Pristimantis carylae, Rivera-Correa & González-Durán & Saldarriaga-Gómez & Duarte-Marín, 2021

Rivera-Correa, Mauricio, González-Durán, Gustavo A., Saldarriaga-Gómez, Ana M. & Duarte-Marín, Sebastián, 2021, Biodiversity in the Andean Mountains: Two new rain frogs of the genus Pristimantis (Anura: Craugastoridae) from the northern Cordillera Central in Colombia, Zootaxa 5040 (3), pp. 334-364 : 344-354

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.5040.3.2
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:0A744BBD-5A6F-4968-A77E-40B525E9CB9D
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/B15EB737-FFD9-8C53-3DF9-FA40FAACFD9E
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Pristimantis carylae
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Pristimantis carylae sp. nov.

( Figs. 3C–D View FIGURE 3 , 4C–G View FIGURE 4 , 6 View FIGURE 6 )

Holotype. ARUQ 818 , adult male from Colombia, department of Caldas, municipality of Pensilvania, sector Montebello, NNP Selva de Florencia (5.4583336, -75.1180558; 2390 m a.s.l.), collected on September 18, 2017 by Sebastián Duarte-Marín, Cristian C. González Acosta and Andrés Felipe Toro Cardona. GoogleMaps

Paratypes. Three adult males, ARUQ 816 , 820 , 821 , and five subadult females, ARUQ 814–15 , 817 , 819 , 985 , same data and collectors than the holotype. An adult male ( ARUQ 1037 ) and subadult female ( ARUQ 1038 ) collected from the same locality as the holotype on November 30, 2019 by Gustavo González-Durán, Sebastián Duarte-Marín, Andrés Felipe Toro Cardona and Ricardo A. García Arango. Two subadult females ( MHUA-A 12213 , 12215 ), from Colombia, department of Antioquia, municipality of Valdivia, vereda San Fermín, “La Selva” Natural Reserve (7.094899, -75.482269; 1850 m a.s.l.), collected on April 22, 2018 by Mauricio Rivera-Correa , Diego Botero , Khristian Venegas , Eliza Patiño and Andrés Castaño GoogleMaps .

Referenced specimens. MHUA-A 12214 , unsexed juvenile from Colombia, Department of Antioquia, municipality of Valdivia, Vereda San Fermín, “La Selva” Natural Reserve (7.094899, -75.482269; 1850 m a.s.l.), collected on April 22, 2018 by Mauricio Rivera-Correa, Khristian Venegas, Eliza Patiño, Diego Botero and Andrés Castaño. Three juveniles ( MHUA-A 12216 , 12218 , 12219 ) collected from the same locality as the previous specimen on November 8, 2020 by Mauricio Rivera-Correa, Khristian Venegas, Diego Botero, Hader Correa and Sebastián Duarte-Marín GoogleMaps .

