Oedipina quadra, 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 : 6-10

Oedipina quadra sp. nov.

Honduran Lowland Worm Salamander Figure 2

Oedipina cyclocauda (part). Brame 1968, McCranie & Wilson 2002, McCranie & Castañeda 2007.

Holotype. MVZ 257761, an adult male, from Urus Tingni Kiamp, 14°55’N, 84°41’W, tributary of upper portion of Río Warunta, 160 m above sea level (a.s.l.), Dept. Gracias A Dios, Honduras, collected 7 February 2006 by J. R. McCranie.

Paratypes (29). MVZ 257755, USNM 563379–80, same data as holotype, except collected on different dates; MVZ 257756, USNM 563378, Warunta Tingni Kiamp, 14°55’N, 84°41’W, 150 m a.s.l., Dept. Gracias A Dios, Honduras; USNM 560949, between Urus Tingni Kiamp and Warunta Tingni Kiamp, 190 m a.s.l., Dept. Gracias A Dios, Honduras; USNM 560948, Cabeceras de Río Rus Rus, 14°53’N, 84°40’W, 190 m a.s.l., Dept. Gracias A Dios, Honduras; MVZ 232824, MVZ 257757, Kaska Tingni, 14°48’N, 84°46’W, 70 m a.s.l., Dept. Gracias A Dios, Honduras; USNM 534115–19, Quebrada Machín, 15°19’N, 85°17’W, 540 m a.s.l., Dept. Colón, Honduras; CM 68241, LSUMZ 33608, Cerro Calentura S of Trujillo, Dept. Colón, Honduras; USNM 343452, confluence of ríos Yanguay and Wampú, 15°03’N, 85°08’W, 110 m a.s.l., Dept. Olancho, Honduras; USNM 343453, confluence of ríos Sausa and Wampú, 15°04’N, 85°06’W, 100 m a.s.l., Dept. Olancho, Honduras; USNM 343454, confluence of Quebrada Siksatara and Río Wampú, 15°04’N, 85°02’W, 95 m a.s.l., Dept. Olancho, Honduras; USNM 316539, 7.4 km SE of La Ceiba, 260 m a.s.l., Dept. Atlántida, Honduras; LACM 4702–04, LSUMZ 21327, mountain S of Corozal, 200–250 m a.s.l., Dept. Atlántida, Honduras; SMF 77486, USNM 530579, MVZ 257758-60, Parque Nacional Pico Bonito Centro de Visitantes (also called Estación Forestal de CURLA), 15°42’N, 86°51’W, 120–500 m a.s.l., Dept. Atlántida, Honduras.

Referred material (4). LSUMZ 21326 (juvenile), same data as paratype LSUMZ 21327; UMMZ 58610 (juvenile), Río Claura, Dept. Colón, Honduras; BMNH 1985.1229–30 (both poorly preserved), Quebrada Limoncito, 250 m a.s.l., Dept. Colón, Honduras.

Diagnosis. A moderate-sized (maximum known size 55.5 mm SL) species distinguished from Oedipina cyclocauda of Costa Rica (the species with which this population was previously tentatively identified in McCranie & Wilson 2002 and McCranie & Castañeda 2007) by having the tail nearly rectangular in cross section throughout its length (versus nearly round for most or all of its length in O. cyclocauda ; McCranie pers.

obs., also see Taylor 1952); from the second new species described herein by having more maxillary teeth, a larger maximum SL, and by lacking silver white dorsolateral spots and flecks in life; from all described Honduran species of the subgenus Oedipina ( O. ignea , O. stuarti , O. taylori and the third species described herein) in the following ways: from ignea in having a nearly rectangular tail and smaller size; from stuarti in lacking pale brown to dirty white small glandular spots on the head and body and by having a smaller size; from taylori in having 19–20 costal grooves, maxillary teeth, and a smaller size; from the third new species described below by inferred smaller size and better defined digits; 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 is distinct from all others that have been studied in having phylogentically distinct mtDNA haplotypes ( Fig. 1 ).

