Gastrotheca lojana

Variation. Morphometric variation of 12 females and 24 males is summarized in Table 3. Females are larger than males (61.6 ± 5.7 mm; 49.4 ± 4.5 mm). All adults have a moderate supratympanic fold, which usually extends from the superior part of tympanum to point just above the insertion of forelimb. The dorsolateral row of warts can be less conspicuous in some specimens. Each vomer has four to ten teeth (5.7 ± 1.4, n = 44). Color variation in preservative. In most preserved specimens the dorsum is bluish gray or brown with darker interorbital, paravertebral marks and bars on the limbs. Some specimens also have dark flecks densely distributed on dorsum. All specimens lack a dark canthal stripe and have a cream white supralabial stripe, which is broader at the posterior margin of the lip and that is extended from the posterior margin of the lip to the insertion of the forelimb. Most of the specimens have a dark brown stippling on the supralabial stripe. A fragmented supracloacal and heel stripes are present; also a white mark extends laterally from the vent. The flanks are dark gray with black and white dots; the posterior part of the flanks, groin, concealed surfaces of thighs and dorsal surface of foot are heavily mottled. The venter is white and varies from having a few dark flecks to having a heavily mottled pattern. Color variation in life. (Figs. 10 L, 29, 30). In living individuals the color of the dorsum is green (CJ 408), brown (CJ 405) or tan (CJ 407) with darker interorbital and paravertebral marks. The interorbital mark is usually a bar that connects the two eyelids; however, in some individuals it is divided into two blotches (CJ 411). Paravertebral marks are broad and are usually connected with the interorbital mark (CJ 407) or, in some individuals (CJ 405), they are fused at the level of the scapular region. The venter is white in most specimens, some have dark flecks and spots evenly distributed, and others have a heavily mottled pattern. On the head there is a cream supralabial stripe, which is broader at the posterior margin of the lip and extends from the posterior margin of the lip to the insertion of the forelimb. The tympanum is brown, tan or olive green. The iris is reddish bronze with a few black reticulations. The flanks are brown, tan, or green with black and white spots. The posterior part of the flanks, groin, anterior and posterior surfaces of thighs have a heavily mottled pattern, some individuals have green or purple tinge on the groin and posterior surface of the thighs (Fig. 30). Supracloacal and heel stripes are cream or tan. The ventral surfaces of the shanks have a faint tinge of pale blue. Tadpoles. Tadpoles belong to Type IV tadpole of Orton (1953), and the exotroph, benthic ecomorphological guild. All measurements are expressed in millimeters. The following description is based on a specimen in Stage 36, from a series (CJ 1948) obtained from a pond at Oña, 2272 m, Azuay Province, Ecuador, by Elicio E. Tapia, Sofía Carvajal-Endara, and Henry Grefa on 15 June 2011 (Fig. 5 C). Total length 55.7; body length 19.8 (36 % of total length). Body ovoid in dorsal and lateral views, slightly depressed; throat shape concave in lateral profile; body width at the level of spiracle 12.3, and height at same position 10.2; head width at level of eyes 10.5. Lateralline system barely visible, supraorbital and infraorbital lines both originating at tip of snout, running in parallel to the eye and making contact immediately behind the eye; angular line descending vertically from just posterior of eye to throat; anterior oral line descending vertically from level of oral disc and just anterior to level of nares to throat there it curve to parallel infraorbital line, thereby forming a continuous circuit with angular and loreal lines; dorsal body and middle body lines present. Nostril medium sized (in proportion to body length), ovoid, protruding, with a fleshy annulus, its opening directed anterolaterally. Snout – nostril distance 2.8; internarial distance 3.2. Eye positioned and directed dorsally, not visible from below; eye length 2.1, eye width 1.9; interorbital distance 5.7. Spiracle sinistral, located ventrolaterally; spiracular opening directed posteriorly; distance from tip of snout to spiracular opening 13.7; spiracle end rounded, attached to body wall, inner wall of spiracle not evident; tube length 4.0, tube transverse width 2.9. Vent tube dextral, its opening directed posteriorly, tube length 3.7, tube transverse width 2.1. Tail length 37.0, caudal musculature slender, narrowing gradually until tail terminus; caudal muscle height 5.2, caudal muscle width 4.3; caudal fins well developed and about the same size, originating near tail-body junction; maximum height of tail 13.6; tail terminus rounded, caudal musculature not reaching fin terminus. Oral disc small, ventral, located near tip of snout, not protruding laterally beyond body, not visible dorsally; transverse width 4.1. It is surrounded by a uniserial row of short, marginal papillae, interrupted medially on upper lip; lower lip papillae alternating in and out, giving the appearance of two