Diagnosis. We assigned the new species to the genus Pristimantis based on our phylogenetic results ( Fig. 1 View FIGURE 1 ). The new species is characterized by a combination of (1) skin texture of dorsum finely shagreen with scattered tubercles, venter areolate; dorsolateral fold absent; discoidal fold present; well anterior to groin (2) tympanic membrane and tympanic annulus partially visible, round, laterally directed, supratympanic fold diffuse, which extends from posterior corner of orbit along upper edge of temporal region and distinctly curved toward the insertion of the arm; dark supratympanic stripe; horizontal diameter of tympanum 35–38% of eye diameter; (3) snout short, rounded in dorsal view and in profile ( Fig. 6 View FIGURE 6 ); canthus rostralis concave in dorsal view, slightly rounded in cross section; loreal region slightly concave; (4) upper eyelids bearing a subconical tubercle, narrower than IOD; cranial crests absent; (5) Choanae small, ovoid, not concealed by palatal shelf of maxillary arch; dentigerous process of the vomer in small transverse row, positioned posterior to level of choane and moderately separated, with 3-4 teeth; (6) males lack vocal slits and subgular vocal sac; double nuptial pads, white and small testis; (7) finger I shorter than finger II; discs and circumferential grooves present on all fingers; discs broadly expanded and truncate; (8) fingers with narrow lateral fringes, except on finger I, which is round; palmar tubercle partially divided in heart-shape, twice wider than the oval thenar tubercle. Supernumerary palmar tubercles low (among five and six); subarticular tubercles rounded and subconical; hyperdistals tubercles present in finger III; (9) antebrachial and ulnar small subconical tubercles present; (10) outer tarsal subconical tubercles and heel tubercle present; inner tarsal fold present; (11) oval inner metatarsal tubercle, two-to-three times as long as round outer metatarsal tubercle; supernumerary plantar tubercles small and low, restricted to the proximal segments of digits III–IV; (12) toes with narrow lateral fringes; toe webbing absent; the fifth toe longer than third; toe III reaching midway between the penultimate and ultimate subarticular tubercles of toe IV; toe V reaches to the proximal part of distal subarticular tubercle of toe IV; (13) in life, dorsum polymorphic, with a reticular pattern, blotches, longitudinal stripes, or chevrons in different shades of dark brown delimited with light brown edges; throat cream with spots; belly and legs ventrally pink or brown with gray spots or blotches; forelimbs and hindlimbs with light brown diagonal bars; posterior surfaces of thighs and shanks brown and pink with dark brown spots; pale band across heel; red copper or golden copper iris with fine dark brown marks and reticulation, ( Fig. 3C–D View FIGURE 3 ); (14) adults medium, SVL in male 23.3–26.9 (n = 4).

Description of the Holotype. Adult male, head narrower than the body, head width 39.6 % of SVL; slightly wider than longer, head width is 97% of head length. Snout relatively short, rounded in dorsal view and profile. Head length 39.4 % of SVL. Snout to eye distance 32.0% of head length; canthus rostralis in dorsal view is concave, in transverse cross section is rounded; loreal region is slightly concave, lips not flared. Nostrils directed anterolaterally, protuberant, inter-nostrils area slightly concave in dorsal view. Interorbital area flat, as broad as upper eyelid; frontoparietal smooth and cranial crests absent. Upper eyelid bearing two small subconical tubercles in the middle region, eye diameter 62.3% regarding the distance between the anterior margins of eyes. Supratympanic fold present and diffused, covers dorsally the tympanum, which extends from posterior corner of orbit along upper edge of temporal region and distinctly curved toward the insertion of the arm; tympanum size is 42.4% of eye diameter; tympanum superficial, rounded, and posterodorsal partially concealed; tympanic annulus visible; one postrictal tubercle subconical. Choanae is small, round, and not concealed by palatal shelf of maxillary arch. Oval and pronounced dentigerous process of vomers, posteromedial to choanae, moderately separated, bearing three vomerine teeth. Tongue longer than wide, posterior edge notched, posterior 2/3 not adherent to the floor of the mouth. Skin of dorsum is finely shagreen, with scattered tubercles, dorsolateral folds absent. Flanks are finely shagreen, with small tubercles. The groin and throat skin are smooth, and venter finely areolate. Discoidal fold anterior to groin.

Forearm slender; radio-ulna length 22.7% of SVL; hand length longer than radio-ulna length, hand length 39.4% of SVL. Upper surface of limbs is smooth with a scattered small tubercle, with absent transversal folds over tibia. Forearm on outer edge bearing two and three white small subconical ulnar tubercles. Elbow tubercle absent. Palmar tubercle partially divided in heart-shape, twice wider than the oval thenar tubercle. Supernumerary palmar tubercles low (among five and six), restricted to the proximal segments of the digits. Subarticular tubercles are rounded and subconical; hyperdistals tubercles present in finger III. Fingers bearing lateral fringes, and truncate disks. Pad on thumb slightly wider than digit above the pad. The pads on fingers II–IV broadly wider than digits, the fingers III and IV the disks nearly as large as tympanum, ventral pads on fingers are broader than long. Relative lengths of fingers I <II <IV <III. Double nuptial glandular pad present. tubercle on heel and three small tubercles on outer edge of tarsus.

