Noblella madreselva, Catenazzi, Alessandro, Uscapi, Vanessa & May, Rudolf von, 2015

Catenazzi, Alessandro, Uscapi, Vanessa & May, Rudolf von, 2015, A new species of Noblella (Amphibia, Anura, Craugastoridae) from the humid montane forests of Cusco, Peru, ZooKeys 516, pp. 71-84 : 72-79

Taxon classification Animalia Anura Craugastoridae

Noblella madreselva sp. n.

Holotype

(Figs 1-3). CORBIDI 15769, an adult male (Figs 2, 3) from 12°49'59.6"S; 72°48'07.7"W (WGS84), Madre Selva, 2330-2370 m, Distrito Santa Ana, Provincia La Convención, Región Cusco, Peru, collected by V. Uscapi, L. Salas Montesinos and V. Mamani Ccoyllolle on 10 January 2011.

Paratopotype

(Fig. 2). CORBIDI 15770, an adult female (Figs 2, 3) collected by V. Uscapi, L. Salas Montesinos and V. Mamani Ccoyllolle on 10 January 2011.

Generic placement.

A new species of Noblella as defined by Heyer (1977), De la Riva et al. (2008b), Hedges et al. (2008), and Duellman and Lehr (2009). Frogs of the genus Noblella are morphologically similar and closely related to Barycholos ( Heinicke et al. 2007; Hedges et al. 2008). The new species is assigned to Noblella rather than Barycholos (characters in parentheses), because it lacks dentigerous processes of the vomers (present), has Finger I shorter than Finger II (Finger I> Finger II), and has low, rounded subarticular tubercles (subarticular tubercles elevated).

Diagnosis.

A new species of Noblella characterized by (1) skin on dorsum bearing small tubercles, skin on belly smooth to finely areolate, discoidal fold absent, dorsolateral folds on anterior half part of body; (2) tympanic membrane not differentiated, tympanic annulus barely visible below skin; (3) snout short, rounded in dorsal view and bluntly rounded in profile; (4) upper eyelid with minute tubercles, narrower than IOD; cranial crests absent; (5) dentigerous process of vomers absent; (6) vocal slits present; nuptial pads absent; (7) Finger I shorter than Finger II; tips of digits rounded; Finger IV having three phalanges; (8) fingers with narrow lateral fringes; (9) ulnar tubercles small, round; (10) heel and tarsus lacking tubercles (11) inner metatarsal tubercle oval, of higher relief and about one and a half times the size of conical, rounded outer metatarsal tubercle; supernumerary plantar tubercles absent; (12) toes bearing narrow lateral fringes; webbing absent; Toe V shorter than Toe III; tips of digits not expanded, weakly acuminate distally; circumferential grooves absent; (13) dorsum tan to dull brown with or without dark brown markings; diffuse brown suprainguinal stripes, when present, do not reach the inguinal region; a yellow-orange middorsal line, when present, extends from mid of body to cloaca and continues on the posterior surface of thighs; interorbital bar present; venter black with large, irregularly shaped white mark; proximal areas of legs red ventrally; (14) SVL 15.6 mm in a male, 17.6 mm in a female.

Comparisons.

The new species differs from known species in the genus ( Harvey et al. 2013) by having a unique pattern of chest and belly coloration consisting of a broad, irregularly shaped white mark on black background (Figs 2, 4). Noblella madreselva has three phalanges on Finger IV and differs from Noblella carrascoicola , Noblella lochites , Noblella myrmecoides , and Noblella ritarasquinae which have two phalanges on Finger IV ( De La Riva and Köhler 1998; Köhler 2000; Duellman and Lehr 2009; Guayasamin and Terán-Valdez 2009; Harvey et al. 2013). Among the other six species with three phalanges on Finger IV, it differs from Noblella coloma , Noblella heyeri , Noblella lynchi and Noblella peruviana ( De La Riva and Köhler 1998; Duellman and Lehr 2009; Guayasamin and Terán-Valdez 2009) by lacking inguinal spots ( Noblella madreselva has diffuse suprainguinal stripes that do not reach the inguinal region). The three remaining species, Noblella duellmani , Noblella personina and Noblella pygmaea , either lack a facial mask and lateral dark band ( Noblella duellmani and Noblella pygmaea ), or have a facial mask but lack a lateral dark band extending to the inguinal region ( Noblella personina ; Harvey et al. 2013). The facial mask and dark lateral band in Noblella madreselva are dark brown and extend from the tip of the snout to the inguinal region.