series; upper lip with 21 papillae on right side and 19 papillae on left side; lower lip with 63 marginal papillae; upper jaw sheath medium-sized, forming a finely serrated, smooth arch, height 0.4, transverse width 3.0 (48 % of oral disc width); lower jaw sheath V- shaped, open and finely serrated, width 2.1, height 0.7. Labial tooth row formula 2 / 3 (1), tooth rows lengths: A 1: 4.2, A 2: 4.1, P 1 right row 1.9, P 1 left row 1.6, P 1 gap 0.3, P 2: 3.2, P 3: 3.5. (Fig. 6 C). Color in preservative. Dorsum dull gray, with paler (translucent) areas on the flanks and snout. Caudal muscles pale gray with small cream flecks; dorsal and ventral fins translucent with evenly distributed cream flecks, except at tip where flecks are absent. Venter translucent on throat and belly regions, guts not exposed, white pigment partially covers the belly, producing a black and white mottling; eyes lavender gray with white flecks; oral apparatus translucent. Color in life. In dorsal and lateral views, body olive-cream; loreal and snout areas palest. Ventrally, guts not visible, belly white with gray marks; gills visible through the throat, with a reddish hue. Caudal musculature cream-gray; proximal third reddish with myomeres and medial line well defined; distal two thirds with small cream flecks; dorsal and ventral fins translucent, suffused with minute cream flecks, clustering in rounded patches near borders of fins; most dense near tail-body junction. Spiracle, oral apparatus, and legs olive-cream. Iris gold. Variation. Variation of 28 meristic characters of tadpoles in Stages 34 – 41 (CJ 1948) are shown in Table 9. Total length varies between 40.9 (Stage 34) and 61.2 (Stage 41) and tail length proportion varies from 59.1 to 63.7 until stage 41; labial tooth row formula 2 / 3 (1). Number of marginal papillae varies among specimens and Gosner stages, variation in number of ventral papillae at lower lip is moderate (60 and 69). The color of venter varies from nearly plain gray (CJ 4303) (Fig. 31) to gray flecks in a white background (CJ 1948) (Fig. 5 C). Duellman (2015) described a tadpole (KU 203548) from 7.9 Km W Loja. Nonetheless, it may also belong to either G. pseustes, G. psychrophila, or G. turnerorum. We documented changes during ontogenetic development of CJ 4303, 4304 (Figs. 31 A – C, 32). At Stage 46, the dorsum is nearly uniform clear brown; the paraverterbal marks and interorbital marks are green and vary from nearly absent to well defined. Comparisons. Tadpoles of Gastrotheca lojana may occur in sympatry with those of G. elicioi, G. psychrophila (tadpole unknown, see Remarks under G. elicioi tadpole account), G. pseustes 1, and G. turnerorum in the Loja- Abra de Zamora region, with G. litonedis and G. pseustes 2 (tadpole not described), in the Laguna de Busa area and with at least G. pseustes in other localities (compare in Fig. 5). Gastrotheca lojana differs from G. elicioi by lacking a dorsal gray-pigmented fin that abruptly arises from the body, from G. pseustes 1 by lacking a reticulated pattern on flanks, from G. turnerorum by having a more pointed tail terminus and lacking bold cream marks in a dorsal line of caudal musculature, and from G. litonedis by having a highest tail dorsal fin. Vocalization. Five individuals of Gastrotheca lojana were recorded from one location in Azuay Province (one individual from San Fernando, Laguna de Busa) and from one location in Loja Province (four individuals from Oña) (Appendix III). The advertisement call of G. lojana is a complex call, composed of one long pulsed note and followed (or not) by one or two short, single-pulsed notes (Fig. 17 H – N). The long note had a mean duration of 0.562 s (SD = 0.125) and consisted on average of 17.59 (SD = 2.418) distinct pulses (pulse series), separated by silent intervals (amplitude modulation of 100 %). The amplitude of the long note increases gradually towards the end, without falling. The short notes have a mean duration of 0.064 s (SD = 0.027) and the inter-note interval is on average of 0.356 s (SD = 0.107). The mean dominant frequency is 1118.1 Hz (SD = 126.872), with a mean 90 % bandwidth of 986.1 – 1348.4 Hz. The fundamental frequency is not clearly recognizable; when visible, 5 to 7 harmonics are distinguishable in the short notes. Comparisons. The advertisement call of Gastrotheca lojana is most similar to that of G. testudinea, but G. lojana has a shorter call duration, higher short note rate, shorter long notes, short notes duration, shorter inter-note intervals, higher pulse rate, a higher dominant frequency and a higher 90 % bandwidth frequency compared with the call of G. testudinea (Table 5). The call of G. lojana can be easily distinguished form the calls of G. yacuri and G. pseustes by the amplitude modulation of the longer note, shorter call duration, higher short note rate, shorter inter-note interval, smaller number of pulses, lower pulse rate, a much lower dominant frequency, and a lower 90 % bandwidth frequency. Also, G. lojana emits only one long note, whereas G. yacuri emits up to three (usually 2) long notes per call and G. pseustes emits a larger number of long and short notes (Table 5).