Nototriton Dubois & Raffaëlli, 2012

Kubicki, Brian, Reyes, Aura & Arias, Erick, 2022, Revised taxonomy and distributions of Costa Rican moss salamanders (Caudata: Plethodontidae: Nototriton), with descriptions of new taxa, Zootaxa 5194 (4), pp. 451-496 : 476-477

Subgenus Nototriton Dubois & Raffaëlli, 2012

Type species. Spelerpes picadoi Stejneger, 1911 .

Diagnosis. Diminutive to small salamanders with a standard length not known to exceed 38 mm, but with adult sizes typically exceeding 25 mm. Possessing small hands and feet that are longer than wide, with the hand width not known to exceed 2.0 mm and foot width not known to exceed 2.5 mm. Digits of hands and feet, excluding Finger I and Toe I, free of the palmar and plantar tissue for the majority of their lengths, with most digits having the ultimate and parts of the penultimate phalanges free of interdigital tissue. The members of this subgenus are also diagnosed by evident divergence in their mtDNA sequences.

Etymology. Nototriton , is formed from the Greek words notos (meaning south) and Triton , the name of a Greek sea-god. The term “triton” is commonly used word for salamanders, and is a root in several genera and subgenera of bolitoglossine salamanders ( Wake & Elias 1983).

Composition. We recognize nine species to comprise this subgenus; the following six formerly recognized members of the Nototriton picadoi species group ( N. abscondens , N. costaricense , N. gamezi , N. guanacaste , N. picadoi , and N. saslaya ) and three newly proposed taxa described herein below. With the addition of fresh material collected by BK from near the type locality of Nototriton major that strongly agreed morphologically with the diagnositic characteristics of that taxon ( Good and Wake 1993) we were able make a detailed taxonomic review of this species. Nototriton major was previously known from just a single specimen ever collected, the holotype, and no genetic material was available until now for analysis. Following our comparison of the morphological characteristics, genetics, and geographic proximity of known sites, we concluded that N. major can best be recognized as a junior synonym of Nototriton picadoi . Additionally, following our detailed review of the situation regarding Nototriton matama , in similar manner, we propose that this taxon also be recognized as a junior synonym of N. picadoi , due to its very low genetic distance and weakly supported morphological diagnostics that are more of a result of poorly preserved specimens than actual characteristics present on living or well preserved individuals.

Distribution. The nine members of the subgenus Nototriton are known to have a disjunct distribution, with N. saslaya only being known from two high-elevation sites in northern Nicaragua, whereas the remaining eight species are known to be restricted to the Caribbean slopes of Costa Rica. The members of this subgenus are known from elevations ranging between roughly 750–2500 masl ( Fig. 10 ).

Figures

FIGURE 10. Map of Costa Rica showing the distribution range of the eight species within the subgenus Nototriton.