taxonID	type	description	language	source
FA1177A074C859B19F69711C4654B852.taxon	diagnosis	Diagnosis. In this section, coloration refers to live adult individuals, unless otherwise noted. Adult individuals of Dendropsophus cannatellai sp. nov. can be distinguished from other species of the genus Dendropsophus that do not belong to the D. leucophyllatus group by the presence of two pectoral glands. Within the D. leucophyllatus group, we focus our comparisons with species from Central America and the Chocó region, also the most closely related. Other species of the group have a cis-Andean distribution and, therefore, cannot be confused with the new species. Nevertheless, we include diagnosis for species from the western Amazon basin, which are geographically closest to the new species range. Dendropsophus ebraccatus differs from the new species (characters of the later in parenthesis) in having a light labial stripe reaching the orbit (area below the eye has dark background color, sometimes with one or two small light spots). In addition, D. ebraccatus either lacks dorsolateral yellow bands or, if present, they are wide and sinuous (if present, yellow dorsolateral bands straight to moderately curved; variation in coloration of D. ebraccatus from Duellman 1970 and Ohmer et al. 2009). Dendropsophus cannatellai sp. nov. clearly differs from its sister species, D. gryllatus, in dorsal coloration and by being larger (although SVL ranges overlap: male average SVL = 21.95, range 18.71 – 24.69 mm vs. SVL = 23.43, range 21.05 – 26.58 mm in D. cannatellai sp. nov.) The dorsal pattern of D. gryllatus consists of two longitudinal dark brown lines against a pale-yellow background (Fig. 14; brown background with clear yellow dorsolateral bands in the new species). The new species also differs from D. gryllatus by having bright orange flash coloration (pale yellow in D. gryllatus). Dendropsophus gryllatus exhibits a sacral spot that extends forward, making it more elongated and continuous with other dorsal markings (the sacral spot of D. ebraccatus is distinct, circular or slightly oval, and symmetrically positioned near the lower back, with well-defined edges that contrast against its darker dorsal pattern; sacral spot is absent in some individuals). The Amazonian species D. sarayacuensis and D. bifurcus also has a brown background color with yellow bands and marks. However, D. sarayacuensis differs in that the yellow areas in the shanks have irregular borders (borders are more linear in D. cannatellai sp. nov.) Dendropsophus bifurcus differs by having less extensive yellow bands and marks, especially in the shanks where, in most individuals, they are absent, except for the heel (extensive yellow marks along the shank in D. cannatellai). Dendropsophus reticulatus differs by having a uniform clear dorsal color pattern, sometimes with one or several dark brown round marks (Caminer et al. 2017) (clear dorsal pattern restricted to head, dorsolateral bands, and rump in D. cannatellai). Dendropsophus triangulum and D. arndti differ by being larger, SVL> 28.0 mm in males and> 33.0 mm in females (Caminer et al. 2017) (D. cannatellai males SVL range 21.05 – 26.58 mm, females = 28.25 – 31.94 mm). Dendropsophus cannatellai sp. nov. can be distinguished from Dendropsophus carnifex (D. columbianus group), a species from the Andean Chocó, by having a short axillary membrane that reaches halfway to the elbow (axillary membrane absent in D. carnifex).	en	Aguirre, P. Doménica, Apunte, Katherine, Ron, Santiago R. (2025): Systematics of the Dendropsophus leucophyllatus species group (Anura, Hylidae) from the Chocó region of Ecuador, with description of a new species. Evolutionary Systematics 9 (1): 7-31, DOI: 10.3897/evolsyst.9.135431
FA1177A074C859B19F69711C4654B852.taxon	description	Description of holotype (Figs 12, 13). Adult male, SVL 22.32 mm, foot length 3.04 mm, head length 7.42 mm, head width 7.58 mm, eye diameter 3.34 mm, tympanum diameter 1.25 mm, tibia length 11.8 mm, femur length 10.88 mm, arm length 4.55 mm, eye-nostril distance 1.66 mm. Body as wide as head, head wider than long; snout short, truncated in dorsal view and profile; distance from nostril to eye shorter than eye diameter; canthus rostralis barely distinct, rounded; loreal region slightly concave; internarial area subtly depressed; nostrils slightly protruding, directed posterolaterally; interorbital region flat; eyes large, prominent; eye diameter 2.7 times tympanic annulus diameter; tympanum hidden beneath skin; tympanic membrane absent, tympanic annulus visible under skin, oval, longer dorsoventrally and concealed dorsally by supratympanic fold, separated from eye by about 57 % of its diameter; faint supratympanic fold, extending posteriorly from rear corner of eye to anterior edge of arm insertion. Arm sturdy and short, axillary membrane extends halfway to elbow; relative length of fingers I <II <IV <III; fingers with large rounded discs, that of Finger III approximately the same diameter as tympanum; subarticular tubercles prominent, round, subconical, single; distal tubercle on Finger IV bifid; supernumerary tubercles present; palmar tubercle indistinct; prepollex sharp-pointed (based on x-ray image); nuptial excrescences absent; hand webbing formula I basal II 1 ½ — 2 ½ III 2 ⅔ — 2 IV. Hindlimbs large; toes with discs slightly wider than long, smaller than those on fingers; relative