Cochranella posadae

Guayasamin, Juan M., Bustamante, Martín R., Almeida-Reinoso, Diego & Funk, W. Chris, 2006, Glass frogs (Centrolenidae) of Yanayacu Biological Station, Ecuador, with the description of a new species and comments on centrolenid systematics, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 147 (4), pp. 489-513 : 500-504

COCHRANELLA POSADAE RUIZ- CARRANZA

& LYNCH, 1995

Diagnosis: Cochranella posadae differs from other species in the family by the following combination of characters: (1) vomers lacking teeth; (2) colour of bones in life light green; (3) in preservative, parietal peritoneum and pericardium white, hepatic peritoneum clear, visceral peritoneum cream, peritoneum around kidneys transparent (overall coloration of kidneys cream, but blood vessels are visible, giving a brown tonality); (4) in life, dorsum green with small greenish-white warts, ventrolateral border of arm, Finger IV, tarsus and Toe V white; in preservative, dorsum of head, body and limbs lavender with numerous small bluish white warts, ventrolateral border of arm, Finger IV, tarsus and Toe V white; venter cream; cloacal region with white warts; iris whitish lavender with dark purple reticulation; (5) webbing absent between Fingers I and II, basal between Fingers II and III; webbing between outer fingers reduced, III 2 −2 1/2 IV; (6) webbing formula on foot I 2 – −2 + II 1 1/3 −2 1/3 III 1 1/2 −2 2/3 IV 3–2 – V ( Table 6); (7) snout truncate to round in dorsal aspect, and truncate to slightly sloping in lateral profile; (8) dorsal skin covered with numerous small warts and some scattered larger warts; no spinules (sensu Flores, 1985) visible; (9) ulnar and tarsal folds absent; (10) humeral spine absent; (11) tympanum almost vertical, with slight posterior and lateral inclinations, tympanic annulus visible only ventrally; tympanic membrane not differentiated from surrounding skin; (12) SVL in males 30.7–34.1 mm (mean = 32.3, n = 6); in females 30.2–33.3 mm (mean = 31.4, n = 4); (13) prepollical spine not protruding externally; nuptial pad large (Type I of Flores, 1985; Fig. 8); nuptial excrescences cream, finely granular; (14) pair of large, round tubercles posteroventral to vent ( Lynch & Duellman, 1973: fig. 2A); (15) when adpressed, Finger II longer than Finger I; (16) liver with three or four lobes (condition uncertain because part of liver was removed for molecular studies); (17) diameter of eye almost twice width of disc of Finger III.

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Cochranella posadae is part of the Cochranella ocellata species group (as defined by Ruiz-Carranza & Lynch, 1991a, 1995a) based on the absence of white pigment in the visceral peritoneum (white visceral peritoneum in the Cochranella granulosa group) and the presence of reduced webbing between Fingers III and IV (extensive webbing between Fingers III and IV in the Cochranella spinosa group). Characters used to distinguish species in the Cochranella ocellata group are presented in Table 4.

Colour in life (based on images shown in Fig. 4D, E ): Dorsum of head, body and limbs bright green with small, scattered, greenish-white warts; conspicuous white border on upper lip, thin white border on lower lip; ventrolateral border of arm, Finger IV, tarsus and Toe V white; region located posteroventral to cloaca white; parietal peritoneum white, covering about the anterior half of the belly medially; iris white with dark grey reticulation.

Colour in preservative: Dorsum of head, body and limbs lavender with some of the larger warts being bluish white; conspicuous white border on upper lip,

1 mm

thin white border on lower lip ( Fig. 9 ); ventrolateral border of arm, Finger IV, tarsus and Toe V white, but ventral surface of forearm and tarsus completely covered with white pigment in two specimens ( QCAZ 25090 and 26022; Figs 4E , 10 ); dorsally, Fingers I and II and Toes I – III unpigmented; some pigmentation visible on Fingers III and IV and Toes IV and V; cloacal region with several white warts; males with cream nuptial pad on Finger I; parietal peritoneum white, covering approximately anterior two-thirds of belly; pericardium silver-white, hepatic peritoneum clear, digestive tract cream, kidneys creamy brown .

Snout (dorsal view; Teeth on SVL in adult lateral view) Texture of dorsal skin of males Dorsal coloration in preservative vomer males (mm) Source

C. anomala Truncate ; truncate Shagreen with spinules and Brown with dark flecks and black Absent 24.1 warts corresponding to ocelli ocelli enclosing white spots (n = 1)

C. armata Truncate ; truncate Shagreen with spinules Pale lavender with scattered Absent 23.3–24.8 darker lavender spots (n = 12)

Lynch & Duellman (1973)

Lynch & Ruiz- Carranza (1996) C. balionota Truncate ; protrunding Shagreen

Cream with reddish brown Absent 20.5–22.5 markings and white spots (n = 13) Duellman (1981); this work C. bejaranoi Round ; truncate Shagreen with spinules Dark lavender with minute white Absent 23.6–23.8 spots (n = 4) This work C. cariticommata Round ; truncate Shagreen

Pale lavender with small white Absent 23.6 spots (n = 1) This work C. chami Truncate ; truncate Shagreen with numerous Pale to dark lavender with white Present 30.5–34.6 subconical tubercles spots (n = 6)

C. chancas Truncate ; truncate Shagreen with spinules Dull grey wih small cream spots Absent 24.8 (n = 1)

C. cochranae Truncate ; truncate Shagreen with spinules Lavender with dark purple ocelli Present 23.6–26.3 with cream centres (n = 5)

C. cristinae Round ; truncate Smooth to finely shagreen Pale to dark lavender with small Absent or 26.0–31.1 black spots present (n = 12)

