Description
Member of the Centrolene mariae complex (along with C. mariae and C. puyoense). Males of this species are not known. Adult female (holotype) measures 25 mm SVL. Distinguished from its congeners by the following combination of characters: dorsal color pattern in preservative dark purplish-gray with numerous large cream spots and small cream flecks; snout truncate in dorsal view and rounded when viewed laterally; lower three-fourths of tympanum exposed under moderately developed supratympanic fold; all skin surfaces with very fine granulations; first finger longer than second; webbing reduced between outer two fingers. Most unique from other centrolenids in the strange paired configuration of 6 tubercles and many folds below the vent. Head is wider than the body (35.6% SVL). Eyes are protuberant and directed anterolaterally at approximately 45 degrees to long axis of head. Finger lengths in decreasing order are: 3>1>4>2. Lateral fringes are present on fingers; digital discs poorly developed and only slightly expanded with respect to width of digit. Toe lengths in decreasing order: 4>5>3>2>1. Discs on toes poorly developed and only slightly expanded and are much smaller than those on fingers. Dorsal skin with low, very flat warts corresponding to light spots, those posterior to eyelid, above tympanum, in cheek region and under eye with projecting, somewhat rounded spicules. The vent is a slit formed by horizontal flap of skin, opening oriented postero-ventrally at mid-level of thighs.

In life, the color is a parrot-green dorsal ground color with yellow-green spots, flecks, and interorbital bar and dark green reticular markings on the dorsum of the limbs. The eye is a light blue-green with a transverse green-brown bar running from the medial corner of ht eey, through the iris to the lateral corner of the eye.

Originally described in the genus Centrolenella, until Duellman and Schulte (1993) moved it to Centrolene and later changed the specific epithet from C. puyoensis to C. puyoense due to gender disagreement. In 2009, it was synonomized with Nymphargus mariae (Guayasamin et al 2009).

Distribution and Habitat

Country distribution from AmphibiaWeb's database: Ecuador, Peru

View distribution map in BerkeleyMapper.

Known from the type locality at 1 km W Puyo, Provincia de Pasaza, Ecuador, between 1000-1050 m elevation, and Serranía de Sira, Huánuco, Peru. It is known from cloud and wet forests (Guayasamin et al 2009).

Life History, Abundance, Activity, and Special Behaviors
Nothing known, discovered while in collection.

Possible reasons for amphibian decline

General habitat alteration and loss

References

Duellman, W.E., Schulte, R. (1993). "New species of centrolenid frogs from northern Peru." Occasional Papers of the Museum of Natural History, The University of Kansas, 155, 1-33.

Flores, G., and McDiarmid, R.W. (1989). ''Two new species of South American Centrolenella (Anura: Centrolenidae) related to C. mariae.'' Herpetologica, 45(4), 401-411.

Guayasamin, J. M., Castroviejo-Fisher, S., Trueb, L., Ayarzaguena, J., Rada, M., Vila, C. (2009). ''Phylogenetic systematics of glassfrogs (Amphibia: Centrolenidae) and their sister taxon Allophryne ruthveni.'' Zootaxa, 2100, 1-97.

Species Account Citation: AmphibiaWeb 2023 Nymphargus mariae: María’s Glassfrog <https://amphibiaweb.org/species/1733> University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA. Accessed Oct 3, 2024.

Citation: AmphibiaWeb. 2024. <https://amphibiaweb.org> University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA. Accessed 3 Oct 2024.

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