Two new syntopic species of glassfrogs (Amphibia, Centrolenidae, Centrolene) from the southwestern Andes of Ecuador

PeerJ. 2023 May 9:11:e15195. doi: 10.7717/peerj.15195. eCollection 2023.

Abstract

We describe two new species of glassfrogs of the genus Centrolene living in syntopy at La Enramada, province of Azuay, southwestern Ecuador. They were found in a small creek in montane evergreen forests at 2,900 m elevation. The first new species is distinguished from all other members of the genus Centrolene by having the following combination of characters: dentigerous process of vomer absent; sloping snout in lateral view; thick, white labial stripe and a faint white line between the lip and anterior ¼ of body; humeral spine in adult males; parietal peritoneum covered by iridophores, visceral peritonea translucent (except pericardium); ulnar and tarsal ornamentation; dorsal skin shagreen with dispersed warts; uniform green dorsum with light yellowish green warts; and green bones. The new species is remarkable by being sister to a species from the opposite Andean versant, C. condor. The second new species is distinguished from all other Centrolene by having the following combination of characters: dentigerous process of vomer absent; round snout in lateral view; thin, yellowish labial stripe with a row of white tubercles between the lip and arm insertion, and a yellowish line between arm insertion and groin; uniform green dorsum; humeral spine in adult males; parietal peritoneum covered by iridophores, visceral peritonea translucent (except pericardium); dorsal skin shagreen with dispersed spicules; ulnar and tarsal ornamentation; and green bones. The second new species is sister to C. sabini and an undescribed species of Centrolene from southeastern Ecuador. Based on nuclear and mitochondrial DNA sequences, we present a new phylogeny for Centrolene and comment on the phylogenetic relationships inside the genus.

Keywords: Andes; Anura; Centrolene camposi sp. nov.; Centrolene condor; Centrolene ericsmithi sp. nov.; New species; Phylogenetic relationships; Taxonomy.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Anura*
  • Ecuador
  • Forests
  • Male
  • Phylogeny
  • Warts*

Grants and funding

Gobierno Autónomo Provincial de El Oro financed field and lab work through the project “Amphibians, Reptiles and Birds of the El Oro Province” implemented by the INABIO. Laboratory work in Ecuador was funded by Secretaría Nacional de Educación Superior, Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación del Ecuador SENESCYT (Arca de Noé initiative; Santiago R Ron and Omar Torres principal investigators) and by a grant from Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Dirección General Académica. Work by Diego F Cisneros-Heredia was funded by Universidad San Francisco de Quito USFQ (COCIBA grants, IBIOTROP operating funds). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.