Diasporus sapo, Batista & Kohler & Mebert & Hertz & Vesely, 2016

Batista, Abel, Kohler, Gunther, Mebert, Konrad, Hertz, Andreas & Vesely, Milan, 2016, An integrative approach to reveal speciation and species richness in the genus Diasporus (Amphibia: Anura: Eleutherodactylidae) in eastern Panama, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 178 (2), pp. 267-311 : 287-290

DIASPORUS SAPO SP. NOV.

FIGS 13 , 14G, H ELEUTHERODACTYLUS SP. – MYERS 1969: FIG. 19C.

Holotype

SMF 97329 (original field number AB 429 ), an adult female ( Fig. 13 ) collected by Abel Batista & Gustavo Dojirama at the top of Cerro Sapo, PND, Distrito de Garachine , Darien, Panama, on 4 December 2011, at 20:00 h (7.97618 N, 78.36263 W; 1169 m a.s.l.).

Paratypes

MHCH 2853 – 58 , SMF 97328, SMF 97330 – 32 ; same collecting data as for holotype .

Diagnosis

Diasporus sapo sp. nov. is characterized by the following combination of characters (see Tables 4 – 6): (1) dorsal skin texture slightly tuberculate, venter smooth; (2) tympanum indistinguishable, annulus tympanicus and tympanic membrane absent; (3) snout rounded in dorsal view and in profile; (4) conical supraocular tubercle and cranial crests absent; (5) dentigerous processes of vomers with between seven and 11 teeth each, straight in outline, from the centre of the orbit to the centre of the roof of mouth; (6) vocal sac and vocal slits not differentiated, only a slightly differentiated fold beside the tongue, no nuptial pads; (7) finger II longer than finger I, ungual flap expanded, spadate, more evident on fingers II – IV; (8) no fringes or webbing on fingers; (9) palmar tubercle ovoid or rounded, flattened and almost the same size as thenar tubercle; thenar tubercle elongate; subarticular tubercles rounded and globular; two or three supernumerary tubercles; (10) heel smooth; (11) no fringes or webbing on toes, ungual flap on toes expanded, spadate, more evident on toes IV and V; (12) plantar tubercle indistinguishable, subarticular tubercles rounded and globular (one on toes I and II, two on toes III and V, and three on toe IV); foot without supernumerary tubercles; inner metatarsal tubercle elongated, outer metatarsal tubercles rounded and globular, smaller than inner; tarsal ridge absent; (13) dorsal ground color in life reddish and patternless, venter translucent, vocal sac not visible ( Fig. 14H ); (14) SVL 22.6 ƚ 2.86 (18.8—29.1, N = 11), males 22.6 ƚ 2.59 (19.9—29.1, N = 9), females 22.6 ƚ 5.3 (18.8—26.3, N = 2); (15) advertisement call unknown.

Description of the holotype

An adult female (SVL 28.91), with slender body; dorsal skin texture slightly tuberculate, venter skin smooth, discoidal fold not evident; protuberant eyes 1.78 times longer than snout; tympanum small, ratio TD/EL 23%; tympanum indistinguishable, annulus tympanicus and tympanic membrane absent, positioned 2.6 mm behind the orbit; head as wide as long (HL/ HW 0.95), greatest head width between angles of jaw 35% of SVL; snout rounded from above and in profile; nares situated near tip of snout and slightly dorsolaterally directed, visible in frontal view, also visible dorsally but not ventrally; canthus rostralis rounded; loreal region concave; dentigerous processes of vomers with ten (right) and eight (left) teeth each side, straight in outline, from the centre of the orbit to the centre of the roof of mouth, and separated by a space of half of its total length; vocal slits absent; tongue long (26% of SVL) and broadening to the end, first third attached to floor of mouth; hands moderate in size, 22% of SVL; relative lengths of adpressed fingers I <II <IV <III; finger II smaller than finger VI, finger II reaching the middle of disc on finger IV when adpressed; finger III disc 2.07 times wider than distal end of adjacent phalanx; palmar tubercle ovoid to rounded, flattened, and almost the same size as thenar tubercle; thenar tubercle low and elongate; subarticular tubercles rounded and globular; no supernumerary tubercles; two palmar accessory tubercles small and rounded; no nuptial pads; no fringes on fingers; hindlimbs of moderate lengths, TL 43% of SVL; relative lengths of adpressed toes I <II <III <V <IV; when adpressed, tip of toe I reaches the disc base of toe II; disc of toe IV expanded, 2.11 times wider than distal end of adjacent phalanx; no fringes on toes; subarticular tubercles rounded and globular (one each on toes I and II, two on toes III and V, and three on toe IV); inner metatarsal tubercle elongated; outer metatarsal tubercles rounded, globular, and smaller than inner; tarsal ridge absent; hands and feet without webbing; finger and toe discs even broadened and slightly globular in profile ( Fig. 7D ); ungual flap on toes expanded, spadate, more evident on toes IV and V.

Coloration of holotype in life

Coloration recorded as follows ( Fig. 13 ): iris medium neutral gray (298) with reticulations sepia (286), iris periphery jet black (300), eye periphery sky blue (192); dorsal ground color uniform Pratt’s ruby (68), becoming darker to the front as dark carmine (61); venter and limbs chrome orange (74), throat pale buff (1).

Coloration in preservative

Dorsal ground color cinnamon – drab (50), becoming darker to warm sepia (40) to the tip of snout; limbs and venter cream color (12), throat buff (5), hand and foot drab (19).

Measurements of holotype (mm)

SVL 28.91; HL 9.63; HW 10.19; IOD 2.93; EL 4.29; TD 0.98; FL 11.58; TL 12.33; HAL 6.37; 3FW 0.52; 3FD 1.8; 3TW 0.61; 3TD 1.12; 4TW 0.57; 4TD 1.20; BW 9.99 (for variation in the species, see Tables 4 – 6).

Natural history

This species is known only from the top of Cerro Sapo, which is covered by elfin forest. The vegetation predominantly consists of small trees (roughly 10 m in height) fully covered with moss and bromeliads. Diasporus sapo sp. nov. was most often found at 1 – 2 m above ground during the night; individuals were seen walking over tree branches and tree bark.

Etymology

The species name is derived from the name of Cerro Sapo, where the species was found.

Figures

Figure 7. Drawings of ventral view of right hand and left foot of the new Diasporus species described here; h, hand; f, foot. Arrows indicate two examples of ungual flap shape. A, Diasporus darienensis sp. nov. (MHCH 2852). B, Diasporus majeensis sp. nov. (MHCH 2835). C, Diasporus pequeno sp. nov. (MHCH 2826). D, Diasporus sapo sp. nov. (SMF 97331). Scale bars: 1 mm.

Figure 13. Holotype of Diasporus sapo sp. nov.: A, B, frontal and lateral views, respectively.

Figure 14. Color variation of the new Diasporus species: A, B, Diasporus darienensis sp. nov. (SMF 97305); C, D, Diasporus majeensis sp. nov. (SMF 97658); E, F, Diasporus pequeno sp. nov. (MHCH 2830); G, H, Diasporus sapo sp. nov. (G, not collected; H, MHCH 2854).