C. garciae Round ; truncate to Finely shagreen with Pale to dark lavender with dark Absent 25.1–27.7 sloping spiculated tubercles lavender spots and white (n = 15) tubercles

C. griffithsi Truncate ; truncate to Shagreen with or without Pale to dark lavender with or Absent 19.9–26.6 protrunding spinules without dark flecks (n = 14)

C. ignota Truncate ; truncate Shagreen with warts Pale lavender with dark purple Absent 22.3–25.4 ocelli with cream centre (n = 31)

C. luminosa Round ; truncate Finely shagreen with small Pale to dark lavender with small Present 27.8–30.0 subconical tubercles and white spots (n = 13) small warts

C. luteopunctata Round ; truncate Smooth with tiny spinules Lilac with cream spots outlined Present 33.1 by dark lilac (n = 1) Ruiz-Carranza & Lynch (1995b)

This work

This work

Ruiz-Carranza & Lynch (1995b)

Ruiz-Carranza & Lynch (1995a)

This work

Lynch (1990)

Ruiz-Carranza & Lynch (1995b)

Ruiz-Carranza & Lynch (1996) C. megacheira Truncate ; truncate Coverd with warts, spinules, Lavender with dark purple spots Absent and spicules

C. nephelophila Truncate ; truncate Smooth with diminutive Lavender with black spots Absent tubercles

C. ocellata Round ; round Shagreen with spinules Dark lavender with cream ocelli Absent

C. oreonympha Round ; truncate With numerous small Pale lavender with dark lavender Absent tubercles spots

C. phenax Truncate ; truncate With numerous small Lavender with cream spots Absent spinules

C. pluvialis Truncate ; truncate With warts and spinules Lavender with cream spots Absent

27.1–32.8 (n = 20)

22.6–24.1 (n = 2)

21.0–25.1 (n = 3)

24.0–26.3 (n = 15)

19.7–22.0 (n = 4)

24.9–26.5 (n = 5) Lynch & Duellman (1973)

Ruiz-Carranza & Lynch (1991c)

Duellman (1976)

Ruiz-Carranza & Lynch (1991c)

This work

Cannatella & Duellman (1982); this work C. prasina Round ; truncate Smooth Lavender Absent or Present

32.8–33.9 (n = 3) This work

C. posadae Round to truncate; With numerous small warts Lavender with whitish warts Absent truncate to slightly and scattered larger warts sloping

C. rosada Truncate ; truncate Finaly shagreen with small Pale to dark lavender with white Absent pustules spots

C. ruizi Truncate ; truncate Smooth with or without Dull olive brown with black spots Absent spinules

C. siren Truncate ; truncate Shagreen with spinules Lavender with small white spots Absent

C. spilota Truncate ; truncate Finaly shagreen Lavender with small white spots Present

C. truebae Truncate ; truncate Shagreen with warts, Lavender with dark purple and Absent spicules, and spinules cream spots

C. vozmedianoi Truncate ; truncate Shagreen with low warts Pale green with small emerald Absent warts

C. wileyi sp. nov. Truncate; truncate to Shagreen with spinules Pale lavender Absent protruding

30.7–34.1 (n = 6)

24.1–28.3 (n = 15)

24.3–26.4 (n = 19)

19.8–22.0 (n = 14)

25.3–26.4 (n = 2)

22.6–24.8 (n = 13)

26.2–28.4 (n = 3)

23.3–26.1 (n = 5) Ruiz-Carranza & Lynch (1995a); this work

Ruiz-Carranza & Lynch (1997)

Lynch (1993)

Lynch & Duellman (1973); this work

Ruiz-Carranza & Lynch (1997)

Duellman (1976)

Ayarzagüena & Señaris (1997); this work

This work Measurements (in mm): Measurements of the specimens of Cochranella posadae collected in YBS are given in Table 5. Males collected in YBS are smaller (SVL = 30.7–31.9, n = 3) than Colombian specimens (SVL = 32.7–34.1 mm, n = 3; Ruiz-Carranza & Lynch, 1995a).

Distribution, ecology and natural history: Cochranella posadae is known from Caldas (Samaná), Cauca (Inza) and Huila (San José Isnos) departments on the eastern flank of the Central Cordillera in Colombia, between 1100 and 2800 m (IUCN, Conservation International & NatureServe, 2004), and from the cloud forests surrounding YBS (0°41′S, 77°53′W; 2100 m) in Ecuador. Three individuals were collected during 3 years of inventory work at Yanayacu. All frogs were found calling on the same night (12 June 2003) on ferns 110–220 cm above a stream.

Figures

Figure 4. Photographs of glass frogs. A, B, Centrolene buckleyi from Yanayacu Biological Station, male, dorsolateral and ventral views, QCAZ 26032 (WCF); C, Centrolene buckleyi from Carchi, male, dorsolateral view, MECN 1246 (MRB); D, E, Cochranella posadae, male, dorsolateral and ventral views, QCAZ 25090 (WCF); F, Centrolene bacatum, dorsolateral view, male, QCAZ 26056 (MRB); G, H, Cochranella wileyi sp. nov., males, dorsolateral and ventral views, QCAZ 26029 and 27441, respectively (MRB); I, Cochranella griffithsi, dorsolateral view, QCAZ 29525 (JMG).

Figure 9. Head of Cochranella posadae, male, QCAZ 25090. A, texture of skin in dorsal view; note numerous small warts and scattered, larger warts; B, colour pattern in ventral view; note white pigments on upper and lower lips. Head width = 10.1 mm.

Figure 10. Ventral view of hand (left) and foot (right) of Cochranella posadae, male, QCAZ 25090. Note white pigments covering surface of arm, tarsus and heel. Additional white pigmentation is visible on external border of Finger IV and Toe V. Hand length = 11.0 mm; foot length = 15.6 mm.