'Brand New' Frog Species Has Been Hiding in Plain Sight For Years, And It's Adorable

Key Points:

• Researchers have identified a new frog species, Pristimantis milpe (Milpe Rain Frog), previously misclassified as Pristimantis subsigillatus (Salidero Robber Frog) for decades due to taxonomic confusion.
• The correction came after re-examining century-old specimens from the Ecuadorian Chocó rainforest housed at the Natural History Museum in London, revealing that the original holotype of P. subsigillatus did not match the frogs currently labeled under that name.
• Fieldwork, specimen collection, and DNA analysis confirmed that the misidentified population is a distinct species, widely distributed across Ecuador and southern Colombia, including rainforests, plantations, and urban parks.
• Pristimantis milpe is notable for its distinctive nocturnal clicking call, sexual dimorphism in coloration, small size, and broad geographic range, making it one of the most widespread Pristimantis species in the Pacific basin.
• The study highlights the importance of revisiting historical type specimens to ensure accurate species identification, suggesting that other species within the large Pristimantis genus may require taxonomic review to correct similar misclassifications.