Megophrys (Panophrys) jiulianensis J. Wang, Zeng, Lyu & Y.Y. Wang

Wang, Jian, Lyu, Zhi-Tong, Liu, Zu-Yao, Liao, Cheng-Kai, Zeng, Zhao-Chi, Zhao, Jian, Li, Yu-Long & Wang, Ying-Yong, 2019, Description of six new species of the subgenus Panophrys within the genus Megophrys (Anura, Megophryidae) from southeastern China based on molecular and morphological data, ZooKeys 851, pp. 113-164 : 130-134

Megophrys (Panophrys) jiulianensis J. Wang, Zeng, Lyu & Y.Y. Wang sp. nov. Fig. 6, Table 6

Holotype.

SYS a002112, adult male, collected by Yu-Long Li on 2 May 2013 from Daqiutian Protection Station (24°34'34.99"N, 114°26'28.53"E; 560 m a.s.l.) of Mt. Jiulian, Longnan County, Ganzhou City, Jiangxi Province, China.

Paratypes (nine males & two females).

SYS a002110, 2111, adult females, collected by Yu-Long Li on 3 May 2013 from Xiagongtang Protection Station (24°32'16.74"N, 114°27'56.82"E; 770 m a.s.l.) of Mt. Jiulian; SYS a001007, 1009, adult males, collected by Run-Lin Li on 23 July 2010 from Daqiutian Protection Station of Mt. Jiulian; SYS a002107-2109, 2113-2114, SYS a002115/CIB110008, adult males, collected by Yu-Long Li on 1-4 May 2013 from Xiagongtang Protection Station and Daqiutian Protection Station of Mt. Jiulian at elevations between 400-800 m a.s.l.; SYS a002031, adult male, collected by Run-Lin Li on 20 Marth 2013 from Mt. Nankun (23°38'21.94"N, 113°50'39.49"E; 610 m a.s.l.), Longmen County, Huizhou City, Guangdong Province, China.

Diagnosis.

(1) Body slender and small-sized, SVL 30.4-33.9 mm in nine adult males, 34.1-37.5 mm in two adult females; (2) head width slightly larger than head length, HDW/HDL ratio 1.04-1.06; (3) snout rounded in dorsal view; (4) eye large, tympanum distinct, moderate-sized, TD/ED ratio 0.50-0.59; (5) weak vomerine ridge bearing vomerine teeth; (6) tongue weakly notched posteriorly; (7) hindlimbs slender, heels overlapping when the flexed hindlimbs are held at right angles to the body axis, tibia-tarsal articulation reaching forward to the middle of eye when hindlimb is stretched along the side of the body; (8) absence of lateral fringes on fingers, presence of an indistinct subarticular tubercle on the bases of each finger, relative finger lengths II <I <IV <III; (9) toes with rudimentary webbing at their bases and without lateral fringes, subarticular tubercles only present at the base of toe I and II; (10) dorsal skin rough, presence of black spines on granules of dorsal skin, and occasionally present on canthus rostralis and margin of tympanum, presence of large tubercles on flanks, dorsal body and limbs; (11) four prominent parallel dorsolateral ridges with granules bearing black spines on back of trunk, the middle two ridges forming a X-shaped ridge occasionally; (12) a reddish horn-like tubercle bearing a black spine at its tip at the edge of eye lid; (13) distinct supratympanic fold bearing black spines; (14) beige to brownish red above, with an hollow dark triangle between eyes and a rectangular dark marking on the center of the back of trunk; (15) males with a single subgular vocal sac, and presence of nuptial pads bearing darker nuptial spines on dorsal surface of the first and second fingers in adult males during breeding season, respectively; (16) gravid females bear creamy yellow oocytes.

Comparisons.

Comparative data of Megophrys jiulianensis sp. nov. with M. dongduanensis sp. nov., M. nankunensis sp. nov., M. feii and the 33 recognized members of the Megophrys s.l. allocated to the subgenus Panophrys are listed in Table 5.

Megophrys jiulianensis sp. nov. is sympatric with M. nankunensis sp. nov. in Mt. Nankun, but it can be easily distinguished from the later by heels overlapping when the flexed hindlimbs are held at right angles to the body axis (vs. heels not meeting), TIB/SVL ratio 0.61-0.68 (vs. TIB/SVL ratio 0.35-0.42), supratympanic fold not forming a supraaxillary gland above insertion of arm (vs. supratympanic fold forming a depressed supraaxillary gland), presence of black spines on dorsal skin (vs. absent); besides, M. jiulianensis sp. nov. differs from M. dongguanensis sp. nov. by the notched tongue vs. (not notched), heels overlapping when the flexed hindlimbs are held at right angles to the body axis (vs. heels not meeting), TIB/SVL ratio 0.61-0.68 (vs. TIB/SVL ratio 0.41-0.46).

