Phyllonastes cerrogolondrinas, Ortega & Cisneros-Heredia & Camper & Romero-Carvajal & Negrete & Ron, 2025

Ortega, Jhael A., Cisneros-Heredia, Diego F., Camper, Jeffrey D., Romero-Carvajal, Andrés, Negrete, Leonardo & Ron, Santiago R., 2025, Systematics of minute strabomantid frogs allocated to the genus Noblella (Amphibia: Anura) with description of a new genus, seven new species, and insights into historical biogeography, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 203 (1), pp. 1-60 : 20-23

Phyllonastes cerrogolondrinas sp.nov.

LSID: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:2E34387F-A763-4337-87AF-BE7843D1DCEA

Holotype ( Figs 10 , 11 ): QCAZ 66090 (field no. SC-PUCE 48711) adult male from Ecuador, Carchi Province, Canton Espejo, El Goaltal Parish , Bosque Protector Cerro Golondrinas , trail to Santa Blanca (0.8224°N, 78.0923°W), 2554 m. Collected by Diego Almeida, Kunam Nusirquia, Darwin Núñez, Fernando Ayala, David Mantilla, Santiago Recalde, Carlos Castro, Polibio Malte, and Josué Quintanchala on 14 December 2016.

Paratypes (N = 4; Fig. 10 ): Same locality and collectors as holotype, QCAZ 66086 –87 adult females ; QCAZ 66088 juvenile ; QCAZ 66089 adult male. Collected on 12 and 14 December 2016 .

Proposed standard English name: Golondrinas leaflitter frog.

Proposed standard Spanish name: Cutín de Hojarasca de Golondrinas.

Definition ( Figs 10 , 11 ; Tables 2 and 3 ): We assign the new species to the genus Phyllonastes based on its phylogenetic relationships. The new species is characterized by: (1) dorsal skin smooth to finely shagreen, dorsolateral folds absent, ventral surfaces weakly areolate, flanks finely shagreen, discoidal fold present; (2) tympanic membrane and tympanic annulus defined, supratympanic fold and postrictal tubercle absent; (3) snout truncate in dorsal view, round in profile; (4) upper eyelid without tubercles, cranial crests absent; (5) vomerine teeth absent; (6) vocal slits present, nuptial pads absent; (7) fingers not expanded distally, with fingertips acuminate lacking papillae, finger I shorter than finger II, supernumerary tubercles present; (8) fingers bearing broad lateral fringes and ill-defined circumferential grooves; (9) distal phalanges blunt or T-shaped, phalangeal formula of hand 2-2- 3-2; (10) ulnar tubercles absent; (11) knees and heels without tubercles, outer edge of tarsus without tubercles, inner edge of tarsus bearing one rounded tubercle; (12) inner metatarsal tubercle elongate in ventral view and flat in lateral view, bigger than rounded outer metatarsal tubercle; (13) toes slightly expanded distally, with acuminate toe tips and lacking papillae, supernumerary tubercles well defined, toes with narrow lateral fringes, toe basal webbing present, all toes bearing ill-defined circumferential grooves, toe V shorter than toe III; (14) in life, dorsum light brown, with darker tubercles and a darker hourglass-shaped blotch, circular dark brown sacral lateral patches, facial mask dark brown extending from the tip of snout to the midflank, ventral surfaces bearing irregular white flecks, distal half of shanks and heels bearing yellowish brown spots; and (15) SVL in adult males 11.53 mm (N = 2) and SVL in adult females 13.65 mm (N = 2) ( Table 4 ).

Diagnosis: Phyllonastes cerrogolondrinas resembles the other Phyllonastes species from the western foothills of Ecuadorian Andes: P. coloma , P. dicaprioi , P. mindo , and P. worleyae by having tympanic annulus, supernumerary palmar tubercles, fingers not expanded distally, and circumferential grooves on toes. It differs from all of them by having a dark brown belly with irregular white flecks, in life (belly bright orange in P. coloma , brown with brown marks in P. dicaprioi , yellowish cream in P. mindo and yellowish cream with minute speckling in P. worleyae ), truncate snout in dorsal view (snout rounded in P. coloma , P. dicaprioi , P. mindo , and P. worleyae ), and rounded tarsal tubercle (subconic tarsal tubercle in P. coloma , P. mindo , and P. worleyae , and conical tarsal tubercle in P. dicaprioi ). Phyllonastes cerrogolondrinas also differs from P. coloma by the presence of supernumerary plantar tubercles (supernumerary plantar tubercles absent in P. coloma ) and circumferential grooves in fingers (fingers without circumferential grooves in P. coloma ). Phyllonastes cerrogolondrinas can also be distinguished from P. dicaprioi by the presence of vocal slits in males (males without vocal slits in P. dicaprioi ) and by the presence of supernumerary plantar tubercles (supernumerary plantar tubercles absent in P. dicaprioi ). It also differs from P. mindo and P. worleyae by having weakly areolate ventral surfaces (ventral surfaces smooth in P. mindo and P. worleyae ), acuminate toe tips (toe tips rounded in P. mindo ), circumferential grooves in fingers (fingers lacking circumferential grooves in P. mindo and P. worleyae ), and by the absence of a supratympanic fold and ulnar tubercles (both present in P. mindo and P. worleyae ). For a comparison with other Phyllonastes species that are more phylogenetically distant, see Tables 2 and 3 .

