Pristimantis bowara, Acevedo & Armesto & Palma, 2020

Acevedo, Aldemar A., Armesto, Orlando & Palma, R. Eduardo, 2020, Two new species of Pristimantis (Anura: Craugastoridae) with notes on the distribution of the genus in northeastern Colombia, Zootaxa 4750 (4), pp. 499-523 : 511-513

Pristimantis bowara sp. nov.

( Figure 4B )

Holotype. An adult female ( MCNUP-H 165 , Figure 5B ), collected on September 10, 2010, by Aldemar A. Acevedo, Karen Silva, and Rosmery Franco in the locality of San Antonio (7.16866 –72.2655; 664 m. a.s.l.), municipality of Toledo in the buffer zone of the Tamá National Natural Park ( PNNT), Colombia.

Paratypes. Two adult males ( MCNUP-H 160 and 230), collected at the type locality on the same date of the holotype. Two adult males ( MCNUP-H 303 and 304), collected on May 3, 2013, by Aldemar A. Acevedo in the low area of the PNNT, San Lorenzo (7.16615 –72.2336; 648 m. a.s.l.), municipality of Toledo in the buffer zone of the Tamá National Natural Park ( PNNT), Colombia .

Definition and diagnosis. Pristimantis bowara , sp. nov. is assigned to the genus Pristimantis based on molecular phylogenetic relationships ( Figure 2 ) and its morphological characteristics ( Lynch & Duellman 1997; Duellman & Lehr 2009). The new species was not assigned to any of the Pristimantis species group previously proposed by Padial et al. (2014), given the contrasting morphological traits among the species that are phylogenetically close ( Figure 2 ). Pristimantis bowara sp. nov. is characterized by: (1) skin on dorsum smooth, and nearly uniform brown coloration; venter areolate with dark marks that extend in the throat. (2) dorsolateral folds absent. (3) tympanum distinct, round, ~1/2–1/3 of the eye diameter; tympanic membrane and annulus present; supratympanic fold evident. (4) Snout subacuminate in a dorsal view; protruding in profile ( Figure 6B ). (5) the canthus rostralis is recognizable and straight in a dorsal view and curved in cross section. (6) the loreal region was concave. (7) upper eyelid with small tubers only visible in life; cranial crests absent. (8) choanae small, round; dentigerous processes of vomers with 7–8 teeth; 14–18 premaxillary teeth. (9) Vocal slits and nuptial pads present. (10) ED: 96% (females) and 88% (males) of the END. IOD: 76% (females) and 87% (males) of the ED. (11) THL ~45% (females) and 43% (males) of the SVL. TL ~54% (females) and 50% (males) of the SVL. FL ~45% (females) and 42% (males) of the SVL. The HW ~41% in females and 36% males of the SVL. (12) ulnar tubercles absent. (13) relative length of fingers: I ≤ II < IV < III ( Figure 6B ). Subarticular tubercles are oval and upraised; on finger I, the subarticular tubercle is large and projected in the middle part of the finger, almost touching the thenar tubercle; the palmar tubercle is bifid and large, ~35% of the palm, and is more prominent in females than males; supernumerary tubercles are oval and pronounced; the thenar tubercle 90% of palmar tubercle. (14) finger fringes absent. FIII ~32% longer than FI. Disks on FIII–FIV greatly expanded (state 3 according to Grant et al. 2006); disk on FII moderately expanded (state 2); disk on FI weakly expanded (state 1). (15) inner and outer metatarsal tubercles conical; tarsus without fold; relative length of toes: I < II < III < V < IV; toe disks elliptical; basal webbing between toes III and IV, no more than 2% of the foot length ( FL). (16) Pristimantis bowara sp. nov. is apparently sexually dimorphic in size, with a mean SVL of 26.6 mm (n = 4) for males and 39.7 mm (n = 1) for females ( Table 4).

Comparisons with other species. Pristimantis bowara sp. nov. can be further distinguished from other Pristimantis species (characters in parentheses) from the northeastern region of Colombia and the Venezuelan Andes as follows, some summarized in Table 3. The species has no marks on the groin and hidden surfaces of the hind limbs (present on P. melanoproctus , P. mondolfii , and P. anolirex ). It is a larger species (with a maximum SVL of 39.7 mm for females and 25.5 mm for males) than species geographically and phylogenetically close, such as P. anolirex , P. mondolfi , P. tubernasus , P. melanoproctus , P. batrachites (Lynch 2013) , P. nicefori , and slightly larger than the sympatric species P. ardilae sp. nov. described in this work ( Table 3). The dorsal view of the snout is subacuminate (rounded in P. nicefori and acuminate in P. merostictus ( Lynch 1984) . Cranial crests absent (present in P. anolirex ). The first and second fingers are equal or almost equal in length (the first finger is longer than the second in P. medemi and P. ardilae sp. nov.). There is an absence of outer tarsal tubercles (present in P. anolirex , P. nicefori , P. nervicus , P. lynchi , P. merostictus , and P. tubernasus ); and an absence of heel tubercle (present in P. gryllus (Barrio- Amorós et al. 2012), P. merostictus , P. anolirex ).

