Hyperolius cf. cinnamomeoventris Bocage, 1866

Badjedjea, Gabriel, Masudi, Franck M., Akaibe, Benjamin Dudu & Gvoždík, Václav, 2022, Amphibians of Kokolopori: an introduction to the amphibian fauna of the Central Congolian Lowland Forests, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Amphibian & Reptile Conservation (e 301) 16 (1), pp. 35-70 : 52

Hyperolius cf. cinnamomeoventris Bocage, 1866

Fig. 8A–E .

Area: All.

Season/survey: Wet (May 2018, Nov 2018), dry (Aug 2019, Jul 2020).

Material: CSB:Herp: RNBK 091, 099, 109, 110, 113, 117, 128, 177, 206, 260, 274, 309, 334, 336, 348, 361,

364, 387, 390, 412, 441, 447, 448, 450, 455, 460–465, 473, 512, 514–516, 604, 615, 665–667, 669–671, 759, 760, 843; IVB-H-CD 18092, 18093, 18107, 18108, 18128–18134, 18225, 18309, 18351, 18353–18359.

Comments: An abundant species in Kokolopori, found in all habitat types but mostly in open areas along streams, at forest edges, or in clearings. Phylogeographic studies of this species suggested a more complex pattern of genetic variation ( Bell et al. 2015, 2017), and given the relatively remote type locality in northern Angola, the conspecificity of the central Congolian population with the type-locality population is uncertain. The Kokolopori population of this species possesses a high level of color polymorphism, higher than presently known for the species (cf. Amiet 2012; Channing and Rödel 2019; Schiøtz 1999). Generally, males are yellowish to brown and females have a dominant green color, which corresponds to the usual coloration ( Amiet 2012; Schiøtz 1999). However, one relatively atypical feature is that light dorsolateral stripes are also present in females (not only males), resembling H. veithi Schick, Kielgast, Rödder, Muchai, Burger, and Lötters, 2010 , but less conspicuous ( Fig. 8B ; see also the photo of a pair in amplexus in Nečas et al. 2021). This feature is a sign of transition to secondary monochromatism, which is known to occur in the H. cinnamomeoventris complex ( Portik et al. 2019). Another as yet undescribed color pattern is an hourglass dorsal pattern present in some specimens of both sexes ( Fig. 8C–E ). Schiøtz (2006) observed both color morphs of H. cf. cinnamomeoventris in Kokolopori but identified them as “light” color morphs of H. platyceps (Schiøtz’s morphs C and D). In our opinion, H. platyceps in Kokolopori always has a “dark” color morph (see below). However, the dorsal brown coloration may be relatively light under some conditions, which can cause confusion in identification (cf. Figs. 8E and 9C ). Genetic testing could clarify whether the hourglass morph (Schiøtz’s morph C) represents a hybrid between H. cf. cinnamomeoventris and H. cf. platyceps , as the hourglass pattern is commonly present in H. platyceps ( Amiet 2012; Schiøtz 1999). The taxonomic status of certain taxa that are presumably conspecific or possibly conspecific must be also verified, as some of these nomina might be applicable for the central Congolian populations of H. cf. cinnamomeoventris , particularly H. ituriensis Laurent, 1943 described from Djalasinda near Lake Albert (Ituri Province), H. polli Laurent, 1943 described from Tshimbulu (Kasaï-Central Province), and H. ( cinnamomeoventris ) wittei Laurent, 1943 described from Kulu near Mwanza, north of the Upemba National Park (Haut-Lomami Province; Laurent 1957).

Figures

Fig. 8. Hyperoliids, Hyperolius. (A) H. cf. cinnamomeoventris, striped morph (male). (B) H. cf. cinnamomeoventris, striped morph (female). (C) H. cf. cinnamomeoventris, hourglass morph (male). (D) H. cf. cinnamomeoventris, hourglass morph (female); note the species-specific red coloration of the inner thighs in both sexes in (C) and (D). (E) H. cf. cinnamomeoventris, hourglass morph (male). (F) H. cf. langi, striped morph, “forma albomarginata” (male). (G) H. phantasticus boulengeri (male, Phase J). (H) H. phantasticus boulengeri (female).

Fig. 9. Hyperoliids, Hyperolius and Hylambates. (A) Hyperolius phantasticus boulengeri (amplectant pair, both sexes in Phase F). (B) H. phantasticus boulengeri under UV light (male, Phase J). (C) H. cf. platyceps, hourglass morph (male). (D) H. cf. platyceps, striped morph, “forma pleurotaenia” (male). (E) H. cf. platyceps, hourglass morph, ventral view (female). (F) H. ocellatus purpurescens (female). (G) Hylambates verrucosus (male). (H) H. verrucosus, ventral view (same specimen as in G).