toe length I <II <V <III <IV; outer metatarsal tubercle indistinct, small, round; inner metatarsal tubercle large, elongated, elliptical; subarticular tubercles single, round, flat; supernumerary tubercles limited to soles, small; foot webbing formula I 1 + — 2 II 1 + — 2 – III 1 + — 2 IV 2 + — 1 + V (Fig. 11). Two pectoral glands bellow the insertion of the arms, separated from each other by about half their individual width. Skin on dorsum, head, flanks, and dorsal surfaces of limbs smooth. Ventral skin coarsely granular, except for pectoral glands, which are finely granular. Ventral surfaces of body and thighs granular. Longitudinal wrinkles of vocal sac from throat to front of the insertion of the arms. Skin on arms and shanks smooth. Cloacal opening directed posteriorly at upper level of the thighs, covered by a long, broad cloacal sheath. Tongue broadly heart-shaped, free laterally and posteriorly, widely attached to mouth floor. Vomerine teeth between choanae, in two slightly angled rows, not contacting each other, smaller than ovoid choanae. In life dorsal background coloration is brown with yellow dorsolateral bands, extending to the eyes and top of head (Fig. 8); bright yellow well defined sacral mark; absence of a light labial stripe and large suborbital mark; the dorsal surfaces of the thighs is light brown; the forearm and shank have two yellow transversal marks each; coloration of webbing and ventral surfaces yellow; iris coppery bronze. Color of holotype in preservative shown in Fig. 12.	en	Aguirre, P. Doménica, Apunte, Katherine, Ron, Santiago R. (2025): Systematics of the Dendropsophus leucophyllatus species group (Anura, Hylidae) from the Chocó region of Ecuador, with description of a new species. Evolutionary Systematics 9 (1): 7-31, DOI: 10.3897/evolsyst.9.135431
FA1177A074C859B19F69711C4654B852.taxon	distribution	Distribution, natural history, and conservation status. Dendropsophus cannatellai sp. nov. occurs in Western Foothill Forest and the Chocó Tropical Rainforest in NW Ecuador and SW Colombia. Although the occurrence in Colombia needs to be corroborated, we found the following evidence of its presence: (1) localities in Ecuador near the border with Colombia, and (2) records on iNaturalist (observation numbers 147931034 in Tumaco, Nariño, and 36196673 in San Andrés de Tumaco), morphologically indistinguishable from the new species. Within its distribution range, climatic conditions are generally warm and humid, with an annual average temperature ranging from 22.5 to 25.4 ° C and an average annual precipitation with a range from 1025 to 3348 mm. The physiognomy of these ecosystems consists of big trees that can reach almost 30 m tall, and a great abundance of palms. The Western Foothill Forest has an elevation range from 300 to 1300 m, with a dominance of plants from the families Mimosaceae, Fabaceae, and Burseraceae with a high percentage of endemism. The presence of epiphytes is common. The Chocó Tropical Rainforest has an elevation from 0 to 300 m, with an abundance of ferns and a high diversity of trees (Ron et al. 2024). The new species is found in artificial open areas, near ponds and puddles where herbaceous vegetation is abundant. It is less frequent in secondary forest. Males call from leaves or grasses less than 2 m above water, between the 18: 00 and 0: 00 hours. A couple collected in Río Silanche, laid a clutch in captivity with 190 eggs. Experiments in captivity report average clutch sizes of 84 eggs under shaded conditions and 98 under unshaded conditions (Touchon et al. 2024). In the same experiments, most females laid terrestrial eggs, but 30 % of females laid a few eggs in water, under unshaded conditions. The new species is assigned to the Red List category Near Threatened (NTU). Its extent of occurrence (EOO) has <20000 km 2 (minimum convex polygon of the known localities of D. cannatellai sp. nov. ~ 6134 km 2). However, populations are predominantly located on disturbed and deforested areas, near roads. The species appears to thrive in human modified habitats including pastures for cattle raising and ponds in artificial open areas with abundant herbaceous vegetation.	en	Aguirre, P. Doménica, Apunte, Katherine, Ron, Santiago R. (2025): Systematics of the Dendropsophus leucophyllatus species group (Anura, Hylidae) from the Chocó region of Ecuador, with description of a new species. Evolutionary Systematics 9 (1): 7-31, DOI: 10.3897/evolsyst.9.135431
FA1177A074C859B19F69711C4654B852.taxon	etymology	Etymology. The specific name cannatellai is a noun in the genitive case and is a patronym for David C. Cannatella, who collected type specimens of the new species. Moreover, during his career he has contributed extensively to the study of systematics and evolution of neotropical amphibians. He has been integral part of scientific societies, exemplified by his presidencies of the American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists (2002 – 2003) and the Society of Systematic Biologists (2004 – 2005). Currently he is Dean of the Department of Integrative Biology at the University of Texas at Austin, USA.	en	Aguirre, P. Doménica, Apunte, Katherine, Ron, Santiago R. (2025): Systematics of the Dendropsophus leucophyllatus species group (Anura, Hylidae) from the Chocó region of Ecuador, with description of a new species. Evolutionary Systematics 9 (1): 7-31, DOI: 10.3897/evolsyst.9.135431
