Panophrys sanmingensis Lyu & Wang, 2021

Lyu, Zhi-Tong, Zeng, Zhao-Chi, Wang, Jian, Liu, Zu-Yao, Huang, Ya-Qiong, Li, Wen-Zhou & Wang, Ying-Yong, 2021, Four new species of Panophrys (Anura, Megophryidae) from eastern China, with discussion on the recognition of Panophrys as a distinct genus, Zootaxa 4927 (1), pp. 9-40 : 28-31

Panophrys sanmingensis Lyu & Wang sp. nov.

Chresonymy. Megophrys sp15— Liu et al. 2018

Holotype. SYS a002498 ( Fig. 5 A–D), adult male, collected by Ying-Yong Wang on 18 April 2014 from Mt Longqi (26.5233°N, 117.2976°E; ca 700 m a.s.l.), Jiangle County, Sanming City, Fujian Province, PR China.

Paratypes. Five adult males (SYS a002493–2496, SYS a002499/ CIB 116077 ) and one adult female (SYS a002500), collected at the same time from the same locality as the holotype .

Etymology. The specific epithet sanmingensis refers to the type locality of the new species, the Sanming City.

Common names. Sanming Horned Toad (in English) / Sān Míng Jiǎo Chán (Ξfifflḃin Chinese)

Diagnosis. (1) body size small, with SVL 27.0– 29.5 mm (n = 6) in adult males and 29.5 mm in adult female; (2) tympanum distinct, TD/ED 0.49–0.50; (3) vomerine teeth absent; (4) margin of tongue notched; (5) heels overlapping; (6) tibio-tarsal articulation reaching just posterior to eye; (7) TIB/SVL 0.44–0.48, FTL/SVL 0.61–0.65; (8) narrow lateral fringes on fingers present, one subarticular tubercle present at the base of each finger, relative finger lengths I <II <IV <III; (9) rudimentary web and wide lateral fringes on toes present, one subarticular tubercle present at the base of each toe; (10) dorsal body’s skin texture rough, with densely-distributed granules and scattered raised tubercles, “X” shaped skin ridge on center of dorsum and dorsolateral skin ridges present; (11) flank with enlarged raised conical tubercles; (12) supratympanic fold distinct; (13) dorsal surfaces yellowish brown or reddish brown, a dark incomplete triangular marking with light edge between eyes, a dark “X” shaped marking, with light edge, present on center of dorsum; (14) single subgular vocal sac present in males; (15) nuptial spines present on the finger I in breeding males.

Comparisons. Comparative data of Panophrys sanmingensis sp. nov. with P. daiyunensis , P. daoji , and 47 recognized Panophrys congeners are given in Table 3 .

Panophrys sanmingensis sp. nov. differs from P. daiyunensis by its vomerine teeth absent (vs present), tongue notched (vs not notched), lateral fringes on toes wide (vs narrow), and nuptial spines present on the finger I in breeding males (vs absent). Panophrys sanmingensis sp. nov. differs from P. daoji by its smaller body size, SVL 27.0– 29.5 mm in males and 29.5 mm in female (vs SVL 32.6–33.6 mm in males and 37.5–41.4 mm in females), tongue notched (vs not notched), heels overlapping (vs not meeting), and lateral fringes on toes wide (vs narrow).

Compared with the six Panophrys species previously recorded from eastern China, P. sanmingensis sp. nov. differs from P. boettgeri by its smaller body size (vs SVL 34.5–37.8 mm in males and 39.7–46.8 mm in females), heels overlapping (vs just meeting), and round light patches on the shoulder absent (vs present). Panophrys sanmingensis sp. nov. differs from P. huangshanensis by the smaller body size (vs SVL 36.0– 41.6 mm in males and 44.2 mm in female), heels overlapping (vs just meeting or not meeting), wide lateral fringes and rudimentary web on toes present (vs both absent), and round light patches on the shoulder absent (vs present). Panophrys sanmingensis sp. nov. differs from P. kuatunensis by its heels overlapping (vs not meeting), lateral fringes on toes wide (vs narrow), and rudimentary web on toes present (vs absent). Panophrys sanmingensis sp. nov. differs from P. lishuiensis by the smaller body size (vs SVL 30.7–34.7 mm in males and 36.9–40.4 mm in female), tongue notched (vs not notched), wide lateral fringes and rudimentary web on toes present (vs both absent). Panophrys sanmingensis sp. nov. differs from P. ombrophila by the tongue notched (vs not notched), heels overlapping (vs not meeting), and wide lateral fringes and rudimentary web on toes present (vs both absent). Panophrys sanmingensis sp. nov. differs from P. xianjuensis by the smaller body size (vs SVL 31.0– 36.3 mm in males and 41.6 mm in female), tongue notched (vs not notched), and lateral fringes on toes wide (vs narrow).

With a small body size, SVL 27.0– 29.5 mm in males and 29.5 mm in female, Panophrys sanmingensis sp. nov. is different from 34 congeners whose SVL> 32 mm in males or> 36 mm in females, namely P. angka , P. baolongensis , P. binchuanensis , P. binlingensis , P. brachykolos , P. caobangensis , P. caudoprocta , P. daweimontis , P. fansipanensis , P. hoanglienensis , P. insularis , P. jiangi , P. jingdongensis , P. jinggangensis , P. leishanensis , P. liboensis , P. lini , P. minor , P. mirabilis , P. mufumontana , P. nankunensis , P. obesa , P. omeimontis , P. palpebralespinosa , P. sangzhiensis , P. shuichengensis , P. shunhuangensis , P. spinata , P. tuberogranulatus , P. wugongensis , P. wuliangshanensis , P. wushanensis , P. xiangnanensis , and P. yangmingensis .