With significantly smaller body size, SVL 30.4-33.9 mm in males and 34.1-37.5 mm in females, M. jiulianensis sp. nov. differs from the 17 members with larger SVL values: M. baolongensis (42.0-45.0 mm in males), M. binchuanensis (40.2-42.5 mm in females), M. binlingensis (45.1-51.0 mm in males), M. caudoprocta (81.3 mm in single male), M. daweimontis (40.0-46.0 mm in females), M. fansipanensis (41.7-42.5 mm in females), M. hoanglienensis (37.4-47.6 mm in males, 59.6 mm in single female), M. jingdongensis (53.0-56.5 mm in males, 63.5 mm in single female), M. liboensis (34.7-67.7 mm in males, 60.8-70.6 mm in females), M. minor (34.5-41.2 mm in males), M. omeimontis (56.0-59.5 mm in males, 68.0-72.5 mm in females), M. palpebralespinosa (36.2-38.0 mm in males), M. sangzhiensis (54.7 mm in single male), M. shuichengensis (102.0-118.3 mm in males, 99.8-115.6 mm in females), M. spinata (47.2-54.4 mm in males, 54.0-55.0 mm in females), M. tuberogranulatus (50.5 mm in single female) and M. wuliangshanensis (41.3 mm in single female).

Megophrys jiulianensis sp. nov. differs from 12 species occurring in eastern and southern China ( M. acuta , M. brachykolos , M. boettgeri , M. cheni , M. huangshanensis , M. insularis , M. jinggangensis , M. kuatunensis , M. lini , M. lishuiensis , M. obesa and M. ombrophila ) by the following combination of characters: presence of vomerine teeth (vs. absent in M. acuta , M. boettgeri , M. brachykolos , M. cheni , M. huangshanensis , M. jinggangensis , M. kuatunensis , M. lini , M. lishuiensis , M. obesa and M. ombrophila ), tongue notched posteriorly (vs. not notched in M. acuta , M. brachykolos , M. jinggangensis , M. lini , M. lishuiensis , M. obesa and M. ombrophila ), absence of lateral fringes on toes (vs. narrow in M. acuta , M. jinggangensis and M. kuatunensis ; wide in M. boettgeri , M. cheni and M. lini ), heels overlapping when the flexed hindlimbs are held at right angles to the body axis (vs. heels not meeting in M. acuta , M. brachykolos , M. insularis , M. obesa and M. ombrophila ).

Megophrys jiulianensis sp. nov. differs from the remaining four members of the Megophrys s.l. allocated to the subgenus Panophrys which share a moderate or small body size, by the presence of vomerine teeth (vs. absent in M. leishanensis and M. wushanensis ), tongue notched posteriorly (vs. not notched in M. leishanensis , M. wushanensis and M. latidactyla ), absence of lateral fringes on toes (vs. narrow in M. rubrimera ; wide in M. latidactyla and M. wushanensis (wide in females)), toe webbing rudimentary (vs. absence of webbing on toes in M. rubrimera ).

Megophrys jiulianensis sp. nov. further differs from M. feii , for which molecular data are lacking and cannot be allocated to any subgenus base on morphology only ( Yang et al. 2018) by the larger body size, SVL 30.4-33.9 mm in males and 34.1-37.5 mm in females (VS. 24.3-25.1 mm in males, 28.2-28.9 mm in females), presence of nuptial pad with nuptial spines in males during breeding season (vs. absent), presence of vomerine teeth (vs. absent), absence of lateral fringes on toes (vs. moderate or wide).

Description of holotype.

Adult male. Habitus slender and small, SVL 32.0 mm; head width slightly larger than head length, HDW/HWL 1.04; snout rounded in dorsal view, projecting, sloping backward to mouth in profile, protruding well beyond margin of lower jaw; top of head flat; eye large, ED/HDL 0.39; nostril oblique ovoid; pupil vertical; canthus rostralis well developed, forming the beginning of a fleshy, protruding ridge, that continues over the upper eyelid, and transitions into a supratympanic fold that terminates in the scapular region; loreal region vertical; internasal distance slightly larger than interorbital distance; tympanum distinct, moderate-sized, TD/ED 0.52; large ovoid choanae at the base of the maxilla; weak vomerine ridge bearing vomerine teeth; margin of tongue weakly notched posteriorly; internal vocal slits present near the rear of the lower mandible..

