A new Andean treefrog (Amphibia: Hyloscirtus bogotensis group) from Ecuador: an example of community involvement for conservation

Abstract

We provide several lines of evidence to delimit a new species of Hyloscirtus and define its phylogenetic position inside the Hyloscirtus bogotensis group. The new species is the sister taxon to Hyloscirtus mashpi and is related to a clade formed by H. alytolylax and a putative new species from the province of El Oro in, southwestern Ecuador. Hyloscirtus conscientia sp. nov. is described from the montane forests of the Mira River basin in the extreme northwestern Ecuador. The new species is characterized as follows: tympanic annulus conspicuous, tip of snout in dorsal view subacuminate, middorsal stripe formed by melanophores larger and less dense, dorsal skin with individual iridophores forming dots, scarcely distributed across dorsum. Our study also highlights the importance of the Mira River Valley as a biogeographic barrier; suggesting research efforts north and south of the valley are likely to reveal additional endemic cryptic diversity. Finally, our partnership with Reserva: The Youth Land Trust, Rainforest Trust and EcoMinga Foundation has produced a novel and meaningful way to connect young people with biodiversity discovery and habitat conservation.

A new stream treefrog of the genus Hyloscirtus (Amphibia, Hylidae) from the Río Negro-Sopladora National Park, Ecuador

“…We reviewed diagnostic characters used for the taxonomy of the Hyloscirtus larinopygion species group based on data obtained from the direct study of specimens, photographs of preserved and live frogs with verified identification from Anfibios del Ecuador BioWeb database ( Ron et al 2019 ), CalPhotos ( Berkeley Natural History Museums 2012 ) and MCZbase ( Museum of Comparative Zoology 2022 ); and from the literature, including original descriptions ( Duellman 1973 ; Duellman and Altig 1978 ; Duellman and Berger 1982 ; Ruiz-Carranza and Lynch 1982 ; Duellman and Hillis 1990 ; Ardila-Robayo et al 1993 ; Duellman and Coloma 1993 ; Faivovich et al 2005 ; Faivovich and De la Riva 2006 ; Mueses-Cisneros and Anganoy-Criollo 2008 ; Coloma et al 2012 ; Rivera-Correa and Faivovich 2013 ; Almendáriz et al 2014 ; Duellman et al 2016 ; Rivera-Correa et al 2016 ; Rojas-Runjaic et al 2018 ; Ron et al 2018 ; Yánez-Muñoz et al 2021 ; Reyes-Puig et al 2022 ). The following specimens were examined for comparisons and are deposited in the following scientific collections: Museo de Zoología, Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Quito ( ZSFQ ); División de Herpetología, Instituto Nacional de Biodiversidad, Quito ( DHMECN ); Museo de Zoología, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Quito ( QCAZ ): Hyloscirtus condor : Cerro Plateado, Zamora-Chinchipe, Ecuador ( QCAZ -65235–7).…”

A set of principles and practical suggestions for equitable fieldwork in biology

“…When describing new species, it is worth acknowledging that local people are often familiar with their biology, behavior, meaning, value, uses, and other aspects long before they are described for science ( 61 – 64 ). Including local names, terms, and knowledge ( 65 – 67 ), and/or working directly with local communities to select new species names ( 68 ), are simple ways to honor and integrate communities with scientific pursuits and to generate local pride and awareness that can dovetail with conservation efforts ( 69 ). Reviewers and editors of manuscripts describing new species can suggest incorporating local knowledge if such data are not already included.…”

Platystele finleyae (Pleurothallidinae), a new species from northwestern Ecuador

“…Even though the Cordillera Occidental de Ecuador is an important biogeographic region for Ecuadorian biodiversity, it is currently strongly threatened by mining concessions, the lack of government-owned protected areas, and the illegal extraction of species. These threats put the conservation status of these species at risk (Monteros et al 2021, Yánez-Muñoz et al 2021. Therefore, it is necessary to evaluate their conservation status according to IUCN criteria, to focus on effective conservation actions (Fig.…”