Hind limbs moderately thick, tibia length is 52.8% of SVL; one cream small tubercle on heel, two and three cream small tubercles on outer edge of tarsus. Inner tarsal fold present. Foot length is 50.0% of SVL. Inner metatarsal tubercle oval twice as long as wide, 2–3 times the size of outer metatarsal rounded conical tubercle. Supernumerary plantar tubercles are small and low (five). Subarticular tubercles rounded, nonconical. Toes bearing narrow lateral fringes, toes lack webbing. The pads on toes wider than digits and pads on toes IV and V twice wider than digits; ventral pads truncate, wider than long. Outer pads on toes slight narrower than the pads on outer fingers. Relative lengths of toes I <II <III <V <IV. Tip of toe V reaching to the proximal part of distal subarticular tubercle of toe IV, tip of toe III reaches to distal part of penultimate subarticular tubercle of toe IV (Appendix 4).

Coloration of the holotype. In life, Pristimantis carylae present a reticulated dorsal pattern of blotches and light brown spots on a darker brown background, in some regions similar to chevron-forms and very thick cream to the yellow band that crosses the loreal region, above the eyelids and throughout the dorsolateral region. Lips with brown, gray, and white blotches. Canthal stripe and labial bars brown. Dark supratympanic stripe covered 50% of the tympanum. Hidden areas of the arms, axillary region, groin, back of the thigh brown with fine cream spots. The tips of the digits with irregular dark gray or black spots. Gray to dark gray belly with hundreds of cream spots and some more intense gray blotches. Irregular marks are observed in the ventral region of the lips, forming bands of white and light gray. Iris copper red with dark brown reticulations, and the sclera is lemon-green. In ethanol, the patterns remain, but the dorsum turns gray, canthal stripes, and labial bars turn to cream.

Measurements of the holotype (in millimeters). SVL: 24.6; HL: 9.7; HW: 9.5; ED: 3.3; END: 3.1; NSD: 1.5; IND: 2.5; AMD: 5.3; TD: 1.4; FAL: 5.6; FAB: 2.0; HAL: 7.9; THL: 12.7; TL: 13.0; TAL: 7.3; FL: 12.3; TFD: 1.4 and FTD: 1.3.

Variation. Only adult male ( ARUQ 821 ) and juvenile ( MHUA-A 12214 ) present yellow bands that cross the loreal region and dorsolateral region. One subadult female ( ARUQ 817 ) and adult male ( ARUQ 820 ) and two subadult females ( MHUA-A 12213 , ARUQ 815 ) exhibit dorsolateral tubercles similar to folds. One adult male ( ARUQ 816 ) and two juveniles ( ARUQ 793 , 985 ) present the most conspicuous and most abundant tubercles. Subadult females ( MHUA-A 12213 , ARUQ 815 , 817 , 819 , 1038 ) present digits with subtly wider discs. Some individuals ( ARUQ 793 , 815 , 816 , 817 , 1037 , 1038 ) present more reticulation patterns of the venter. Some individuals (MHUA- A 12213,12215, ARUQ 985 ) in life have a paler belly with less intense red spots, some spots are pink. Similarly, the posterior region of the thighs is more reddish in these individuals. Some individuals ( ARUQ 792 , 793 , 815 , 821 ) exhibit the most conspicuous blotches ( Fig. 4C–H View FIGURE 4 ). Measurements of the paratypes are shown in Table 3 .

Etymology. The specific name is dedicated to the memory of Caryl Castleberry, an artist with a passion for nature and biodiversity. She and her close friends have helped to conserve and increase our knowledge of the amphibians of the northern Andes of Colombia. Their support has helped with the discovery of new species like the ones described in this study. The epithet is a noun in apposition.

