Milpe Rain Frog Emerges as a Truly New Species After Taxonomic Mix-Ups
A team re-examined 1902 frog specimens from Ecuador and found that what was long labeled Pristimantis subsigillatus actually encompassed a distinct, living population now named Pristimantis milpe (Milpe Rain Frog). Through holotype re-evaluation and DNA testing, researchers showed the subsigillatus holotype is conspecific with a different species (P. latidiscus), while P. milpe is widespread in the Pacific basin and easily identifiable by its call and female color pattern. The finding highlights how common species can be misclassified for decades and suggests auditing other Pristimantis classifications.