The new species further differs from known Peruvian species of Noblella by lacking a tympanic membrane (present in Noblella heyeri , Noblella lynchi , Noblella myrmecoides and Noblella pygmaea ), by bearing small tubercles on the upper eyelid (absent in Noblella heyeri , Noblella lynchi , Noblella myrmecoides and Noblella peruviana ) and small tubercles on dorsum (dorsum finely shagreen in Noblella myrmecoides and Noblella peruviana ), by lacking tarsal tubercles or folds (inner surface of tarsus bearing one prominent tubercle in Noblella heyeri , Noblella lynchi , and N. peruviana), and by having the tips of digits not expanded (slightly expanded in Noblella duellmani , Noblella heyeri , and Noblella lynchi ). The species is much larger in SVL (female 17.6 mm) than Noblella myrmecoides (largest known female 13.6 mm) and Noblella pygmaea (largest known female 12.4 mm). Noblella madreselva differs from Noblella myrmecoides from the Amazonian lowlands in having tips of toes not expanded (tips of toes slightly expanded, teardrop-shaped in Noblella myrmecoides ) and in lacking circumferential grooves (present in Noblella myrmecoides ).

The new species was also compared with Psychrophrynella bagrecito . Unlike other species of Psychrophrynella , Psychrophrynella bagrecito has a fold-like tarsal tubercle, weakly pointed toes and fingers, a prominent conical outer metatarsal tubercle, dark brown flanks, a dark brown facial mask and lateral band extending from the tip of snout to the flanks, no nuptial pads and no vomerine teeth, small size and slender body with relatively long arms and legs, all characteristics that Psychrophrynella bagrecito shares with many species of Noblella ( Lehr 2006; De La Riva et al. 2008a). Noblella madreselva differs from Psychrophrynella bagrecito (traits in parentheses) in having small tubercles on dorsum (skin shagreen), no discoidal fold (present), no tarsal tubercle (prominent sickle-shaped tubercle present), in having a broad dark brown mark on dorsum (longitudinal stripes) and an irregularly shaped, large white mark on venter (venter orange brown with light gray flecks).

Thirteen other small species of craugastorid frogs lacking circumferential grooves are known to occur in montane forests and high Andean grasslands south of the Apurimac canyon in Peru: Psychrophrynella bagrecito , Psychrophrynella boettgeri , Psychrophrynella usurpator , Bryophryne abramalagae , Bryophryne bustamantei , Bryophryne cophites , Bryophryne flammiventris , Bryophryne gymnotis , Bryophryne hanssaueri , Bryophryne nubilosus , Bryophryne zonalis , Noblella peruviana and Noblella pygmaea . None of these species has the unique ventral coloration of Noblella madreselva , and all but Noblella pygmaea are larger in size. Furthermore, the new species differs from Psychrophrynella usurpator in lacking a tarsal fold, and from species of Bryophryne (characters in parentheses) in having a tympanum (absent except for Bryophryne flammiventris and Bryophryne gymnotis ), T-shaped terminal phalanges (knob-shaped), toe V shorter than toe III (about equal in length), no nuptial pads (present or absent), small size and slender body with longer limbs (larger size with stubby body and short limbs).

Description of holotype.

Adult male (15.6 mm SVL); head narrower than body, its length 32.5% of SVL; head slightly longer than wide; head width 29.9% of SVL; snout short, rounded in dorsal view, subtruncate in lateral view (Fig. 2), eye large, 37% of head length, its diameter 1.6 times as large as its distance from the nostril; nostrils not protuberant, situated close to snout; canthus rostralis slightly curved in dorsal view, rounded in profile; lores flat; lips rounded; dorsal surface of head and upper eyelids with small tubercles; upper eyelid width 70.0% of interorbital distance; supratympanic fold short; tympanic membrane absent, tympanic annulus not visible; one long, enlarged postrictal ridge on each side of head. Choanae round, very small, positioned far anterior and laterally, widely separated from each other, slightly concealed by palatal shelf of maxilla; dentigerous processes of vomer and vomerine teeth absent; tongue long and narrow, about 3 three times as long as wide.

