Amazophrynella matses Rojas, Carvalho, Ávila, Farias, Gordo & Hrbek, 2015, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Rojas, Rommel R.
name: Carvalho, Vinícius Tadeu De
name: Ávila, Robson W.
name: Farias, Izeni Pires
name: Gordo, Marcelo
name: Hrbek, Tomas
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2015
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Chordata
Amphibia
Anura
Bufonidae
Amazophrynella
Amazophrynella matses

description: Amazophrynella matses sp. nov.
(Figure 9)
Synonyms Dendrophryniscus minutus (Gordo et al. 2006).
Holotype. MZUNAP 921 (adult male), collected at Nuevo Salvador locality (5° 2' 33'' S, 73° 50' 02'' W), district of Requena, Province of Requena, Loreto, Peru, by Ian Pool Medina, Richard Curto and Rommel R. Rojas on February 5, 2013, at 16h.
Paratopotypes. MZUNAP 934, MZUNAP 955 MZUNAP 940, MZUNAP 948 MZUNAP 943, MZUNAP 952, MZUNAP 953 (adult males), collected by Richard Curto on January 6, 2013. MZUNAP 932, MZUNAP 945, MZUNAP 950, (adult females), by Ian Pool Medina on January 7, 2013. MZUNAP 958, MZUNAP 922, MZUNAP 923, MZUNAP 925, MZUNAP 926 (adult males), MZUNAP 927, MZUNAP 944, MZUNAP 938, MZUNAP 936 (adult females) by Ian Pool Medina, Richard Curto and Rommel R. Rojas on February 5, 2013 (Figure 10).
Paratypes. MZUNAP 928, MZUNAP 929, MZUNAP 930, MZUNAP 931, MZUNAP 933, MZUNAP 955, MZUNAP 935, MZUNAP 950, MZUNAP 937, MZUNAP 939, MZUNAP 941, MZUNAP 942, MZUNAP 946, MZUNAP 947, MZUNAP 949, (adult females) collected near Jenaro Herrera community, district of Requena (4° 53' 54'' S, 73° 37' 05'' W) on January 6, 2013, by Rommel R. Rojas.
Referred specimens. USNM 332894-332907 collected by Lily O. Rodriguez on November 27, 1989 in Jenaro Herrera (4° 55' S, 74°45' W), on eastern bank of Río Ucayali, district of Requena, Loreto, Peru.
Diagnosis. Amazophrynella matses sp. nov. is assigned to the genus Amazophrynella by the combination of the following synapomorphies (sensu Fouquet et al. 2012b): small size with maximum SVL of 26.5 mm, elongated snout and slender body, eyelids smaller than eye diameter, cranial crests not evident, parotid glands and external tympanum not visible, texture of the skin granular or finely granular, ventrum with pattern of blotches or spots. The new species is readily diagnosed by the combination of the following characters: 1) smallest size of the genus: females 17.1 ± 0.7 mm (16.5–17.7 mm), males 12 ± 0.6 mm (11.5–13.5 mm); 2) canthus rostralis straight in dorsal view; 3) snout slightly truncate, with edges of nasal protrusion dilated in ventral view; 4) palmar tubercles elliptical; 5) finger tips expanded, 6) presence of medium-sized black ocelli and/or streaks covering venter; 7) belly yellow with undefined blotches; and 8) ten diagnostic characters in the 16S rDNA gene fragment (Figure 1, Table 5).
Comparisons with other species. Amazophrynella matses sp. nov. can be distinguished from the other species of Amazophrynella by the following characters (characters of compared species in parentheses). Compared to A. minuta sensu stricto, SVL is smaller in males (larger SVL; Table 2), and snout slightly truncate, with edges of nasal protrusion dilated in ventral view (snout pointed, with no dilatation on the nasal protrusion) (Figure 5). Compared to A. bokermanni, relative size of fingers differs, with finger II larger than I (I>II), and belly yellow-orange with black ocelli and/or streaks (white belly with small black dots). Compared to A. vote, snout is truncate (rounded) and belly yellow-orange with black ocelli and/or streaks (ventral color pattern reddish brown, with presence of small white dots and brown spots and absence of large blotches). Relative to A. manaos, finger tips are expanded (unexpanded), texture of body skin spiculate (granulated body surfaces), belly yellow-orange with black ocelli and/ or streaks (white abdomen with black spots or stripes). Compared to A. amazonicola sp. nov., fingers are unwebbed (fingers I and II webbed at base), snout truncate with edges of nasal protrusion dilated in ventral view (snout pointed with no dilated nasal protrusion), palmar tubercles elliptical (rounded) and greenish-white granules on body absent (present).
