Oedipina leptopoda, Mccranie, James R., Vieites, David R. & Wake, David B., 2008

Mccranie, James R., Vieites, David R. & Wake, David B., 2008, Description of a new divergent lineage and three new species of Honduran salamanders of the genus Oedipina (Caudata, Plethodontidae), Zootaxa 1930, pp. 1-17 : 13-15

Oedipina leptopoda sp. nov.

Narrow-footed Worm Salamander

Oedipina cyclocauda (part), Brame 1968, Good & Wake 1998, García-París & Wake 2000, McCranie & Wilson 2002, McCranie & Castañeda 2007.

Holotype. MVZ 167772, a subadult female from 32 km (road) W of Yoro on road to Morazán, 15.267480 N, 87.434820 W, Dept. Yoro, Honduras, collected 8 January 1979 by E. J. Koford and J. F. Lynch. Paratype. MVZ 171078, adult male from Montaña de Yoro, 6.6 km (road) S of Yoro, 15.073650 N, 87.1333 W, Dept. Yoro, Honduras.

Referred material (1). FMNH 34683 (subadult), Portillo Grande, Dept. Yoro, Honduras.

Diagnosis. A small to moderate sized (holotype is a subadult at 29.6 mm SL) member of Oedipina . Distinguished from Oedipina cyclocauda of Costa Rica (the species with which this population was previously identified by Good & Wake 1998 and García-París & Wake 2000) by its inferred larger size and narrower hands and feet with less discrete digits. It differs from other described Honduran species of the subgenus Oedipina ( O. ignea , O. stuarti , and O. taylori ) in the following ways: from ignea in having more maxillary teeth and narrower hands and feet; from stuarti in being smaller, having much narrower hands and feet, and lacking glandular spots on its head and body; from taylori in having a broader head, narrower hands and feet, shorter body and tail, and 19-20 costal grooves; from members of the subgenus Oeditriton ( O. quadra and O. kasios ) in being larger (based on the size of the paratype), having relatively smaller limbs and hands and feet, and a rounded body and tail; from all described Honduran species of the subgenus Oedopinola ( O. elongata , O. gephyra and O. tomasi ) by having 19–20 costal grooves. In addition to these features, this species differs in allozymic ( Good & Wake 1998) and mtDNA characters ( Fig. 1 ) from all members of the genus in which those characters are known

Description. This is a slender species of moderate size, judging from the fact that the paratype is an adult male, the smaller sex in this genus, at a size larger than that of several other species in the subgenus. The head is relatively broad (SL 7.4-9.8 times head width), rounded rather than flattened, and with a narrowly rounded snout (expanded and broadly rounded in the paratype, an adult male 47.9 SL). Nostrils are small and conspicuous. Nasolabial protuberances are moderate. Eyes are of moderate size and barely extend beyond the lateral margins of the head. The suborbital groove does not intercept the lip line. There are 5 small premaxillary teeth in the holotype and a single slightly larger tooth in the adult male paratype. The teeth are near the front but inside of the mouth, well separated from the maxillary teeth. There are 29 maxillary teeth in the holotype and 40 in the paratype. The holotype has 10 vomerine teeth and the paratype has 17. The vomerine teeth are small and in an arched series. The holotype and paratype have 19 costal grooves between the slender limbs, with a limb interval of 12 in both specimens. Hands and feet are extraordinarily narrow, small and flattened ( Fig. 3 ). In the holotype digits can be discerned only because there are ill-defined grooves on the dorsal surfaces that suggest where digital borders lie. All of the digits are tightly fused, all the way to their tips in the holotype but there are small, rounded, independent tips of the three longest digits of both forelimbs and hind limbs of the paratype. In the holotype the longest digit is pointed, and it extends less then 0.2 mm from the ends of the neighboring digits. The holotype lacks a tail and has been almost completely eviscerated (for tissue sample used in allozyme and DNA studies). The paratype has a rather stout, round tail that is broken 44.4 mm from its base, and it doubtless greatly exceeded SL in the intact animal.

Measurements (in millimeters), limb interval and tooth counts of the female holotype. Head width 4.0; snout to gular fold (head length) 5.4; head depth at posterior angle of jaw 2.1; eyelid width 0.5; eyelid length 1.3; eye to nostril 1.2; anterior rim of eye to snout 1.3; horizontal orbital diameter 1.0; interorbital distance 1.7; distance separating eyelids 1.1; nostril diameter 0.2; snout projecting beyond mandible 0.2; distance from eye to distal end of postorbital groove 1.5; snout to posterior angle of vent (SL) 29.6; snout to anterior angle of vent 28.3; snout to forelimb 7.5; axilla to groin 18.2; limb interval 12; shoulder width 2.7; tail length 33.2; tail width at base 1.5; tail depth at base 1.8; forelimb length (to tip of longest digit) 3.9; hind limb length 4.2; forelimb foot width 0.6; hind limb foot width 0.8; free length of longest digit on hind limb 0.2. Numbers of teeth: premaxillary 5; maxillary 29; vomerine 10.

Coloration of the holotype and paratype in alcohol. The holotype, while apparently well preserved, appears to be faded and the overall coloration is now moderate brown. The head, especially the snout, is significantly paler than the rest of the specimen. The paratype is all black, darker dorsally and laterally than ventrally. The swollen snout and the nasolabial protuberances are much lighter, pale gray. The small and inconspicuous mental gland is pale gray.

Habitat and distribution. The species is known only from three specimens collected many years ago. Field notes are precise with respect to locality, two from west and one from south of Yoro ( Fig. 4 ), but vague with respect to habitat. The estimated elevation for these specimens is from ca. 700 to 1300 m a.s.l.

Comments. The specimen referred to this species is a poorly preserved subadult with sufficient morphological detail to make it a likely member of this species, and its collecting site is also appropriate for this assignment. The paratype is an intact specimen with good preservation of color, whereas the holotype is eviscerated and faded but otherwise well preserved. However, because the two specimens are not syntopic and because we have molecular data only from the holotype, we elected to use the specimen for which we have the best documentation as the holotype.

Etymology. The specific name leptopoda is derived from the Greek lepto- for small or fine and podos for foot, and is used as an adjective in reference to the very small and narrow hands and feet of this species.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Maximum likelihood phylogram. Upper values represent ML bootstrap supports, while lower numbers represent Bayesian posterior probabilities (times 100). Values lower than 50 % were not included. Species described as new are highlighted in gray. Asterisks for species of Oedipina indicate specimens from Honduras.

FIGURE 3. Schematic drawings of dorsal views of the limbs of Oedipina. From left to right, right hand and right foot of holotype of O. leptopoda (MVZ 167772), right foot of holotype of O. quadra (MVZ 257761), right foot of holotype of O. kasios (MVZ 232825). All drawings are at the same scale.

FIGURE 4. Map showing the collecting localities of Oedipina quadra, O. kasios, and O. leptopoda. The open circle represents a literature record (see McCranie 2006 b).