New Species of Lungless Salamanders of the Genus Pseudoeurycea (Amphibia: Caudata: Plethodontidae) from Veracruz, Mexico

Abstract

Field studies in the mountains of central Veracruz, Mexico, resulted in discovery of two previously undescribed species of salamanders of the genus Pseudoeurycea, a member of the plethodontid tribe Bolitoglossini. A population previously identified as Pseudoeurycea )iigroumculata is described as a new species, P. lynchi. This species, known from three localities, is the apparent sister taxon of P. nigromaculata, based on morphological and allozymic similarities and phylogenetic analysis of mitochondrial DNA sequence data. A species with some scansorial propensities, P. lynchi occurs mainly under the bark of fallen logs and in and under decaying wood. This species is a member of a relatively rich local community in cloud forest habitat at elevations of 2100-2200 m. The other new species, named P. naucaiupatepetl, is a salamander related to Pseudoeuri/ceagigantea, which we remove from the synonymy oi Pseudoeurycea bellii. This new species is an attractive animal with a striking color pattern that has inexplicably eluded detection despite extensive collecting in the region. Although P. naucanipatepetl is strikingly distinct in color pattern from P. gigantea and occurs at higher elevations (ca. 3000 m), the two species are closely allied by allozymic and mtDNA characters. The two new species are components of a rich salamander fauna distributed along a local transect on the slopes of Cerro Cofre de Perote.