Open AccessOur unknown neighbor: A new species of rain frog of the genus Pristimantis (Amphibia: Anura: Strabomantidae) from the city of Loja, southern Ecuador
Author(s) -
Paul Székely,
Diana Székely,
Leonardo Ordóñez-Delgado,
Diego Armijos-Ojeda,
Judit Vörös
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
plos one
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.99
H-Index - 332
ISSN - 1932-6203
DOI - 10.1371/journal.pone.0258454
Subject(s) - biology , snout , sister group , taxonomy (biology) , genus , dorsum , hylidae , zoology , gekkonidae , amphibian , anatomy , ecology , phylogenetics , squamata , clade , biochemistry , gene
We describe a new species of rain frog of the genus Pristimantis from the city of Loja, Southern Ecuador, based on an integrative taxonomy approach, combining molecular, morphological and bioacoustics data. Pristimantis lojanus sp. nov. is a medium sized species of the phylogenetically strongly supported P . phoxocephalus group, and its sister species is P . torresi . The new species can be easily distinguished from its closest congeners and morphologically similar species (that also have acuminate snout with a fleshy keel) by its characteristic advertisement call and morphological features (dorsum finely tuberculate with scattered larger tubercles, flanks without longitudinal lateral folds, no markings in axilla, groin or on concealed limb surfaces, and bronze iris). Additionally, we describe the advertisement call of its sister species, P . torresi . Finally, we detail the current situation of the amphibian species present in the city of Loja and its surroundings.