Panophrys sanmingensis sp. nov. can be distinguished from the remaining seven congeners by the following characteristics: SVL 27.0– 29.5 mm in males and 29.5 mm in females (vs SVL 31.8–34.1 mm in females in P. cheni ; SVL 30.2–39.3 mm in males in P. dongguanensis ; vs SVL 30.4–33.9 mm in males and 34.1–37.5 in females in P. jiulianensis ; vs SVL 30.5–37.3 mm in males in P. nanlingensis ); horn-like tubercle at upper eyelid small (vs large in P. acuta ); vomerine teeth absent (vs present in P. dongguanensis , P. jiulianensis , P. nanlingensis , P. rubrimera , and P. shimentaina ); tongue notched (vs not notched in P. acuta , P. dongguanensis , and P. shimentaina ); heels overlapping (vs not meeting in P. acuta and P. dongguanensis ); wide lateral fringes present on toes (vs narrow in P. acuta , P. nanlingensis , P. rubrimera , and P. shimentaina ; vs absent in P. dongguanensis and P. jiulianensis ); rudimentary web present between toes (vs absent in P. rubrimera ).

Description of holotype. SYS a002498, adult male. Habitus small, SVL 29.3 mm; head length shorter than head width, HDW/HDL 1.02; snout rounded in dorsal view, projecting, sloping posteriorly to mouth in profile, protruding well beyond margin of lower jaw; dorsal surface of head flat; eye large, ED/HDL 0.42; nostril obliquely ovoid; pupil vertical; canthus rostralis well developed, curved above nostril; loreal region sloping; internasal distance larger than interorbital distance; tympanum distinct; choanae large ovoid, situated at base of maxilla; vomerine teeth absent; margin of tongue notched.

Lower arm length 0.25 of SVL and hand length 0.24 of SVL; relative finger lengths I <II <IV <III; tip of finger rounded, slightly dilated; one subarticular tubercle present at base of each finger; fingers without webs, narrow lateral fringes present on fingers; outer and inner metacarpal tubercles distinct, inner metacarpal tubercle observably enlarged.

Shank length 0.48 of SVL and foot 0.64 of SVL; tibio-tarsal articulation reaches posterior margin of eye when hindlimb stretched alongside body; heels overlapping when hindlimbs held at right angles to body; relative toe lengths I <II <V <III <IV; tips of toes rounded, slightly dilated; one subarticular tubercle present at base of each toe; rudimentary web and wide lateral fringes present between toes; tarsal folds absent; inner metatarsal tubercle long, ovoid, and outer metatarsal tubercle absent.

Dorsal body’s skin texture rough with densely-distributed granules and scattered raised tubercles; “X” shaped skin ridge on center of dorsum; dorsolateral skin ridges present; a small horn-like tubercle present at edge of upper eyelid; supratympanic fold distinct, curving from posterior corner of eye, posteroventrally to above insertion of arm; flank with raised tubercles; raised tubercles on dorsal arms and hindlimbs. Ventral surface smooth with tiny granules; pectoral gland large, closer to axilla; single large femoral gland on posterior surface of thigh.

Coloration of holotype. Dorsal surface brown; a dark incomplete triangular marking with light edge between eyes; a dark “X” shaped marking with light edge on center of dorsum; dark crossbars on dorsal upper arms and hindlimbs; dark stripes below eyes and at lateral tip of snout; iris yellowish brown. Ventral surface pale with densely-distributed white spots; three dark longitudinal stripes on the throat; a pair of longitudinal black stripes with white edge on the lateroventral belly; palms and soles purplish brown, tips of digits greyish white, metacarpal and metatarsal tubercles orange red; pectoral glands and femoral glands white.

Variation. Measurements of type series are given in Table 6 . All specimens were similar in morphology. SYS a002493 ( Fig. 5E ) has reddish brown dorsal surface, with red spots on the dorsum and flanks. SYS a002494 ( Fig. 5F ) and SYS a002495 have black spots on flanks and the posterior of dorsum.

Distribution and ecology. Currently, Panophrys sanmingensis sp. nov. is recognized from the Mt Longqi (700–740 m a.s.l.) of Jiangle County, Mt Emeifeng (900–1250 m a.s.l.) of Taining County and Gutian Town (750– 780 m a.s.l.) of Shanghang County in western Fujian, Mt Magu (500–600 m a.s.l.) of Nancheng County, Mt Junfeng (850–980 m a.s.l.) of Nanfeng County and Mt Jinpen (ca 500 m a.s.l.) of Xinfeng County in eastern Jiangxi, and Mt Fenghuang (800–900 m a.s.l.) of Chao’an District, Chaozhou City in eastern Guangdong, which indicates the distribution area of this species is in the wide hilly area among Fujian, Jiangxi and Guangdong provinces. This species inhabits streams surrounded by moist subtropical secondary evergreen broadleaved forests. Males call actively from mid-April to early June in Mt Longqi, Mt Emeifeng, Mt Magu, and Mt Junfeng; two individuals were found from Gutian Town in mid-July, and they were calling inactively; only one individual was found from Mt Jinpen in late September, and it was not calling.

Figures

FIGURE 5. (A)–(D) dorsolateral view, ventral view, right hand, and right foot of adult male holotype SYS a002498 of Panophrys sanmingensis sp. nov. in life. (E)–(F) dorsolateral views of adult males paratypes SYS a002493–2494.