Phyllonastes personinus Harvey, Almendáriz, Brito & Batallas, 2013

Phyllonastes personinus Harvey, Almendáriz, Brito & Batallas, 2013

( Figs 26 View Figure 26 , 27 View Figure 27 )

Notes about external morphology ( Fig. 26 View Figure 26 ): Comparing the original description of P. personinus with the Kutuku and Sumaco populations, we found a wider morphological variation than previously documented: in the type series, the dorsal skin was described as smooth with pustules, whereas in the Kutuku and Sumaco populations the dorsal skin is finely shagreened. Ventral skin was described as smooth, but in Kutuku it is areolate, and in Sumaco it is weakly areolate.The snout was described as rounded in dorsal view and subtruncate in lateral view; in Kutuku and Sumaco the snout is acuminate in both views. The inner tarsal tubercle is round in lateral view in the original description; however, it is conical in Kutuku and Sumaco. According to the original description, P. personinus lacks supernumerary plantar tubercles, but the Sumaco population does have them. Finally, the characteristic dark mask of P. personinus was described as short and extending only to the anterior third of the flank; in Kutuku, the mask extends to the groins. These morphological differences could indicate the existence of more than one species within P. personinus (see ‘ Remarks ’ section).

Distribution and natural history ( Fig. 3 View Figure 3 ): Phyllonastes personinus was known only from the type locality region ( Ecuador, Morona Santiago Province, Canton Morona, Sinaí Parish, Sardinayacu Lake Complex) between 1647 and 1916 m a.s.l. ( Harvey et al. 2013), the Sangay-Llanganates Ecological Corridor ( Instituto Nacional de Biodiversidad 2023), and the Cordillera del Cóndor mountain range ( Valencia et al. 2023). The species had been reported only in primary rainforest in swampy, densely vegetated areas along the edge of lakes. In this study, we report four more Ecuadorian populations. First, Morona Santiago Province, Canton Santiago de Méndez, San Francisco de Chinimbimi Parish, Kutuku mountain range and Contrafuerte de Tzunatza between 1355 and 1407 m a.s.l. ( Fig. 26B View Figure 26 ; for the specimen list, see Table S1 View Table 1 ). Most of these individuals were collected at night between 20:00 and 00:30 h in primary terra firme forest. They were found on the ground, on moss, or under logs or dry or wet leaf litter, and on bromeliads 15 cm above the ground, often near creeks with small streams (1 or 2 m wide) of clear water. Individuals QCAZ 71452 and QCAZ 71453 were found amplexed on leaf litter on the ground. Three individuals (QCAZ 71454–56) were collected in secondary forest near grasslands on the ground on leaf litter and near small streams. One individual (QCAZ 71455) was collected in the afternoon ~15:40 h and was found on wet leaf litter on a creek slope. Second, Napo Province, Pacto Sumaco, surroundings of Sumaco National Park, 1500 m a.s.l. ( Fig. 26C View Figure 26 ; for the specimen list, see Supporting Information, Table S1 View Table 1 ). Third, Morona Santiago Province, Canton Morona, Sinai Parish, between 1345 and 1874 m a.s.l. (for the specimen list, see Supporting Information, Table S1 View Table 1 ). Specimens were collected in leaf litter or perching on leaves 5 cm above the ground, at night between 19:00 and 23:40 h; one specimen (QCAZ 58820) was collected at 14:30 h. The collection localities were in primary forest, and some were near the Jurumbuno River, Volcan River, and Cormoran Lagoon. Fourth, Pastaza Province, Canton Mera, Mera Parish, Llanganates National Park, Zarentza Community, between 1331 and 1419 m a.s.l. (for the specimen list, see Supporting Information, Table S1 View Table 1 ). Specimens were collected at night between 21:00 and 01:15 h, in leaf litter or perching on leaves 15–100 cm above the ground in primary dryland forest near streams and small creeks.

Remarks: We report notable morphological differences between populations that could indicate the existence of one or two unnamed species within ‘ P. personinus ’. One species would be in the Kutuku mountain range, Morona Santiago Province, and the other in the Sumaco National Park, Napo Province. This hypothesis is supported by relatively high uncorrected p-genetic distances for 16S (≤3.6%; Supporting Information, Table S7) and 12S (≤2.0%; Supporting Information, Table S9).