Description. This is a moderately sized, slender species; adult SL for seven males is 36.1–43.7, x = 41.6 mm; for 16 females 35.6–55.5, x = 45.0 mm. The head is small, narrow, and dorsally flattened, with a broadly rounded snout. SL averages 11.6 times head width in seven males (9.8–13.1) and 12.2 in 14 females (10.7– 13.7). SL averages 6.4 times head length in seven males (5.6–6.7) and 6.7 in 14 females (5.7–7.7). Nostrils are small but conspicuous under magnification. Nasolabial protuberances are weakly developed in males and inconspicuous in females. Eyes are small and barely extend beyond the lateral margins of the head and are directed frontolaterally. Male mental glands are small, barely evident, located anteriorly on lower jaw. The suborbital groove does not intercept the lip line. There are 1–3 slightly enlarged premaxillary teeth in males that lie only slightly anteriorly to the maxillary teeth. There are 2–6 premaxillary teeth in females that are located well within the mouth and in line with the small maxillary teeth. Maxillary teeth number 37–47 (x = 42.3) in seven males and 28–53 (x = 43.0) in 13 females. Vomerine teeth are 15–20 (x = 17.5) in six males and 16–22 (x = 19.5) in 11 females; the small teeth are in an arched series. There are 19–20 costal grooves between the small limbs with a limb interval of 11.0–13.0 in four males and 14 females. Hands and feet are tiny, narrow and elongated. Digit I is fused with digit II and digit IV is fused with digit III on the forelimbs, with about 1.0 segments (phalanges) of digit III free between digits II–III on the forelimbs. Digit I is fused with digit II and digit V is fused with digit IV on the hind limbs, with about 1.0–2.0 segments on both sides of digit III free on the hind limbs ( Fig. 3 ). Protruding digital tips are acutely rounded to bluntly rounded and bear weak subdigital pads. Digits on the forelimbs in order of decreasing length are III–II–IV–I; digits on the hind limbs are III–II– IV –V–I. The tail is nearly rectangular in cross section in almost all (somewhat rounded basally in MVZ 257759), tapering on distal one-third of its length, and long (1.3 [regenerated]–2.4 times SL in 13).

Measurements (in millimeters), limb interval and tooth counts of the male holotype. Head width 3.2; snout to gular fold (head length) 6.8; head depth at posterior angle of jaw 2.2; eyelid width 0.8; eyelid length 1.0; eye to nostril 0.8; anterior rim of eye to snout 1.2; horizontal orbital diameter 0.5; interorbital distance 3.1; distance separating eyelids 1.3; nostril diameter 0.3; snout projecting beyond mandible 0.3; distance from eye to distal end of postorbital groove 2.0; snout to posterior angle of vent (SL) 42.5; snout to anterior angle of vent 39.3; snout to forelimb 9.8; axilla to groin 26.9; limb interval 12 1/2; shoulder width 2.3; tail length 93; tail width at base 2.2; tail depth at base 2.2; forelimb length (to tip of longest digit) 2.2; hind limb length 3.2; forelimb foot width 0.9; hind limb foot width 1.2; free length of longest digit on hind limb 0.1. Numbers of teeth: premaxillary 2; maxillary 38; vomerine 15.

Coloration of the holotype in alcohol. Dorsal and lateral surfaces of the head, body, and tail are black. Costal grooves on the body and tail are dirty white. Ventral surfaces of the head, body, and tail are slightly paler black than those dorsal surfaces. Dorsal and ventral surfaces of the limbs are the same as for the body. Tiny, generally white to dirty white iridophores are visible throughout under magnification. There is a large patch of skin on the left side of the body where the black pigment is missing, perhaps the result of an old injury or a skin disease.

Color variability. The paratypes closely resemble the holotype, with the exception of the abnormal loss of pigment in the holotype, noted above. McCranie & Wilson (2002:152) described color in life for one female (USNM 343452) as: “dorsal surfaces of head, body, and tail black; lateral surfaces of head and body brownish black; lateral surface of tail black; dorsal surfaces of limbs and ventral and subcaudal surfaces brownish black.”

Habitat and distribution. Salamanders of this species were collected from 70–540 m elevation in the Lowland Moist Forest formation of Holdridge (1967). Specimens were taken in either pristine broadleaf forest with a closed canopy or in secondary broadleaf forest with a partially open canopy. All were collected while raking through leaf litter during the day and at night. The known distribution of this species extends from just south of La Ceiba, Atlántida, eastward and southeastward to the Río Coco drainage system of northeastern Honduras ( Fig. 4 ). The species probably occurs in suitable habitat on the Nicaraguan side of the Río Coco as well.

Comments. A few specimens are treated as referred material. We are confident of their assignment but they are either juveniles or poorly preserved and hence of no use in our description.

Etymology. The specific name quadra is a Latin adjective for square and alludes to the nearly rectangular tail characteristic 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 2. Adult female paratype of Oedipina quadra (USNM 343452). Photograph by J. R. McCranie.

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).