Pristimantis antisuyu Catenazzi & Lehr 2018, sp. n.
Creators: name: Catenazzi, Alessandro
name: Lehr, Edgar
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2018
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Chordata
Amphibia
Anura
Strabomantidae
Pristimantis
Pristimantis antisuyu

description: Pristimantis antisuyu sp. n.
Holotype (Figs 5–6, Table 2). CORBIDI 18725, an adult female (Figs 2, 3) from 13°4´11.42´´S; 71°33´58.07´´W (WGS84), 1565–1595 m a.s.l., near Puente Unión along the Paucartambo-Pilcopata road, Distrito Kosñipata, Provincia Paucartambo, Región Cusco, Peru, collected by A. Catenazzi on 27 January 2009.
Paratypes (Fig. 7). Ten total, all from the Paucartambo-Pilcopata road: one adult female, CORBIDI 18726, collected along with the holotype by A. Catenazzi; two adult females, CORBIDI 16790–91, and one male, CORBIDI 16792, collected at the type locality by B. LaBumbard on 31 July 2013; three juveniles, CORBIDI 16737–39, collected above El Mirador, 13°4´45.05´´S; 71°33´33.44´´W (WGS84), 1805 m a.s.l., by A. Catenazzi on 19 July 2013; one adult female CORBIDI 16736, collected above El Mirador, 13°4´44.04´´S; 71°33´27.11´´W (WGS84), 1770 m a.s.l., by A. Catenazzi on 19 July 2013; one adult male, MUSM 21093, collected by first creek above El Mirador, 13°40´23.88´´S; 71°33´24.00´´W (WGS84), 1720 m a.s.l., by A. Catenazzi and W. Qertehuari on 4 February 1999; one adult female, CORBIDI 18727, collected near San Pedro, 13°3´52.02´´S; 71°33´22.86´´W (WGS84), 1485 m a.s.l., by A. Catenazzi on 1 June 2014; one adult male, CORBIDI 18728, collected between Puente Unión and El Mirador, 13°4´16.50´´S; 71°33´52.13´´W (WGS84), 1650 m a.s.l., by A. Catenazzi on 6 July 2014.
Diagnosis. A species of Pristimantis characterized by (1) skin on dorsum shagreen with some small spicules; skin on venter areolate, discoidal fold not visible, dorsolateral folds absent; (2) tympanic membrane not differentiated, tympanic annulus absent; (3) snout short, rounded in dorsal view and in profile; (4) upper eyelid bearing 4–6 small tubercles, narrower than IOD; cranial crests absent; (5) dentigerous processes of vomers minute; (6) vocal sac, vocal slits and nuptial pads absent; (7) Finger I shorter than Finger II; tips of digits broadly expanded, rounded bearing circumferential grooves; (8) fingers lacking lateral fringes; (9) ulnar and tarsal tubercles present; (10) heel bearing one or two tubercles; inner tarsal fold absent; (11) inner metatarsal tubercle prominent, elliptical, of higher relief and about three times the size of ovoid, outer metatarsal tubercle; supernumerary plantar tubercles few, low; (12) toes lacking lateral fringes; webbing absent; Toe V much longer than Toe III; tips of digits expanded, rounded bearing circumferential grooves; (13) dorsum tan to brown and gray with dark brown markings; some individuals with a yellow line extending from tip of snout to cloaca and to posterior surface of thighs; interorbital bar yellow or cream bordered with black, variable in width and contrast among individuals; throat brown to black with dark transverse bars separating the lighter tip of snout from darker throat; chest, venter and ventral parts of arms and legs dark brown to black; palmar and plantar surfaces dark brown to black, tips of digits and discs yellowish tan; groin and hidden portions of thighs and legs dark brown with yellow spots of variable size, usually larger in groin; iris bronze or gold with fine black reticulations, crossed horizontally by a broad copper band, and vertically by a narrow black streak across pupil; (14) SVL 12.2–15.0 in males (n = 11), 17.6–23.6 in females (n = 6).
Comparisons. The new species differs from most described species in the genus except P. cruciocularis and P. erythroinguinis sp. n. by the combination of lack of a tympanic annulus and membrane, possession of an iris with a cruciform mark, and the bright yellow or red coloration on groin and hind limbs. Pristimantis antisuyu sp. n. differs from P. cruciocularis by having smaller yellow spots, instead of extensive red coloration, on groin and hind limbs. Pristimantis antisuyu sp. n. differs from P. erythroinguinis sp. n. (characters in parenthesis) in having Toe V longer than Toe III (much longer), in having an inner metatarsal tubercle three times the size of outer metatarsal tubercle (twice as long), groin coloration with small yellow spots (large, bright red markings), presence of middorsal yellow line in some specimens (absent), and yellow interorbital bar (dark).
Description of holotype. Adult female (21.1 mm SVL); head narrower than body, its length 39% of SVL; head slightly longer than wide, head length 103% of head width; head width 38% of SVL; snout short, rounded in dorsal and lateral views, eye diameter 34% of head length, its diameter nearly 1.3 times as large as its distance from the nostril; nostrils protuberant, directed dorsolaterally; canthus rostralis slightly curved in dorsal view, rounded in profile; loreal region slightly concave; lips rounded; upper eyelids with 4–6 small tubercles; upper eyelid width 85% of interorbital distance; interorbital region flat, lacking cranial crests; supratympanic fold, tympanic annulus and tympanic membrane absent; enlarged postrictal tubercles absent. Vocal sac and vocal slits absent. Choanae ovoid, small, not concealed by palatal sheath of maxilla; dentigerous processes of vomers and vomerine teeth minute; tongue large, ovoid, not notched.