Description of the holotype ( Figs 10 , 11 ): Adult male (QCAZ 66090). Measurements (in millimetres): SVL, 10.89; tibia length, 6.07; foot length, 5.91; head length, 3.36; head width, 3.64; eye diameter, 1.32; tympanum diameter, 0.48; interorbital distance, 1.93; upper eyelid width, 1.31; internarial distance, 1.38; eye–nostril distance, 0.76.

Body robust, head slightly wider than long, narrower than body; snout truncate in dorsal view, short and rounded in lateral profile, without rostral papilla; canthus rostralis straight in dorsal view; loreal region slightly concave; eyelids without tubercles; interorbital space flat, with no cranial crests; tympanic membrane and annulus distinct (more conspicuous in its anterior half), without supratympanic fold; postrictal tubercles absent; vomerine teeth absent, vocal slits present; and nuptial pads absent.

Skin on dorsum and flanks finely shagreen; dorsolateral folds absent; ventral surfaces weakly areolate; skin in cloacal region areolate; discoidal fold present. Ulnar tubercles absent, palmar tubercles low, outer palmar tubercle circular, larger than elongate thenar tubercle; subarticular tubercles well defined, round in ventral and lateral view; well-defined rounded supernumerary tubercles; broad dermal fringes on fingers, fingers not expanded distally, discs narrow, bearing round and inconspicuous pads, with an ill-defined circumferential groove; fingertips acuminate, without papillae; relative lengths of fingers is I <II <IV <III; phalangeal formula of hand is 2-2-3-2.

Hindlimbs robust; knee and heel without tubercles; tarsal folds (inner and outer) absent, outer tarsal tubercles absent; inner tarsal tubercle present, prominent and round; inner metatarsal tubercle present, elongate in ventral view and flat in lateral profile; well-defined, prominent and round outer metatarsal tubercle; plantar surface with several rounded and conspicuous supernumerary tubercles; round subarticular tubercles ill defined, more conspicuous at the base of toes; toes slightly expanded distally, toes with narrow lateral fringes; basal webbing between toes; discs on toes ill defined, narrow, with acuminated tip, without papilla; ill-defined circumferential grooves; relative lengths of toes I <II <V <III <IV; toe III longer than toe V (toe III reaches the distal border of the second subarticular tubercle of toe IV; Toe V almost reaches half of the second tubercle of toe IV).

Colour of holotype in life (based on digital photographs) ( Fig. 10 ): Dorsal surface light brown, with darker, scattered, and low tubercles and a darker hourglass-shaped blotch extending from the interorbital to the sacral region; circular dark brown sacral lateral patches well defined. Facial mask dark brown extending from the tip of snout to the midflank and delineated along its upper edge by a light brown line. Lips dark brown with irregular white flecks. Cloacal region dark brown surrounded by a paler stripe. Flanks light brown posteriorly and with the extension of the facial mask anteriorly. Upper arm dorsal surfaces yellowish brown, elbow and forearm light brown, becoming darker towards the hand. Dorsal surfaces of thighs and proximal half of shanks light brown; distal half of shanks and tarsus yellowish brown; dorsal surface of tarsus dark brown. Ventral surfaces of throat, chest, forearms, belly, and thighs dark brown (almost black) bearing irregular white flecks in greater quantity on the belly. Ventral surfaces of upper arms and distal half of shanks reddish brown. Distal half of shanks and heels bearing yellowish brown spots.