Description of the holotype. Body robust; head triangular, as long as wide; head length 33.4% of SVL; head width 28.8% of SVL. Snout truncate in dorsal view, with a triangular nasal protrusion with edges dilated in ventral view; snout pointed in lateral view; snout length 48.8% of head length; tympanum and vocal sac indistinct; circular eyes, diameter about 24.4% of head length; nostril closer to the tip of snout than to eyes. Dorsal skin texture spiculate and covered by several scattered small granules; few spine granules on the upper arm; ventral surfaces covered by granular tubercles larger than that of dorsum; forelimbs slender, length of upper arm 29.6% of SVL; edges of lower arms and upper arms covered by few small spines; fingers slender, relative length of fingers I<II<IV<III; palmar tubercle elliptical; supernumerary tubercles rounded: two on fingers I and II and three on fingers III and IV; fingers free, unwebbed, and finger tips expanded. Hind limbs slender, larger than forelimbs; small triangular spicules from thigh to tarsus; foot length 89.8% of thigh length; relative size of toes: I<II<III<V<IV; outer and inner metatarsal tubercles rounded; subarticular tubercles rounded: two on toes I, II and V, three on toes III and IV; toes free, unwebbed.
Measurement of the holotype (mm). SVL: 13.5; HW: 3.9; HL: 4.5; SL: 2.2; ED: 1.1; IND: 1.1; UAL: 4.0; HAL: 2.8; THL: 5.9; TAL: 5.7; TL: 4.2; FL: 5.3.
Coloration. In males and females the dorsal coloration light brown with dark brown transverse bars. A continuous or barely white line visible on upper jaw, extending from the tip of the snout to the corner of the mouth. Golden iris and black pupil (Figure 11). Throat dark gray, chest grayish brown; belly yellow-orange with black ocelli and/or streaks covering the abdomen, reaching the chest and throat. Ventral skin of thighs grayish brown with scattered black dots. Reddish brown granules covering dorsal and ventral surfaces. Palms and soles reddish brown. In alcohol, the dorsal coloration becomes darker. Ventral coloration fades, with yellow colors becoming white.
Variation. The species shows little variation in dorsal pattern, with few specimens presenting a thin brown vertebral line from the tip of snout to the vent. However, ventral coloration is highly variable among individuals (Figure 12). The black ocelli on the throat, chest and belly vary in abundance. Some specimens exhibited black streaks on the belly, which are the result of union of ocelli. The yellow surface may extend from thighs to the chest. In juveniles the edges of nasal protrusion in less perceptible. The elliptical shape of the palmar tubercle became flattened in preserved specimens. In juveniles specimens the protrusion on the edges of the nose is more visible.
Distribution and natural history. Amazophrynella matses sp. nov. was found at four localities on the right bank of the Ucayali River in the state of Loreto, southeastern Peru: Requena, around Jenaro Herrera community, Nuevo Salvador and the Matses Indian Reserve. Amazophrynella matses sp. nov. can be found in upland (= terra firme) forests away from rivers, within root mass of bushes or in leaf litter. Reproduction is coincident with the rainy season, where oviposition occurs in puddles with abundant herbaceous and shrubby vegetation.
Etymology. The specific epithet matses, a substantive from a polysynthetic language, is a reference to the Matsés ethnic group, which inhabits the region where we found the new species.
description: Published as part of Rojas, Rommel R., Carvalho, Vinícius Tadeu De, Ávila, Robson W., Farias, Izeni Pires, Gordo, Marcelo & Hrbek, Tomas, 2015, Two new species of Amazophrynella (Amphibia: Anura: Bufonidae) from Loreto, Peru, pp. 79-103 in Zootaxa 3946 (1) on pages 93-100, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3946.1.3, http://zenodo.org/record/236987