Phrynopus chaparroi Mamani & Malqui, 2014, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Mamani, Luis
name: Malqui, Sergio
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2014
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Chordata
Amphibia
Anura
Strabomantidae
Phrynopus
Phrynopus chaparroi

description: Phrynopus chaparroi sp. nov.
(Figs. 1–2)
Holotype. MHNC 10983 (field number SM 196), an adult female (Fig. 1) from Canchapalca, Distrito de Comas, Provincia Concepcion, 4490 m.a.s.l. (11°44'45" S, 74°58'47"W), Departamento Junin, Peru, collected by S. Malqui on 27 March 2011.
Paratopotypes. MHNC 10981 (4490 m.a.s.l), adult male (Fig. 2); MHNC 10982 (4490 m.a.s.l) (Fig. 2), MHNC 10984 (4205 m.a.s.l.), and MHNC 10985 (4205 m.a.s.l.) all adult females; MHNC 10980 (4490 m.a.s.l), juvenile. All paratypes were collected with the holotype.
Diagnosis. The new species if assigned to the genus Phrynopus sensu Hedges et al. (2008) because its general appearance matches with other species placed in this genus, and these are the only known terraranas occurring in high altitude grasslands of the Cordillera Oriental in central Peru. Phrynopus chaparroi is a medium sized species of Phrynopus having the following combination of characters: (1) skin on dorsum coarsely tuberculate with a mass of protuberant subconical tubercles in the postympanic area, skin on venter, throat and ventral surfaces of thighs areolate; discoidal fold absent, thoracic fold absent; dorsolateral fold absent; (2) tympanic membrane and tympanic annulus not observable through the skin; (3) snout rounded in dorsal and lateral views; (4) upper eyelid with irregular small tubercles, narrower than IOD; cranial crests absent; (5) dentigerous processes of vomers absent; (6) vocal slits absent, nuptial pad present (Fig. 3); (7) Finger I slightly shorter than Finger II; tips of digits round, bulbous, lacking discs; (8) fingers lacking lateral fringes; (9) ulnar tubercles absent, palmar tubercle condiform, thenar tubercle ovate; (10) heel without tubercles; inner tarsal fold absent; (11) inner metatarsal tubercle elongate, about twice as large outer metatarsal tubercle; supernumerary plantar tubercles numerous, round, low; (12) toes lacking lateral fringes; basal webbing absent; Toe V slightly longer in length than Toe III; toe tips round, bulbous, lacking discs; (13) in life, dorsum brownish-black with few scattered white to yellow spots, venter dark brown with irregular diffuse white to gray blotches; (14) SVL in adult females 30.0–32.2 (n=4), in males 26.2 (n=1).
Twenty five other species of Phrynopus are currently known: Phrynopus auriculatus Duellman & Hedges, 2008, Phrynopus badius Lehr, Moravec, & Cusi, 2012, Phrynopus barthlenae Lehr & Aguilar, 2002, Phrynopus bracki Hedges, 1990, Phrynopus bufoides Lehr, Lundberg, & Aguilar, 2005, Phrynopus curator Lehr, Moravec, & Cusi, 2012, Phrynopus dagmarae Lehr, Aguilar, & Köhler, 2002, Phrynopus heimorum Lehr, 2001, Phrynopus horstpauli Lehr, Köhler, & Ponce, 2000, Phrynopus interstinctus Lehr & Oróz, 2012, Phrynopus juninensis (Shreve, 1938), Phrynopus kauneorum Lehr, Aguilar, & Köhler, 2002, Phrynopus kotosh Lehr, 2007, Phrynopus lechriorhynchus Trueb & Lehr, 2008, Phrynopus miroslawae Chaparro, Padial, & De la Riva, 2008, Phrynopus montium (Shreve, 1938), Phrynopus nicoleae Chaparro, Padial, & De la Riva, 2008, Phrynopus oblivius Lehr, 2007, Phrynopus paucari Lehr, Lundberg, & Aguilar, 2005, Phrynopus peruanus Peters, 1873, Phrynopus pesantesi Lehr, Lundberg, & Aguilar, 2005, Phrynopus tautzorum Lehr & Aguilar, 2003, Phrynopus thompsoni Duellman, 2000, Phrynopus tribulosus Duellman & Hedges, 2008, and Phrynopus vestigiatus Lehr & Oróz, 2012.
