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. 2019 Feb 26:7:e6400.
doi: 10.7717/peerj.6400. eCollection 2019.

A new glassfrog (Centrolenidae) from the Chocó-Andean Río Manduriacu Reserve, Ecuador, endangered by mining

Juan M Guayasamin  1   2 , Diego F Cisneros-Heredia  3   4 , José Vieira  1   5 , Sebastián Kohn  6   7 , Gabriela Gavilanes  1 , Ryan L Lynch  8 , Paul S Hamilton  9 , Ross J Maynard  9
Affiliations

A new glassfrog (Centrolenidae) from the Chocó-Andean Río Manduriacu Reserve, Ecuador, endangered by mining

Juan M Guayasamin et al. PeerJ. .

Abstract

We describe a new glassfrog from Río Manduriacu Reserve, Imbabura Province, on the Pacific slopes of the Ecuadorian Andes. The new species can be distinguished from most other glassfrogs by having numerous yellow spots on the dorsum and lacking membranes among fingers. Both morphological and molecular data support the placement of the species in the genus Nymphargus. We present a new mitochondrial phylogeny of Nymphargus and discuss the speciation patterns of this genus; most importantly, recent speciation events seem to result from the effect of the linearity of the Andes. Finally, although the new species occurs within a private reserve, it is seriously endangered by mining activities; thus, following IUCN criteria, we consider the new species as Critically Endangered.

Keywords: Amphibia; Conservation; Endangered; Glassfrog; Mining; Taxonomy.

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Conflict of interest statement

José Vieira is employed by Tropical Herping, Sebastián Kohn is employed by the non-profit organization Fundación Cóndor Andino, Ryan L. Lynch is employed by the non-profit organization The Third Millennium Alliance, Paul S. Hamilton and Ross J. Maynard are employed by the non-profit organization The Biodiversity Group, and Sebastián Kohn is employed by the non-profit organization Fundación EcoMinga.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Map of Ecuador showing the location of Río Manduriacu Reserve, the type locality of Nymphargus manduriacu sp. nov.
Figure 2
Figure 2. Inferred mitochondrial phylogeny of the genus Nymphargus, with the positioning of the new species, Nymphargus manduriacu sp. nov.
Clade support values (bootstraps) were obtained as described in Minh, Nguyen & Haeseler (2013). Taxa in blue correspond to sequences added in this study.
Figure 3
Figure 3. Nymphargus manduriacu sp. nov. in life.
(A)–(C) Adult male, holotype, ZSFQ 0466. (D)–(F) Adult female, paratype, ZSFQ 0462.
Figure 4
Figure 4. Life stages of Nymphargus manduriacu sp. nov.
(A) Egg clutch (ZSFQ 467). (B) Metamorph (ZSFQ 618).
Figure 5
Figure 5. Nymphargus manduriacu sp. nov. and similar species.
(A) N. manduriacu, Reserva Río Manduriacu, Ecuador, uncollected. (B) N. buenaventura, Cascadas de Manuel, Cantón El Guabo, Provincia El Oro, 800 m, Ecuador, DHMECN 10982, photo by Juan Carlos Sánchez. (C) N. luminosus, Quebrada la Honda y La Amarill, Verada Venados Arriba, Municipio de Frontino, Departamento de Antioquia, Colombia, MAR 3576, photo by Marco Rada. (D) N. spilotus, Parque Nacional Natural Selva de Florencia, Colombia, JD 060, photo by Jesse Delia.
Figure 6
Figure 6. Hand webbing Nymphargus manduriacu sp. nov. and similar species.
(A) N. manduriacu, ZSFQ 0463, adult male, paratype. (B) N. luminosus, ICN 15930, adult female, holotype. (C) N. spilotus, ICN 35255, adult female, holotype.
Figure 7
Figure 7. Call of the holotype of Nymphargus manduriacu sp. nov.
(A) Oscillogram. (B) Audiospectrogram. File number: LBE-C-042.
Figure 8
Figure 8. Map of Río Manduriacu Reserve (Imbabura province, Ecuador), with conservation plans and mining threats.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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