Skin on dorsum with small tubercles, denser posteriorly; narrow dorsolateral folds extend from posterior margin of eye to about mid of body; skin on flanks smooth; skin on ventral surfaces and gular regions smooth to finely areolate; pectoral fold present, discoidal fold not evident; cloaca protuberant; cloacal region bearing several small tubercles. Outer surface of forearm brachium with a row of small tubercles; palmar tubercle flat and oval, approximately twice the size of elongate, thenar tubercle; low supernumerary palmar tubercles present; subarticular tubercles prominent, ovoid in ventral view, rounded in lateral view, largest at base of fingers; fingers with narrow lateral fringes; Finger IV has three phalanges; when adpressed, Finger 3> 4> 2> 1 (Fig. 3); tips of digits rounded, circumferential grooves absent (Fig. 3); forearm lacks tubercles.

Hindlimb lengths moderate, tibia length 47.1% of SVL; foot length 42.7% of SVL; upper and posterior surfaces of hindlimbs tubercular; heel with one small, round tubercle; outer surface of tarsus without tubercles; inner metatarsal tubercle, oval, of higher relief and about one and a half times the size of conical, rounded outer metatarsal tubercle; low plantar supernumerary tubercles present; subarticular tubercles rounded, ovoid in dorsal view; toes with narrow lateral fringes, basal webbing absent; toe tips slightly acuminate, circumferential grooves absent; digital tip of Toe V smaller than tips of Toes III-IV; when adpressed, relative lengths of toes: 4> 3> 5> 2> 1 (Fig. 3).

Measurements of holotype and paratopotype are provided in Table 1.

Coloration of holotype in alcohol.

Dorsal surfaces of head, body, and limbs grayish tan, with a broad, dark brown and irregularly shaped middorsal mark. The interorbital bar is a narrow dark stripe that separates the light gray coloration on top of the head from the generally darker gray tan coloration posterior to the eyelids. Suprainguinal marks are diffuse and narrow and do not reach the inguinal region. The dorsal surfaces of hind limbs have transverse dark bars. The facial mask and dark lateral band are dark brown and extend from the tip of the snout along the flanks almost reaching the point of insertion of thighs. The iris is dark gray. The throat is pale brown with minute cream spots. The chest and belly is dark brown with a broad, irregularly shaped white mark. The ventral surfaces of thighs are beige with small cream spots; posterior surfaces with narrow, pale gray stripe from cloaca diagonally to inside of knee; plantar and palmar surfaces and tips of digits are brown, completely lacking cream spots.

Coloration of holotype in life.

Unknown.

Variation.

Coloration in life is based on field notes and photographs taken by V. Uscapi (Fig. 4) of four uncollected specimens found at the type locality. The dorsum is dull grayish tan with or without a broad and irregularly shaped middorsal dark brown mark. Three individuals have narrow and diffuse brown suprainguinal marks that do not reach the inguinal region. A dark brown interorbital bar separates the dorsal coloration from the lighter coloration on dorsal surface of head. There is a narrow, orange to reddish middorsal line extending from the tip of the snout to the cloaca, and from the cloaca along the posterior side of thighs to the knee. There are dark brown transverse bars on the dorsal surface of limbs. The sides of the head and flanks are dark brown, bordered above by a narrow tan stripe. The iris is bronze with black flecks. The throat is brown with minute white spots, whereas the belly is black reddish with one or two broad, irregularly shaped white marks surrounded by small white spots. The ventral surfaces of limbs are red with small white spots.

Etymology.

The name of the new species is a toponym and is used in apposition to refer to the type locality and to the name of the lodge Madre Selva created near the type locality. Ecotourism can contribute to biodiversity conservation by promoting a sustainable use of fragile ecosystems such as humid montane forests.

Distribution, natural history, and threats.

The new species was found during surveys in the humid montane forest conducted in January 2011. Three observers made intensive visual searches under rocks, logs, in the leaf litter and the understory during mornings (9h00-12h00) and evenings (18h30-24h00). Specimens of the new species were observed active in the leaf litter during the day. Field notes indicate that the species was only found at one of six sampling sites in the area. At this site, Noblella madreselva was the most common amphibian. Sympatric species include Pristimantis pharangobates , Pristimantis sp., and Psychrophrynella sp. Other species found around the type locality are Nymphargus pluvialis and Gastrotheca cf. excubitor . The conservation status of Noblella madreselva is unknown, but according to the IUCN Red List criteria and categories ( IUCN 2013), and given the limited information on its geographic range, this species could provisionally be considered to be in the "Data Deficient" category. The main threats faced by Noblella madreselva are habitat loss and modification associated with agricultural activities in the region, which are primarily dominated by cultivation of coffee, tea and other crops. These land use changes are particularly detrimental for montane forest species with limited geographic or elevational distribution ( Catenazzi et al. 2014).