Skin on dorsum shagreen with minute, scattered spicules; dorsolateral folds absent; skin on flanks, chest and venter areolate; pectoral and discoidal folds not visible; cloaca not protuberant, cloacal region without tubercles. Ulnar tubercles and tarsal tubercles present, low; palmar tubercle slightly elevated, bifid, approximately twice the width of elongate, thenar tubercle; supernumerary palmar tubercles below fingers III and IV, low, round and smaller than subarticular tubercles; subarticular tubercles prominent, round in ventral view, subconical in lateral view, largest at base of Finger IV; fingers lacking lateral fringes; Finger I shorter than Finger II; relative lengths of fingers 3> 4> 2> 1 (Fig. 3); discs on fingers expanded, most prominent on fingers III–IV, rounded terminally; disc on Finger I only slightly expanded; all fingers with ventral pads well defined by circumferential grooves.
Hindlimbs slender, tibia length 53% of SVL; foot length 45% of SVL; upper and posterior surfaces of hindlimbs smooth; posterior and ventral surfaces of thighs areolate; heel bearing one or two round tubercles; tarsus with row of small, low tubercles; tarsal fold absent; inner metatarsal tubercle elevated, elliptical, about three times the size of subconical, outer metatarsal tubercle; few, low plantar supernumerary tubercles; subarticular tubercles well defined, round in dorsal view and subconical in lateral view; toes lacking lateral fringes, not webbed; discs on toes about equal in size to those on fingers, most prominent on Toe IV, toe discs well defined by circumferential grooves; relative lengths of toes 4> 5> 3> 2> 1 (Fig. 3), Toe V much longer than Toe III (disc on Toe III not reaching distal subarticular tubercle on Toe IV, tip of the disc on Toe V extending to distal border of distal subarticular tubercle on Toe IV).
Measurements of holotype (in mm): SVL 21.1, TL 11.2, FL 9.6, HL 8.2, HW 8.0, ED 2.8, IOD 2.6, EW 2.2, IND 1.8, E–N 2.2.
Coloration of holotype in alcohol. Dorsal surfaces of head dark tan crossed by a cream interorbital bar; dorsum light grayish cream with dark brown marks and a dark brown X-shaped middorsal mark; dorsal surfaces of limbs grayish cream to cream; hind limbs with transverse dark bars. Loreal region dark tan, subocular spot grayish cream, tympanic region grayish cream with dark brown spots. Iris gray with cruciform pattern visible. Throat grayish brown with dark marks; chest grayish brown; belly brown with dark marks bordering cream inguinal spots restricted to groin region. Ventral surfaces of fore limbs grayish brown, of hind limbs brown with cream spots bordered by darker brown extending to anterior surfaces. Posterior surfaces of thighs brown; plantar surfaces brown; palmar surfaces grayish brown; tips of fingers and toes cream.
Coloration of holotype in life. Coloration in life appears considerably more homogeneous than in preservative. Dorsal surfaces of head, body and limbs and flanks brown; interorbital bar yellow bordered by tan line posteriorly. Iris bronze with horizontal band copper and vertical stripe tan forming a cruciform pattern. Yellow inguinal spots bordered by tan marks; throat and ventral surfaces of body and limbs dark brown, with yellow spots in groin region, anterior surfaces of hind limbs; two smaller yellow spots in axilla. Tips of fingers and toes orange.
Variation. There is considerable variation in dorsal coloration, ranging from near uniformly brown coloration (similar to the holotype) to blotches of cream, brown and tan marks (such as in CORBIBI 16790). Some individuals (e.g., CORBIDI 18727, 16790) have a middorsal yellow line extending from the tip of snout to the cloaca, and a thin yellow line on throat. The ventral coloration is generally as in the holotype, but some specimens have lighter ventral coloration (e.g., CORBIDI 18726).
The summary of measurements of all types is reported in Table 2. Figure 2B is the histogram of the frequency distribution of SVL for all vouchered and unvouchered specimens.
Etymology. The name of the new species antisuyu is a Quechua word (from Quechua, anti = east, and suyu = region) used in apposition designing the eastern part of the Incan empire, which encompassed the eastern slopes of the Andes such as the type locality of the new species.
Distribution, natural history and threats. The species has been collected from a narrow elevational range from 1485–1823 m a.s.l. along the Paucartambo-Pillcopata road (Figs. 8–9), corresponding to localities around the Mirador (lookout over the lower Kosñipata valley, at around 1700 m a.s.l.) and Suecia (rocoto fields around 1900 m a.s.l.). Specimens were found perched on branches and leaves at 5–160 cm from the ground in the cloud forest. Most specimens (21 out of 24 recorded individuals) were observed during the dry season in July of 2013 and 2014. It is unclear why the species was less frequent or absent during other years, when we conducted similar searches at the type locality and surrounding elevations without encountering as many individuals as in 2013 and 2014. We did not observe males emitting advertisement calls, nor did we hear calls at the type locality that could have been produced by this species. Sympatric frog species commonly producing calls at these elevations are Hyalinobatrachium bergeri, Hypsiboas gladiator, Noblella sp., Oreobates gemcare, Pristimantis danae, P. pharangobates, and P. toftae). The Kosñipata valley is in the buffer zone of Manu NP, and despite the presence of a road connecting the Amazonian lowlands to Paucartambo and the city of Cusco, the montane and cloud forests are for the most part well preserved, including through private conservation areas.
description: Published as part of Catenazzi, Alessandro & Lehr, Edgar, 2018, Pristimantis antisuyu sp. n. and Pristimantis erythroinguinis sp. n., two new species of terrestrial-breeding frogs (Anura, Strabomantidae) from the eastern slopes of the Andes in Manu National Park, Peru, pp. 185-206 in Zootaxa 4394 (2) on pages 192-197, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4394.2.2, http://zenodo.org/record/1197622