Colour of holotype in preservative ( Fig. 10 ): Dorsal surface from the scapular region to the tip of snout dark brown, bearing cream blotches that become smaller and less abundant towards the snout. Dorsum cream from the scapular region to the vent. Dorsal surfaces of forearms, hands, thighs, and feet dark brown. Dorsal upper arms and shanks cream. Ventral surfaces dark brown; upper arms and shanks cream. Belly and ventral surfaces of thighs bearing cream irregular blotches. Cloacal region dark brown with a medial cream longitudinal stripe.

Variation ( Fig. 10 ): In this section, traits refer to preserved individuals unless otherwise mentioned. Tympanic annulus can be differentiated beneath skin only anteriorly (e.g. QCAZ 66087) or be inconspicuous (i.e. QCAZ 66088–89); dorsal skin might be smooth (e.g. QCAZ 66087) or finely shagreen (e.g. QCAZ 66086); outer palmar tubercle can be elongate (e.g. QCAZ 66087). Snout is subacuminate in the only subadult male (QCAZ 66088). Dorsum might be completely dark brown (e.g. QCAZ 66087), dark brown bearing some cream blotches (e.g. QCAZ 66086), or cream with a dark brown snout (QCAZ 66088). Colour variation is shown in Figure 10 . Morphometric variation is detailed in Table 4 .

Distribution, natural history, and conservation status ( Fig. 3 ): Phyllonastes cerrogolondrinas is known from the surroundings of Cerro Golondrinas Protective Forest from 2469 to 2554 m a.s.l. All individuals were collected in Eastern Montane Forest (1300–3600 m a.s.l.) at night, between 20:00 and 22:00 h. They were found on leaf litter near streams. Collections were made in secondary terra firme forest. Because of the lack of information on population size and geographical range, we suggest assigning P. cerrogolondrinas to the Data Deficient Red List Category (based on IUCN Standards and Petitions Committee 2023); nevertheless, its presence in secondary forest suggests adaptability to anthropically modified environments.

Etymology: The specific epithet is a toponym in apposition, and it refers to the type locality. The Cerro Golondrinas Protective Forestis 1500 haandislocatedwithintheChocóBiogeographical Region in the province of Carchi, Ecuador. It is part of the Biological Corridor Chiles–Mataje. The Cerro Golondrinas Protective Forest is an important habitat for flora and fauna, with unique characteristics of richness and endemism. The forest is protected by the NGO Ecominga. Phyllonastes cerrogolondrinas is also a posthumous tribute to Jaime Levi, a naturalist who promoted the creation of the Cerro Golondrinas Protective Forest. This species name was chosen with the inhabitants of the communities of La Plata, Morán, and Golondrinas (Carchi Province) in an outreach effort to empower local communities in favour of environmental education and conservation.

Figures

Figure 3.Collection localities ofNoblella northern clade and southern clade species.The map showsthe geographicalgap between thetwo clades. The dashedlines indicatethe southernmostboundary of thenorthern clade and thenorthernmost boundaryof thesouthern clade.Thequestion marks denote individualsidentified asPhyllonastes myrmecoides whoseidentification has notbeen confirmed; theirlocalities are notassigned toeither clade owingto uncertainty regarding their truespecies assignment.Localities arebased onspecimens deposited at Museode Zoologíaof Pontificia Universidad Católicadel Ecuador(QCAZ), InstitutoNacional deBiodiversidad (DHMECN),Museo deZoología of Universidad SanFrancisco de Quito(ZSFQ),and from Lynch(1976, 1986), Hoogmoed and Lescure (1984),Reichle et al.(2004), Dela Rivaet al.(2008a), Guayasaminand Terán- Valdez (2009), Lehr and Catenazzi (2009a), Harvey et al.(2013), Catenazziet al.(2015), Catenazzi and Ttito (2016, 2018, 2019), Reyes-Puig et al. (2019,2020),Santa Cruz et al.(2019),Reyes-Puig et al.(2021), Frost(2023), and GBIF.org (2023). Abbreviations:H,holotype; NC, notconfirmed.

Figure 10. Live and preserved specimens of Phyllonastes cerrogolondrinas. Lateral, dorsal, and ventral views of: A, B, holotype QCAZ 66090, adult male, SVL = 10.89 mm; C, paratype QCAZ 66087, adult female, SVL = 13.75 mm; and D, paratype QCAZ 66089, adult male, SVL = 12.17 mm.A, in life.B–D, in preservative. Scale bars are given only for preserved adults.The depigmentation visible in the specimens is attributable to preservation defects.

Figure 11. Palmar (A) and plantar (B) surfaces of Phyllonastes cerrogolondrinas. Photographs of right hand and right foot of the holotype QCAZ 66090. Finger IV of the hand shows some raised skin at the terminal end.