Bryophryne tocra, Riva & Chaparro & Castroviejo-Fisher & Padial, 2018

BRYOPHRYNE TOCRA View in CoL SP. NOV.

( FIG. 4)

u r n: l s i d: z o o b a n k. org:act: 22B3787A-AC6A-4936-A1AF-338AA34FE6DA

Holotype: MUBI 5420 (field number 4697), adult female from a point between Ollachea and the junction to Corani on the Ollachea–Macusani road, province Carabaya, department Puno, Peru, 13°50 ′ 31.2 ″ S, 70°29 ′ 51.7 ″ W, 3213 m ( Fig. 3), collected on 24 February 2006 by I. De la Riva, J. M. Padial, S. Castroviejo-Fisher and J. C. Chaparro. GoogleMaps

Paratopotypes: MUBI 5418–19 , (field numbers 4693, 4695) and MNCN 43785–87 About MNCN (field numbers 4692, 4694, 4696) (males), same data as the holotype GoogleMaps ; MNCN 44214 About MNCN (field number 4783) (female) and MUBI 5696 (field number 4784) (male) from the type locality, collected on 4 February 2007 by I. De la Riva , J. M. Padial, S. Castroviejo-Fisher, and J. C. Chaparro .

Diagnosis: Bryophryne tocra is characterized by: (1) skin on dorsum coarsely shagreen with scattered warts to warty (warts small, round to elongate); flanks coarsely warty, with some enlarged conical warts; head and forearms smooth to slightly shagreen; dorsal folds absent, a row of large warts from behind the eye to sacral region in some specimens; ventral skin coarsely areolate, throat areolate, chest smooth; (2) tympanic membrane and tympanic annulus small, differentiable beneath the skin; supratympanic fold short, conspicuous; (3) snout short, rounded in dorsal and lateral views; (4) upper eyelid lacking tubercles, cranial crests absent; (5) dentigerous process of vomers absent; (6) vocal slits present, nuptial pads absent; (7) Finger I slightly shorter than Finger II, tips of digits rounded, lacking circumferential grooves and ungual flap; (8) fingers lacking lateral fringes; (9) ulnar region bearing warts; (10) heel lacking tubercles, tarsus lacking tubercles and folds; (11) plantar surfaces of feet bearing two metatarsal tubercles, inner slightly larger than outer; supernumerary plantar tubercles low, weakly defined; (12) toes lacking lateral fringes; webbing absent; Toe III equal to V, tips of digits rounded, lacking circumferential grooves and ungual flap; (13) dorsal coloration dark brown to grey, with metallic tones; ventral coloration white with black spots or marbled with black stripes; groins, axillae and posterior surfaces of thighs with yellow flash marks surrounded by bold black; (14) females larger than males, SVL 27.2–27.6 in adult females (n = 2), 18.4–20.0 mm in adult males (n = 5) ( Table 3).

The sister and geographically closest species to B. tocra is B. wilakunka (type localities separated by 19.8 km straight line distance). Differences between them are listed below under B. wilakunka . Two species, B. quellokunka and B. zonalis occur at the Marcapata Valley, 65 km northwest of B. tocra . From B. quellokunka , B. tocra differs by having throat areolate (smooth in B. quellokunka ), chest smooth (areolate), yellow blotches surrounded by black on groins, axillae and posterior surfaces of thighs (absent), and venter white with black spots or stripes (variable from greyish-purple with diffuse black blotches to brown); additionally, the iris of B. tocra in life is brown with fine black reticulations (two inferior thirds of iris dark brown and upper third metallic bluish-grey in B. quellokunka ). From B. zonalis , B. tocra differs by having tympanum and tympanic annulus visible (absent in B. zonalis ), and groins, axillae and posterior surfaces of thighs with yellow flash marks surrounded by bold black (yellow marks absent).

Description of the holotype: An adult female, 27.2 mm SVL. Body moderately robust; dorsal skin coarsely shagreen with scattered warts of different sizes; ventral skin areolate; dorsolateral folds absent; pectoral fold present; head slightly wider than long; HW 30.8% of SVL, HL 29.8% of SVL; snout moderately short, rounded in dorsal view and in profile; nostrils slightly prominent, closer to snout than to eyes; canthus rostralis straight in dorsal view and in profile; eye–nostril distance 62.0% of eye length; loreal region concave; cranial crests absent; tympanic membrane and tympanic annulus small, barely perceptible beneath the skin; skin of tympanic area covered by large subconical warts; supratympanic fold well marked, short; tongue large, oval; choanae small, rounded, broadly separated; dentigerous process of vomers absent; ulnar tubercle and fold absent; inner palmar tubercle single, oval, slightly smaller than outer; fingers moderately short, not fringed, lacking circumferential grooves and ungual flap; subarticular tubercles round, poorly marked; supernumerary tubercles irregular and poorly defined; first finger slightly shorter than second, relative length of fingers 1 <2 <4 <3; tibia length 35.6% of SVL; tarsal fold absent; two metatarsal tubercles, oval inner slightly larger than rounded outer; supernumerary and subarticular tubercles low, poorly defined; toe tips round, not expanded laterally, lacking circumferential grooves and ungual flap, toes lacking basal webbing or lateral fringes; relative length of toes 1 <2 <3 = 5 <4; foot length 40.0% of SVL.

In preservative, dorsum greyish-brown, venter pale cream with brown, small, irregular blotches; throat cream; large cream blotches on groin surrounded by dark brown; palmar and plantar surfaces cream. In life, the dorsum of the holotype was mostly uniformly brown above; there were large pale yellow blotches surrounded by black in axillae, flanks and posterior surface of thighs, with a similar, more attenuated pattern on flanks and lower surfaces of hind limbs; the venter was grey with irregular brown dots and the throat was yellowish-cream; palmar and plantar surfaces were dirty orange; the iris was brown with fine black reticulation.

Measurements (in mm) of the holotype: SVL, 27.2; HL, 8.1; HW, 8.4; IND, 2.4; END, 2.1; ED, 3.4; TL, 9.7; FL, 10.9.

Variation: Males are smaller than females ( Table 3), and have vocal slits but lack nuptial pads. In preservative, they are grey–brown above with a pale grey dorsal triangle between eyes and snout, and a brown canthal stripe that in MUBI 5419 and MUBI 5696 extends to the tympanic region; ventral coloration is variable, from finely dotted with brown (MUBI 5418, MNCN 43785, 43787) to brown with a marbled cream pattern (MUBI 5696 and MNCN 43786) to mostly uniformly brown (MUBI 5419); MNCN 43785 has irregular dark grey blotches on dorsum, outlined by pale grey margins; males have vocal slits and lack nuptial pads. In life, these males were uniformly brown with small orange blotches on groin, which can be present on the lower surface of the shanks and the posterior surfaces of thighs too. In preservative, female MNCN 44214 is similar to the holotype but with a marbled venter forming a brown and cream pattern, including the throat; the palmar and plantar surfaces are pale brown instead of cream, and the pale blotches on groin, axillae, lower belly and flanks are smaller; in life, these blotches were yellow, and the venter consisted of a reticulated pattern of dark brown and greenish-cream.

Distribution and natural history: Known only from the type locality. Individuals were found during the day under stones in open wet puna ( Fig. 5). The holotype bears mature unpigmented eggs. When disturbed, individuals were able to make small leaps (something unusual in other species of this genus).

Etymology: The species epithet is used as a name in apposition, and derives from the Quechua word T’uqra for faded, discoloured, pale, and we use it to refer to the white belly of the new species. T’uqra is also the name of a mountain (5000 m) in the Willkanuta mountain range in the Andes of Puno, Peru.