A new species of frog of the genus Lynchius (Strabomantidae: Pristimantinae) from the Cordillera del Cóndor

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A new species of frog of the genus Lynchius is described from the montane forests of southeastern Ecuador, on the southern and highest plateau of the Cordillera del Cóndor, between 2354–2893 m of altitude. Based on new mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequences we present a new phylogeny of Lynchius that includes all its described species. The new species, Lynchius romolerouxae sp. nov. occurs in Cerro Plateado, Cordillera del Cóndor, southeastern Ecuador and is sister to a clade formed by Lynchius tabaconas, L. megacephalus and L. flavomaculatus. The phylogeny rejects the hypothesis of the close biogeographic link between Cordillera del Cóndor and the Guianan Tepuis that has been proposed for plants.Lynchius romolerouxae sp. nov. differs from its congeners by being one of the smallest of the genus and by ventral coloration in life. Its dorsal skin and the presence of small tubercles on the upper eyelid resemble L. megacephalus, but differs by being smaller, having an undifferentiated tympanum, and lacking cranial crests. Lynchius romolerouxae sp. nov. is dorsally grayish brown with whitish spots, while the other species of the genus are dark brown, reddish or greenish. The belly of Lynchius romolerouxae sp. nov. is light brown to ferruginous brown with light brown spots and differs from other species as follows: belly yellowish in L. flavomaculatus, brown with yellow dots in L. oblitus, large yellow spots on a dark brown background in L. tabaconas, greenish yellow with gray spots in L. nebulanastes, yellow with brown reticulations in L. parkeri, and grayish brown with irregular brown spots in L. megacephalus. Lynchius romolerouxae sp. nov. is only known from the type locality. There is little ecological information available and population status is unknown. Moreover, its presence in other localities cannot be ruled out given the difficulties to access nearby regions. For these reasons, we suggest placing the new species in the Data Deficient Red List category. The new species adds to the known diversity of Lynchius and highlights the conservation importance of Cordillera del Cóndor.

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