Two new species of Allobates of the trilineatus clade (Anura: Aromobatidae) from the Eastern Guiana Shield

Abstract

The actual diversity of anurans occurring in Amazonia remains only partly described. This is notably the case of the species of the genus Allobates despite a fast rate of species description in this genus during the last decade. This increasing taxonomic effort has been particularly facilitated by the availability of DNA sequences throughout the region. These data suggest for instance the existence of three lineages in the Guiana Shield that may correspond to unnamed species. We examined morphology and calls of these putative species and compared them to related nominal species, which confirmed that two of these lineages not only differ genetically but also morphologically and bioacoustically. These two species are thus named and described herein. Allobates vicinus sp. nov. from northern Suriname forms a clade with another candidate species from southern Suriname and Northern Pará, (Brazil) and with A. granti that occurs in French Guiana. Allobates ripicolus sp. nov. occurs throughout the eastern Guiana Shield and is nested within the A. tapajos complex which otherwise occurs in southeastern Amazonia and comprises A. tapajos and A. kamilae, along with three additional candidate species.