RAD/SVL 0.25; absence of lateral fringes and webbing on fingers, relative finger lengths II <I <IV <III; tip of finger rounded, slightly swollen; presence of an indistinct subarticular tubercle on the base of each finger; outer metacarpal tubercles indistinct, inner metacarpal tubercles distinct and observably enlarged. Hindlimbs long, tibio-tarsal articulation reaching forward to the middle of eye when hindlimb is stretched along the side of the body; heels overlapping when the flexed hindlimbs are held at right angles to the body axis; TIB/SVL 0.46 and FTL/SVL 0.62; relative toe lengths I <II <V <III <IV; tips of toes round and slightly dilated; presence of rudimentary webbing on toes but absence of lateral fringes and tarsal folds; presence of a subarticular tubercle only at the bases of the first and second toes; presence of a long ovoid inner metatarsal tubercle and absence of outer metatarsal tubercle.

Dorsum rough with dense granules bearing spines; canthus rostralis, margin of tympanum, supratympanic fold and upper lip with dense spines; presence of large tubercles bearing spines on dorsal surface of body, surface of flanks and dorsal and posterolateral surface of limbs; prominent parallel dorsolateral ridges with granules bearing spines on back of trunk; presence of a horn-like tubercle bearing a spine at its tip at the edge of eye lid; distinct supratympanic fold curving posteroventrally from posterior corner of eye to a level above insertion of arm; ventral skin texture smooth, the lower lip bears spines; sides of belly with large tubercles; ventral skin texture of thighs smooth with a few small tubercles, posterior surface and surface around anus with large tubercles bearing spines; surface of tibia-tarsal with a few tubercles bearing spines; presence of spines on lateral sides of fingers and toes; pectoral gland moderate-sized, closer to axilla; single femoral gland on rear of thigh, distinctly smaller than pectoral gland.

Measurements of holotype (in mm).

SVL 32.2, HDL 11.5, HDW 11.4, SNT 3.6, IND 3.5, IOD 3.3, ED 4.2, TD 2.3, TED 1.7, HND 8.0, RAD 8.1, FTL 20.5, TIB 14.7.

Coloration of holotype in life.

(Fig. 6 A–D) Dorsal surface yellowish brown, with an incomplete dark triangular marking between eyes. Spines on dorsal surface, granules and tubercles black. Forearm with a distinct, black oblique band. Transverse bands on hindlimb indistinct. Tip of snout grayish brown. A grayish-brown vertical band below the eye. Tubercle at the edge of the upper eyelid red. Ventral surface yellow, scattered with dense dark gray spots and black scarlet blotches; ventral surface of limbs flesh colored with pink and black spots. Palms and soles dark brown, inner metatarsal tubercle, outer metacarpal tubercle and inner metacarpal tubercle orange red, tip of digits orange-red. Pectoral glands and femoral glands white. Iris white.

Coloration of holotype in preservative.

Dorsum yellowish brown fades to greyish brown, scattered with black spots. Greyish black triangular marking between the eyes become more distinct. Ventral surface paled in color, brown grounding, markings and mottling become more distinct.

Variation.

Measurements and body proportions of type series are given in Table 6.

All paratype specimens were very similar in morphology and color pattern. However, dorsal skin texture is more rough with well-developed spines in the female specimen SYS a002111 (Fig. 6 E–F), dorsal surface yellowish brown in the other female specimen SYS a002110, and the middle two ridges on dorsum forming an X-shape skin ridge in the male specimen SYS a002108.

Etymology.

The specific epithet “jiulianensis” is in reference to the known localities of the new species: Mt. Jiulian and Nankunshan Natuire Reserve located in the Jiulian Mountains range. We propose the common English name "Jiulianshan Horned Toad" and Chinese name "Jiu Lian Shan Jiao Chan ( 九连山角蟾)”.

Distribution and natural history.

Currently, Megophrys jiulianensis sp. nov. is known from Mt. Nankun in Guangdong Province and the type locality, Jiulian Nature Reserve in Jiangxi Province, China. It inhabits forest floor, leaf litter and the nearby undergrowth mountainous streams surrounded by moist subtropical evergreen broadleaved forests at elevations between 500-800 m. Breeding season of M. jiulianensis sp. nov. is from March to July, males were usually found staying while calling on leaves (Fig. 7A), about 0.1-0.3 m above the ground. After the rain, numerous individuals can be easily found on the road, and a female individual from Mt. Nankun was observed feeding on an earthworm (Fig. 7B) on 20:45 p.m., 21 March 2016. Tadpoles could be found all year round.

Megophrys jiulianensis sp. nov. is sympatric with M. nankunensis sp. nov. and M. mangshanensis at Mt. Nankun.