A third species of glassfrog in the genus Chimerella (Anura, Centrolenidae) from central Peru, discovered by an integrative taxonomic approach

• Published in: Evolutionary systematics 2023-05, Vol.7 (2), p.195-209
• Main Authors: Köhler, Jörn, Venegas, Pablo J., Castillo-Urbina, Ernesto, Glaw, Frank, Aguilar-Puntriano, César, Vences, Miguel
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Bioacoustics; Centrolenidae; Congeners; Cytochrome b; Divergence; Genera; Mitochondria; New species; Preservatives; Rainforests; rRNA 12S; rRNA 16S; Taxonomy
• ISSN: 2535-0730; 2535-0730
• DOI: 10.3897/evolsyst.7.102950

We studied the taxonomic status of glassfrogs collected in Departamento Huánuco, central Peru, which in the field were tentatively allocated to Chimerella , one of the twelve genera currently recognized in the family Centrolenidae. Detailed analyses of their morphology, bioacoustics, and molecular genetics supported their generic allocation and provided evidence for them representing a divergent and unnamed evolutionary lineage within Chimerella . We herein describe this lineage as a new species, being mainly distinguished from the two other known congeners, C. corleone and C. mariaelenae , by details of colouration in life and preservative, substantial differences in advertisement call, and differentiation in mitochondrial markers (12S rRNA, 16S rRNA, cytochrome b ) and a nuclear-encoded marker (Rag-1). The new species is the southernmost distributed species in the genus and was found in a swampy habitat at the bank of the Río Patay Rondos, a tributary of the Río Monzon, in rainforest at the Andean-Amazon foothills at 798 m above sea level. Aspects of species delimitation within Chimerella and related future research are briefly addressed and discussed.