Comparisons with other species. Pristimantis carylae ( Figs. 4–5 View FIGURE 4 View FIGURE 5 ) is easily distinguished from most of its congeneric due to iris copper red (copper in P. aurantiguttatus , P. bicolor , P. latidisctus , P. molybrignus , P. polychrus and P. rosadoi ; dark orange to gray in P. cruentus ; chocolate brown in P. gracilis ; reddish in P. cisnerosi ), ovals dentigerous process of vomer (triangular in P. latidistus , P. laticlavius and P. gracilis ), dorsum shagreen with scattered tubercles (smooth in P. cisnerosi , P. cruentus , P. gracilis , P. erythropleura , P. molybrignus and P. polychrus ; smooth with scattered tubercles in P. aurantigutattus and P. laticlavius , truncated discs (rounded in P. bicolor , P. penelopus and P. rosadoi ; large in P. erythropleura , P. gracilis , P. laticlavius , P. molybrignus and P. polychrus ; broader in P. museosus ), double nuptial pad (absent in P. cisnerosi , P. laticlavius and P. rosadoi ; glandular in P. latidiscus ) and groin pink or brown (black in P. aurantigutattus and P. penelopus ; cream in P. bicolor , P. latidiscus , P. molybrignus and P. rosadoi ; white in P. museosus ; yellow in males and carmine red in females of P. erythropleura ), with gray spots or blotches (cream reticulated in P. aurantigutattus ; cream spots in P. polychrus ; brown spots in P. laticlavius , P. molybrignus and P. rosadoi ; orange spots in P. cruentus , P. gracilis and P. penelopus ; absent in P. cisnerosi ). Pristimantis erythropleura , P. museous , P. penelopus and P. rosadoi , are closely related to P. carylae and have some similar attributes, the most important diagnostic differences are summarized in Table 2.

Distribution and natural history. Pristimantis carylae is currently known from NNP Selva de Florencia, municipality of Pensilvania, department of Caldas and “La Selva” Natural Reserve, municipality of Valdivia, department of Antioquia, eastern slope from the northern Cordillera Central in Colombia, between 1850 and 2390 m a.s.l., approximately ( Fig. 7 View FIGURE 7 ). The new species has nocturnal activity, was observed just after twilight and apparently, its activities are favored by dense fog, frequent in those localities. The individuals of P. carylae are from the interior or edge of the secondary forest. In Caldas locality, it was also found in abandoned pine plantations. Individuals of this species are usually found on the leaves of ferns and shrubs between 0.7 to 2.0 m. Acoustic activity, courtship, or amplexus were not observed, but a juvenile of P. carylae was collected. In “La Selva” Nature Reserve, the new species was found in sympatry with the same rain frogs as P. chocolatebari . In NPP Selva de Florencia, it is sympatric with P. factiosus , P. veletis , P. tribulosus and P. suetus , and P. aff. chocolatebari (Candidate 1).

Genetic distances. Uncorrected genetic p-distances between individuals of Pristimantis chocolatebari ranged from 0.0 to 0.5% (four individuals), while 0.3 to 3.9% for P. carylae (four individuals). Likewise, high values were evidenced in the genetic distances between P. chocolatebari and the closely related species with values between 8.3% and 16.9% ( Fig. 8A View FIGURE 8 ) whereas P. carylae differed with its related species in distances between 4.6 and 11.4% ( Fig. 8B View FIGURE 8 ). Finally, genetic distances between P. chocolatebari and P. carylae were on the order of 14.8 to15.7 %.

Conservation status of the new species. Pristimantis chocolatebari was found inside of the natural reserves of Corporación Salvamontes de Colombia, located in the “Alto de Ventanas” ecoregion, an area recently declared by the local government as an Integrated Management District (a non-restrictive conservation area). In this locality, there are secondary forests, agriculture, and mining. During the eight field trips, only two individuals of P. chocolatebari were found, despite searching in the same locality with experimented collectors in the surveys. Possibly it is a rare species, indicated by the low number of specimens obtained during our field works, it is not widely distributed and protected by the “La Selva” Natural Reserve. So, it could be, according to the IUCN category, in “Critically Endangered” by criterion “B1(a)” (extent of occurrence less than 100 km and severely fragmented and a number of localities =1), or “Vulnerable” by criterion “D2” (area of occupancy <20 km ² or number of localities ≤ 5). While P. carylae was not so abundant, several individuals could be found in a few hours of sampling. In these localities, there are secondary forests, pine plantations, agriculture, and livestock. However, the wide distribution and presence in the same reserve and in the Selva de Florencia Natural National Park and all of the above would suggest that it is not a threatened species. We suggest that this species should be “Near Threatened” according to the IUCN category.