Ecuadorian scientists name widespread frog species after century of misidentification

September 6, 2026 at 03:33 AM2 min

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Researchers at Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador have formally described Pristimantis milpe, a frog species common across the Chocó forests of western Ecuador and southern Colombia. The species had been misidentified for more than 100 years, with specimens collected in the 19th century and held at the Natural History Museum in London. The description appears in the journal ZooKeys.

Key Facts

Pristimantis milpe has a known range covering more than 67,000 square kilometers across the Chocó forests of western Ecuador and southern Colombia.
The species was identified by comparing 19th-century specimens at the Natural History Museum in London with living populations from the Ecuadorian Chocó.
The formal description appears in the international journal ZooKeys, which focuses on biodiversity and taxonomy.
Males of Pristimantis milpe call at night from leaves on shrubs and bromeliads several meters above the forest floor, producing a distinctive clicking sound.
Females show orange or light blue coloration around the groin and thighs alongside black spots, while males have more uniform coloring.

Century-Old Misidentification

Santiago Ron, a researcher at Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador and lead author of the study, traveled to England to investigate a classification problem that had persisted for more than 100 years. He examined the original type specimens collected in Ecuador during the 19th century and preserved at the Natural History Museum in London. By comparing those historical frogs with living populations from the Ecuadorian Chocó, the team found that the old specimens had been incorrectly linked to a different species. As a result, a frog that had been regularly seen and documented for decades never received a scientific name of its own. Jhael Ortega, a PhD student at Virginia Tech and one of the study authors, noted that such a common species going unnoticed under the wrong name for decades highlights the importance of correctly connecting scientific names with living populations.

The Clicking Frog of the Chocó

The Milpe Robber Frog (Cutín de Milpe) is active at night, with males typically calling from leaves on shrubs and bromeliads several meters above the forest floor. Their calls are loud and distinctive, producing a sound similar to a click. Females and males also differ noticeably in appearance: females have striking coloration around the groin and thighs, where orange or light blue tones can appear alongside black spots, while males generally have more uniform coloring. The frog lives in the forests of the Ecuadorian Chocó and southern Colombia, a region considered especially important for biodiversity conservation.

Museum Collections and Discovery

The discovery highlights the continuing scientific importance of natural history collections. Specimens preserved for decades or even centuries can give researchers a way to revisit old classifications, compare physical traits, and resolve questions that earlier scientists could not answer. The finding stands out because many newly described species are rare or confined to small areas, while Pristimantis milpe is widespread, relatively easy to find, and readily detected by its nighttime call.