A new species of Proceratophrys Miranda-Ribeiro, 1920 (Anura, Odontophrynidae) from Southern Amazonia, Brazil

Combining citizen science, phylogenetics, and bioacoustics to inform taxonomy and conservation of the Near Threatened Proceratophrys paviotii (Anura, Odontophrynidae)

Herein, basel on novel data gathered by citizens scientists and specialists, we contribute to the improvement of scientific knowledge and conservation of the Near Threatened Proceratophrys paviotii in order to: 1) test for the first time the phylogenetic position and a species delimitation of P. paviotii through a molecular approach; 2) describe a larger sample of its advertisement call to properly encompass the species intraspecific variation; 3) describe for the first time the P. paviotii release call; and 4) provide novel insights on the species conservation status. Our 16S tree confidently grouped P. paviotii with P. cururu, P. renalis, and P. laticeps. The average sequence divergence between P. paviotii and its congeners ranged from 2.2% (P. laticeps) to 9.1% (P. redacta). Advertisement calls consisted of a single note with duration of 0.26-0.58 s, 17-41 pulses emitted at rate of 54.19-77.49 pulses/s and peak frequency of 775.19-947.46 Hz. Release calls consisted of a single note with duration of 0.04-0.43 s, 2-13 pulses emitted at rate of 21.17-81.58 pulses/s and peak frequency of 689.1-1,722.6 Hz. Additionally, our study strongly supports the notion that Citizen Science approaches can yield invaluable information concerning species' geographic distribution and conservation.

A new Amazonian species of Allobates Zimmermann & Zimmermann, 1988 (Aromobatidae) with a trilled advertisement call

Background

Currently, 58 species are assigned to the genus Allobates, with 70% of its diversity described just in the last two decades, with many additional species likely unnamed. The continuous description of these new species represents a fundamental step for resolving the taxonomy and ensuring the future conservation of the genus.

Methods

Using molecular, acoustic, and morphological evidences, we describe a new species of Allobates from Teles Pires River region, southern Amazonia, and provide accounts on the population of A. tapajos found sympatrically with the new species.

Results

The new species is distinguished from its congeners by the coloration of thighs, venter, dorsum, and dark lateral stripe. It has four types of calls, with advertisement calls formed by relatively long trills with a mean duration of 2.29 s ± 0.65, mean of 39.93 notes ± 11.18 emitted at a mean rate of 17.49 ± 0.68 notes per second, and mean dominant frequency of 5,717 Hz ± 220.81. The genetic distance between the new species and its congeners in a fragment of the 16S mitochondrial fragment ranged between 13.2% (A. carajas) to 21.3% (A. niputidea). The sympatric Allobates population fits its morphology and acoustic with the nominal A. tapajos, but presents a relatively high genetic distance of nearly 6.5%, raising questions on the current taxonomy of this species.