Description of the Holotype. SVL: 39.7 mm; upper eyelid tubercles absent; HL 33 % of the SVL; HW 41 % of the SVL; snout subacuminate in a dorsal view; protruding in profile; END 31% of the HW; tongue longer than wide; ED slightly shorter (96%) than the END; canthus rostralis distinguishable, straight in dorsal view and slightly rounded in cross section; IND 71% of the END; IOD 104% of the IND. Cranial crests absent; supratympanic fold evident, tympanic annulus and tympanic membrane present, TD 38% of the ED; distance tympanum-eye: 1.48 mm. TD 14% of the HL. Choanae small, rounded; dentigerous processes of vomers with seven teeth on the posterior margin; premaxillary with 18 teeth. Ulnar tubercles absent; fingers and toes without lateral fringes. FIII ~32% longer than FI. Disks on FIII–FIV greatly expanded (state 3); disk on FII moderately expanded (state 2); disk on FI weakly expanded (state 1); relative size of the yuxtaposed fingers: I ≤ II <IV <III. Subarticular tubercles ovoid and upraised, the largest one on FI. Palmar tubercle bifid; supernumerary tubercles distinct, protruding, thenar tubercle 92% the size of palmar tubercle. Tarsal tubercles on the inner and outer edges absent. The heel lacked tubercles. Relative size of toes: I <II <III <V <IV; toe disks oval; basal webbing between TIII and TIV, ~1.5% of the foot. LHU 75% of the FOL; THL 18% slightly smaller than the TL.

Color in life. The dorsum usually intergrades copper red tones against a predominantly dark brown background (the holotype with a fine cream sagital line crossed the entire body). Head copper and dark brown color, with an interorbital bar thin and dark. The upper lip has bars brown. The flanks are predominantly lighter, often crossed by oblique black bands, more evident toward the inguinal area. Ventral surface light cream colored with patches and dark brown spots scattered throughout the area; throat densely speckled with small dark brown spots. Upper arms and forearms brown. Thighs with a marked pattern of alternate stripes of copper and dark brown. The inguinal without evident patterns.

Color in preservative. Specimens fixed with 10% formalin and stored in alcohol at 75% presented a dorsum with a dark brown coloration, the head maintained a pattern of dark brown coloration similar to that of the body, the lips maintained a pattern of brown stripes, although less defined than in life. The ventral part maintained a light cream color, with a pattern towards the neck identifiable by a higher density of small speckles of dark brown color. The side stripes were more conspicuous. The arms and hind limbs displayed weak traces in the form of dark brown stripes.

Variation. Pristimantis bowara sp. nov. exhibits sexual dimorphism in body size SVL males 67% (largest specimen 25.5 mm, MCNUP-H 230) of the females (largest specimen 39.7 mm, MCNUP-H 165). Dorsal color pattern also differs between sexes; females tend to have a more uniform copper pattern. In contrast, the males typically have gray patterns and a coffee color that tended to be darker in preservative.

Distribution and natural history. Pristimantis bowara sp. nov. is only known from two localities: the tropical humid forest and riparian zones of the San Antonio and San Lorenzo settlements, 9.7 and 8.9 km respectively from the main road between the cities of Toledo and Saravena near the Margua River, in the lowlands of the Eastern Cordillera on its eastern flank in the Tamá National Natural Park and its buffer zone, department Norte de Santander, Colombia between 500 and 665 m. a.s.l. ( Figure 1 ). The individuals of P. bowara sp. nov. were found mostly in the litter surrounding the riparian vegetation, some were perched at a height between 0.50 and 2 meters from the ground. The highest activity was recorded between 7 and 10 at night. The species was found in sympatry with other amphibians such as P. ardilae sp. nov., R. glaberrimus , R. flavopunctata and A. algorei .

Etymology. The specific epithet bowara means jungle or forest in the U’wa dialect. The U’wa are an indigenous community that inhabit the humid forests of the Eastern Cordillera of the Andes, in the foothills of the Tamá National Natural Park, very close to where the species described in this work was found.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Map of the geographical records of the new species. Norte de Santander, Colombia.

FIGURE 2. Phylogenetic relationships for some Pristimantis species in South America obtained from a maximum likelihood analysis. Numbers to the left of slash are bootstrap values and to the right are posterior probability are the highest posterior probability. Pristimantis ardilae sp. nov. (red clade), P. bowara sp. nov. (blue clade). Additional species of Pristimantis from Norte de Santander appear as green labels.

FIGURE 4. Photos of the specimens in life. A. Pristimantis ardilae sp. nov., uncollected animals. B. Pristimantis bowara sp. nov., holoytpe, MCNUP-H 165. Lower zone of the buffer zone of PNN Tamá, Colombia.

FIGURE 5. Photos of the holotype specimens. A. Pristimantis ardilae sp. nov. (MCNUP-H 117) B. Pristimantis bowara sp. nov. (MCNUP-H 165).

FIGURE 6. Illustration of the morphological characteristics of palmar surface, the foot and the head (lateral and dorsal view): A. Pristimantis ardilae sp. nov. B. Pristimantis bowara sp. nov. Scale bar = 5 mm.