Einegmann in 1908 found the species in Guyana the foot of the Kaieteur falls at Shrimp Creek, where the path from Tukeit to Kaieteur crosses and was able to preserved a holotype and 4 paratypes but these gave little idea about color. In 1991 Vermeulen and Syker explored the area at the top of the Kaieteur Falls ("Field code: SSSV GUY 09 06-12 From mall creek at the beginning of the Kaieteur landing strip. Potaro River, Guyana") and brought specimens back alive. The color pattern in life helped Huber to refer it to the R. lyricaudia species group.