Phrynopus chaparroi differs from P. oblivius by having (characteristics of P. oblivius in parentheses) venter areolate, discoidal fold absent, nuptial pad present, maximum SVL 32.2 mm (venter weakly areolate, discoidal fold present, nuptial pad absent, maximum SVL 23.9 mm; Lehr 2007). Phrynopus chaparroi differs from P. tautzorum by having (characteristics of P. tautzorum in parentheses) skin of the tympanic area covered by elongate round subconical tubercles, finger I slightly shorter than finger II, (skin of the tympanic area without elongate tubercles, finger I distinctly shorter than finger II). Furthermore, Phrynopus chaparroi lacks tympanic membrane and tympanic annulus (present in P. auriculatus, P. montiun, and P. peruanus); P. chaparroi has aerolate venter (smooth in P. auriculatus, P. kauneorum, P. bracki, P. juninensis, and P. tribulosus); P. chaparroi lacks dentigerous processes of vomers (present in P. auriculatus, P. bracki, P. dagmarae, P. interstinctus, P. lechriorhynchus, P. kauneorum, P. kotosh, P. nicoleae, P. peruanus, and P. vestigiatus); P. chaparroi lacks dorsolateral folds (present in P. auriculatus, P. dagmarae, P. horstpauli, P. kotosh, P. miroslawae, P. vestigiatus, P. interstinctus, and P. curator); P. chaparroi lacks heel tubercle (present in P. badius, P. curator, and P. tribulosus); P. chaparroi has a Toe V slightly longer than Toe V (Toe III longer than toe V in P. barthlenae); P. chaparroi has dorsal skin coarsely tuberculate (P. bufoides has skin on dorsum and flanks with large, round to elongate warts and is coarsely areolate; P. thompsoni has dorsal skin bearing warts arranged in longitudinal rows; P. paucari has dorsal skin bearing slightly conical tubercles that form discontinuous longitudinal ridges dorsolaterally; P. heimorum has dorsal skin slightly tuberculate), P. chaparroi has nuptial pads (absent, as far as it is known, in P. heimorum, P. auriculatus, P. juninensis, P. kauneorum, P. kotosh, P.
oblivious, P. bracki, P. bufoides, P. dagmarae, and P pesantesi); P. chaparroi lacks flash marks (P. heimorun has flash red marks on groin, chest, belly, and ventral surfaces of limbs and the body).
Description of the holotype. Adult female; body robust; head narrower than body, slightly longer than wide; head width 33% of SVL; head length 34.7% of SVL; snout short, rounded in dorsal and lateral view (Figs. 1, 2), ED larger than EN distance; canthus rostralis round in profile, straight in dorsal view; loreal region slightly concave; lips not flared, nostril lateral, weakly protuberant; interorbital region flat, cranial crest absent; upper eyelid width 82.7% of interorbital distance; tympanic membrane and annulus not evident through the skin, skin of the tympanic area covered by elongate round subconical tubercles; tongue large, oval, not notched posteriorly; choanae small and round; dentigerous processes of vomers absent. Skin of dorsum coarsely tuberculate, skin of venter areolate; no dorsolateral folds, no discoidal folds, no thoracic fold; no ulnar tubercles or ridges; inner palmar tubercle single, elongate, ovoid, 1.25 times than outer palmar tubercle, outer palmar tubercle ovoid. Palmar surface with supernumerary tubercles smaller than subarticular tubercles; subarticular tubercles round, larger than supernumerary. Fingers without finger fringes, and without disc structure, tips of digits bulbous. First finger slightly shorter than second; relative length of fingers III>IV>II>I. Tibia length 30.7% of SVL; tarsal fold absent; inner tarsal tubercle ovoid, smaller than outer, supernumerary tubercles small, round to flat, and numerous; subarticular tubercles of toes round to flat; toes lacking basal webbing or lateral fringes; relative length of toes IV>V>III>II>I; digital tips bulbous; foot length 35% of SVL.
I life all dorsal surfaces brownish black, flanks slightly lighter, with few scattered yellowish white flecks distributed irregularly. Ventral surfaces dark brown with irregular gray blotches, and some white flecks on the throat. Ventral surfaces of arms and legs dark brown. Iris brown without reticulations. In preservative the pattern and coloration are similar (Fig. 1).
Variation. There is little variation among specimens other than sexual dimorphism in size (Table 1). The coloration of all of them is rather similar, with conspicuous differences restricted to the number of lateral white flecks. Nonetheless, females have diffuse irregular gray blotches on venter.
Etymology. The name is a patronym for Juan Carlos Chaparro Auza (Peru), in recognition of his friendship, advice and support in taxonomic research and, of his passion and efforts for nature conservation in Peru.
Distribution and natural history. All specimens were collected during the rainy season under stones. The females contained mature, unpigmented and creams ovarian eggs. The only other amphibian species found in syntopy was Gastrotheca griswoldi. Phrynopus chaparroi is known only from Canchapalca, Distrito de Comas, Provincia Concepcion, Departamento Junin, Peru, at elevations between 4205 to 4490 m a.s.l. (Fig. 3). This species inhabits high mountain humid grassland (Fig. 4). The record of P. chaparroi at 4490 m constitutes the highest distribution record for members of the genus, followed by P. pesantesi (4390 m) (Lehr et al 2005), and P. bufoides (4100 m). Also, P. chaparroi is the species of Phrynopus with the southernmost distribution. Of the five species registered for Departmento Junin, four (Phrynopus juniniensis, P. montium, P. oblivious, and P. peruvianus) are distributed within Provincia Tarma, and Phrynopus chaparroi is restricted to Provincia La Concepcion.
Conservation. We propose to categorize this species as “Endangered” in the Peruvian official list of threatened species managed by Dirección General Forestal y Fauna Silvestre (DGFFS). Likewise, we propose the same category (B2ab(ii,iii)) within the IUCN Red List. Our proposal is based on the following facts: the range of the species is smaller than 500 km 2, this specie has been recorded only from the type locality, its population size seems to be small, and its habitat is threatened by mining activities and the increasing human activity in the area.
description: Published as part of Mamani, Luis & Malqui, Sergio, 2014, A new species of Phrynopus (Anura: Craugastoridae) from the central Peruvian Andes, pp. 207-214 in Zootaxa 3838 (2) on pages 209-213, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3838.2.5, http://zenodo.org/record/225516