Two new species of terrestrial frogs of the Pristimantis gladiator complex (Anura, Strabomantidae) from the Ecuadorian Andes, with insights on their biogeography and skull morphology

Abstract

The explosive diversity of rainfrogs (Pristimantis spp) reaches its highest levels in the mountains of the Tropical Andes, with remarkable cryptic species mainly in unexplored areas of Ecuador. Based on phylogenetics, morphometric traits, skull osteology and bioacoustics, we describe two new species of Pristimantis, previously confused with Pristimantis gladiator, that belong to the subgenus Trachyphrynus traditionally known as the Pristimantis myersi species group. The two new taxa are closely related, but have allopatric distributions. We discuss the importance of the Quijos and Pastaza River valleys in the diversification along Amazonian slopes of the Ecuadorian Andes.

Phylogenetic diversity of the Pristimantis anaiae species group, with a description of a new species of Pristimantis (Anura, Strabomantidae) from Cerro Candelaria, Tungurahua, Ecuador

“…Pristimantis is a species-rich genus of frogs in the northern Andes of South America, and its known richness has increased exponentially in the last decade (Reyes-Puig and Mancero 2022). The number of endemic and threatened species in the genus in the tropical Andes of Ecuador is growing rapidly; 14 new species of this genus have been described in the upper Rio Pastaza watershed since 2010, most of these species being endemic to the region INABIO et al 2023;Reyes-Puig et al 2023).…”