Ecuador. DESCRIPTION MATERIALS AND METHODS Pristimantis matidiktyo sp. nov. We have examined five specimens of the new (Figs. 1–3; Table 1) species collected from the Upper Amazon Basin Eleutherodactylus librarius, (Elmer, 2004) in of Ecuador, as well as additional comparative part. material housed in following institutions (Ap- Pristimantis sp. F, (Ortega-Andrade, 2010). pendix I): Fundacio´nHerpetolo´gica Gustavo Orce´s in Quito, Ecuador (FHGO); Museo Holotype.—DHMECN 4437 (Figs. 1–3), Ecuatoriano de Ciencias Naturales in Quito, an adult male collected at Juyuintza, 2.11uS, Ecuador (DHMECN); Museo de Zoologı´a– 76.19uW, 200-m elevation, Pastaza province, Pontificia Universidad Cato´lica del Ecuador in Republic of Ecuador, on 22 May 2007 by H. Quito, Ecuador (QCAZ); American Museum of Mauricio Ortega-Andrade, Miguel Cachay, Natural History in New York, USA (AMNH); Jorge Santi, and Tseremp Timias. and National Museum of Natural History in Paratypes.—Three adult males (FHGO 7744; Washington, DC, USA (USNM). We followed QCAZ 10653, 39447) and a single gravid female the characters, terminology, and numbered (QCAZ 25851) collected from four localities sequence of diagnostic characters proposed by along Amazonian lowlands of Ecuador. Male Duellman and Lehr (2009). We took the specimen FHGO 7744 was collected at Dayuma, following measurements (in millimeters) with Campo Marginal Pindo, Orellana province, dial calipers (0.05-mm accuracy): (1) snout–vent Ecuador, 0.66052uS, 76.81455uW, 299-m eleva- length (SVL), distance from tip snout to tion, on 11 June 2010 by Raquel Betancourt posteriormarginofvent;(2)headwidth and Roberto Zambrano. Male specimen QCAZ (HW), greatest wide of the head measured at 10653 was collected at Jatun Molino, Pastaza the level of the jaw articulation; (3) head length province, Ecuador, 1.83uS, 77.32uW, 417-m ele- (HL), distance from the tip of snout to the vation, on 12 February 1997 by Morley Read. posterior angle of the jaw articulation; (4) Male specimen QCAZ 39447 was collected at horizontal eye diameter (ED), distance between Tigu¨ ino, Bataburo Lodge, Pastaza province, anterior and posterior borders of eye; (5) Ecuador, 1.21uS, 76.72uW, 241-m elevation, on interorbital distance (IOD), shortest distance 12October2008byS.D.PadillaandC.Meyer. between left and right eyelids; (6) eye-to-nostril Female specimen QCAZ 25851 was collected at distance (EN), distance from posterior margin Serena, Rı´o Jatun Yacu, Napo province, Ecuador, of the nostril to anterior margin of the eye; (7) 1.095uS, 77.924uW, 560-m elevation, on 1 May tympanic diameter (TD), distance between 2003 by K. Elmer and T. Sugahara. anterior and posterior margins of the tympanic Diagnosis.—This new species can be dis- annulus; (8) femur length (FL), length of the tinguished clearly from all other known 246 HERPETOLOGICA [Vol. 68, No. 2 FIG. 2.—Detail of the head of Pristimantis matidiktyo in life (FHGO 7744). Note the distinctive, heavily reticulated pattern of the iris, and the small tubercle on upper eyelid (indicated by the arrow). These characters may not be visible on preserved specimens. silvery in the upper half and red in the lower half, both with fine black reticulations (iris bicolor, yellowish silver heavily reticulated with black in upper and lower borders, and a median dark reddish stripe). Pristimantis quaquaversus differs from P. matidiktyo in having a spur on each heel (small tubercle), upper eyelid bearing conical tubercles (small tubercles that are barely FIG. 1.—Pristimantis matidiktyo in life. (A) Holotype, DHMECN 4437, male;. (B) FHGO 7744, male. (C) visible or absent in preservative), tympanic QCAZ 25851, gravid female. Note the color variation annulus absent or evident only ventrally (ventral among the holotype and female paratype photographed part of the tympanic annulus visible), less during the day (A, C), and the male (B) photographed acuminate snout, and unicolor gray to cream at night. iris in life. Males of P.