Epipedobates tricolor (Boulenger, 1899)
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Epipedobates tricolor from central Ecuador collected while doing taxonomic fieldwork.
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Open encyclopedia reference
The phantasmal poison frog or phantasmal poison-arrow frog (Epipedobates tricolor) is a species of poison dart frog first described in 1899 by Boulenger. It is endemic to Ecuador, specifically the Andean slopes of central Ecuador in Bolívar Province. They are known for their radiant warm colors and distinct lightly colored stripes and blotches that run along the length of their body. They are one of the most poisonous animals on the planet, with a poison hundreds of times stronger than morphine. This species has been classified as vulnerable due to an increase in habitat destruction in the few locations where they are known to live.
Wikipedia contributors, Phantasmal poison frog; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T16:08:13.069128+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Epipedobates tricolor (Boulenger, 1899)
- Name authority
- (Boulenger, 1899)
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Amphibia
- Order
- Anura
- Family
- Dendrobatidae
- Genus
- Epipedobates
- Extinction status
- Recorded extant
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- megaclassTetrapoda
- classAmphibia
- orderAnura
- superfamilyDendrobatoidea Cope, 1865
- familyDendrobatidae Cope, 1865
- subfamilyColostethinae Cope, 1867
- genusEpipedobates Myers, 1987
- speciesEpipedobates tricolor (Boulenger, 1899)
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Epipedobates. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Epipedobates narinensis Mueses-Cisneros, Cepeda-Quilindo & Moreno-Quintero, 2008 | DendrobatidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Epipedobates boulengeri (Barbour, 1909) | DendrobatidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Epipedobates anthonyi (Noble, 1921) | DendrobatidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Epipedobates espinosai (Funkhouser, 1956) | DendrobatidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
Names & synonyms
Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.
| Recorded name | Source status |
|---|---|
| Colostethus paradoxus Rivero, 1991 Rivero, 1991 | synonym |
| Prostherapis tricolor Boulenger, 1899 Boulenger, 1899 | synonym |
| Dendrobates tricolor (Boulenger, 1899) (Boulenger, 1899) | synonym |
| Epipedobates bicolor (Boulenger, 1899) (Boulenger, 1899) | synonym |
| Phyllobates tricolor (Boulenger, 1899) (Boulenger, 1899) | synonym |
| Ameerega tricolor (Boulenger, 1899) (Boulenger, 1899) | synonym |
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=662297 Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:6FVNM. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.