Phrynopus auriculatus Duellman & Hedges, 2008, new species
Creators: name: Duellman, William E.
name: Hedges, Blair
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2008
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Chordata
Amphibia
Anura
Strabomantidae
Phrynopus
Phrynopus auriculatus

description: Phrynopus auriculatus new species
Holotype: KU 291633, adult male, 2.9 km N, 5.5 km E (airline) Oxapampa, 2600 m, 10°32'38"S, 75°21'10"W, Departamento Pasco, Peru, obtained on 2 July 1987 by S. Blair Hedges.
Paratype: KU 291634, female, from the same locality, obtained on 3 July 1987 by S. Blair Hedges.
Diagnosis. A species of Phrynopus characterized by: (1) skin on dorsum smooth with low longitudinal ridges on body; that on venter smooth; dorsolateral folds low, narrow; discoidal fold not evident; (2) tympanic membrane and tympanic annulus present; (3) snout rounded in dorsal view and in profile; (4) upper eyelid lacking tubercles, narrower than IOD; cranial crests absent; (5) dentigerous processes of vomers present; (6) vocal slits present; nuptial pads absent; (7) Finger I shorter than Finger II; tips of digits rounded, barely expanded; (8) fingers lacking lateral fringes; (9) ulnar tubercles low, diffuse; (10) heel lacking tubercles; inner tarsal fold absent; (11) inner metatarsal tubercle low, round, about 2x round outer metatarsal tubercle; supernumerary plantar tubercles absent; (12) toes lacking lateral fringes; webbing absent; Toe V slightly longer than Toe III; tips of digits rounded; (13) dorsum brown; belly creamy white; (24) SVL in one male 13.4 mm, in one female 14.5 mm.
The presence of a differentiated tympanic membrane readily distinguishes Phrynopus auriculatus from all congeners except P. peruanus. In P. ayacucho the tympanic annulus is visible below the skin, and in P. montium, the ventral part of the tympanic annulus is visible externally, but in neither of these species is the tympanic membrane differentiated. Phrynopus auriculatus differs from P. peruanus in being smaller and in having Toe V slightly longer than Toe III, in contrast to Toes III and V being equal in length in P. peruanus. Furthermore, the two species differ in the texture of the skin on the dorsum, which is somewhat uniformly tuberculate in P. peruanus but smooth with three longitudinal ridges in P. auriculatus. Also there are distinct differences in color pattern with black and white ventral mottling and many irregular dark brown marks on the dorsum of the body in P. peruanus, in contrast to nearly uniform reddish brown dorsum and cream venter in P. auriculatus (Figs. 1 A & 1C). Moreover, females of P. peruanus have a conspicuous orange blotch in the groin (Lehr, 2007). See Table 1 for comparisons with all other species of Phrynopus.
Description of holotype. Adult male; body moderately robust; head about as wide as body, longer than wide; head width 38.8% SVL; head length 44.8% SVL; snout bluntly rounded in dorsal view and in profile; canthus slightly curved, rounded in profile; loreal region nearly flat; lips rounded; nostrils barely protuberant, directed laterally; internarial region barely depressed; top of head flat; width of upper eyelid less (81.2%) than IOD; eye large, its diameter much greater than its distance from nostril; tympanum vertically ovoid with distinct membrane and annulus, separated from eye by distance 1.5x length of tympanum; supratympanic fold weak, angling posteroventrally from point above tympanum, obscuring posterodorsal edge of tympanum. Tongue nearly as broad as long, deeply notched posteriorly, free behind for about one third of its length; choanae small, round, not concealed by palatal shelf of maxillary; dentigerous processes of vomers low, transverse behind level of choanae, each bearing two teeth; vocal slits present, short, longitudinal, lateral to base of tongue.
Forelimb slender; ulnar tubercles low, diffuse; palmar tubercle low, round, about same size as thenar tubercle; subarticular tubercles large, rounded; supernumerary tubercles absent; fingers slender, lacking lateral fringes; relative lengths of fingers I<II<IV<III; tips of fingers barely expanded, rounded, lacking circumferential grooves; nuptial pads absent. Hind limb moderately slender; tibia length 51.5% SVL; foot length 50.8% SVL; heel and tarsus lacking tubercles; inner tarsal fold present on distal third of tarsus; inner metatarsal tubercle low, round, about 2x round outer metatarsal tubercle; subarticular tubercles small, rounded; supernumerary tubercles absent; toes slender, lacking lateral fringes; relative lengths of toes I<II<III<V<IV; tips of toes narrow, rounded, lacking circumferential grooves.
Skin on dorsum smooth with narrow, low, dorsolateral and middorsal folds, and low, tubercular, interrupted, transverse interorbital fold; upper eyelids lacking tubercles; skin on venter smooth; discoidal fold not evident; skin ventral and ventrolateral to cloaca granular.
Coloration of holotype in preservative: Dorsum and flanks pale brown with dark brown markings consisting of canthal stripe, face mask, blotch on medial surface of forearm, small middorsal spot on body, and small, irregular marks on posterior part of body and dorsal surfaces of hind limbs; cloacal area dark brown; venter cream with minute brown flecks.
Coloration of holotype in life: Dorsum of head, body, and limbs pale grayish brown with pinkish tinge on snout and flanks and with golden orange-tan dorsolateral and middorsal ridges on body and interorbital ridge on head (Fig. 1 A); dark brown to black markings consist of broad canthal stripe, face mask including tympanic area, large spot on medial surface of each forearm, middorsal spot on back, and irregular small marks on posterior part of body and dorsal surfaces of hind limbs; posterior surfaces of thighs lacking flash marks; iris greenish gold with fine black reticulations.
Measurements of holotype and paratype in mm: Data are for male holotype followed by female paratype. SVL 13.4, 14.5; tibia length 6.9, 7.3; foot length 6.8, 7.0; head length 6.0, 6.2; head width 5.2, 5.6; interorbital distance 2.0, 2.2; width of eyelid 1.3. 1.3; internarial distance 1.6, 1.8; eye-nostril distance 1.4, 1.4; diameter of eye 2.1, 2.1; diameter of tympanum 1.3, 1.3.
Distribution and ecology. This species is known only from the type locality in humid montane forest, where both individuals were found on the ground after rains.
Etymology. The specific name is Latin meaning having an ear. The name is applied to this species because of the presence of a differentiated tympanic membrane.
description: Published as part of Duellman, William E. & Hedges, Blair, 2008, Two new minute species of Phrynopus (Lissamphibia: Anura) from the Cordillera oriental in Peru, pp. 59-66 in Zootaxa 1675 on pages 60-63, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.274057