Amolops wenshanensis, Yuan & Jin & Li & Stuart & Wu, 2018

Yuan, Zhiyong, Jin, Jieqiong, Li, Jiannan, Stuart, Bryan L. & Wu, Jun, 2018, A new species of cascade frog (Amphibia: Ranidae) in the Amolops monticola group from China, Zootaxa 4415 (3), pp. 498-512 : 504-509

Amolops wenshanensis sp. nov.

( Fig. 3–8 )

Amolops sp. Stuart, Bain, Phimmachak and Spence, 2010: 57.

Holotype. KIZ 0 21426, adult male, Wenshan National Nature Reserve , near Pingzai village , Xichou County, Wenshan city, Yunnan Province, China, 23.362°N, 104.839°E, 1,312 m asl., coll. 27 June 2016 by ZY ( Fig. 1 ).

Paratypes. KIZ 0 21425, KIZ 021428 - 30, KIZ 0 21435 (five adult males), same data as holotype. KU 292041 (one adult male), KU 292040, KU 292045 (two adult females), KU 292039, KU 292042 (two immature males), Diding village , Jingxi County, Guangxi Province, China, 23.1223°N, 105.9636°E, coll. 18-23 September 2004 by Juan Guayasamin, Luis Canseco, and Yunming Mo.

Diagnosis. The genus Amolops is diagnosed primarily on the basis of the presence of a raised, sharply defined, abdominal sucker in the tadpole (Inger 1966). As the tadpole of the new species remains unknown, Amolops wenshanensis sp. nov. is placed here in the genus Amolops based on its morphological similarity to A. cucae and A. compotrix and by its phylogenetic position ( Fig. 2 ). No mitochondrial DNA sequence of A. monticola sensu stricto is yet available, but A. wenshanensis sp. nov. is placed in the A. monticola group by having the combination of dorsolateral folds, smooth dorsal skin, and the side of head dark with a light-colored upper lip stripe extending to the axillary region (Stuart et al. 2010). Amolops wenshanensis sp. nov. is distinguished from other species in the A. monticola group by having the combination of small body size (adult males with SVL 35.7–39.9 mm; females with SVL 43.7–45.6 mm); smooth skin, without conspicuous glands, tubercles, warts or spinules on the dorsum; green dorsal coloration in life; immaculate venter; indistinct transverse bands on dorsal surfaces of limbs; distinct glandular dorsolateral folds; distinct tympanum; pineal body absent; all fingertips expanded with circummarginal grooves; two oblique vomerine teeth; vocal sac and white nuptial pad on the base of Finger I in adult males; supratympanic fold absent; outer metatarsal tubercle absent; glandular gold-white flank spot absent; and skin on venter not translucent.

Description of the holotype. Adult male ( Figs. 3–5 ), habitus moderately slender (SVL 35.7 mm); head slightly longer than wide (HW 92.0% of HL); snout obtusely pointed in dorsal view, projecting beyond lower jaw, rounded in profile, not depressed; nostril dorsolateral, closer to tip of snout than to eye; canthus rostralis distinct, internarial distance greater than interorbital distance (IOD 72.9% of IND); lores concave, sloping; eye diameter 73.3% of snout length; upper eyelid width 62.8% of interorbital distance; pineal body not visible; supratympanic fold absent; tympanum distinct, covered by layer of skin, 40.9% of eye diameter, not depressed relative to skin of temporal region, tympanic rim not elevated relative to tympanum; vomerine teeth on two oblique ridges; choanae oval. Tongue cordiform, with wide, U-shaped posterior notch; vocal sac opening on floor of mouth at each corner; sac-like gular pouch having anterior margin reaching center of orbit.

Forearm robust ( Fig. 4 ); relative lengths of fingers I<II<IV<III; all finger tips expanded with circummarginal grooves, Finger III equal to tympanum diameter; lateral fringes and webbing on fingers absent; one distinct subarticular tubercle on Fingers I and II, two distinct subarticular tubercles on Fingers III and IV; supernumerary tubercle indistinct; one thenar tubercle, oval; white glandular nuptial pad on Finger I, covering medial surface to base of finger disc.

Hind limbs long, tibia (TFL 27.5 mm) longer than thigh (TIB 15.9 mm) and foot (FTL 15.8 mm); toes long and thin, relative lengths I<II<III<V<IV ( Fig. 5 ); tips of all toes expanded with transversely oval disks and circummarginal grooves, relative width of toe disks 1<5<4<2<3; narrow, lateral fringes on all toes; subarticular tubercles all present, prominent, longitudinally ovoid; inner metatarsal tubercle prominent and oval; outer metatarsal absent; supernumerary tubercles absent.

Skin on dorsal and ventral surfaces of head, body, limbs and flanks smooth, except granular on posterior surface of thigh around vent; one rictal gland; dorsolateral fold distinct, glandular, extending from rear of tympanum to inguinal region.

Coloration of holotype. In life, dorsum light green ( Fig. 3 ); side of head dark brown from snout tip to axilla; white upper lip stripe extending to slightly posterior of axilla; narrow, white stripe in loreal region from tip of snout to anterior margin of eye; flank dark brown anteriorly, diffusing to yellowish-brown posteriorly; narrow, gold stripe on edge of canthus from tip of snout along margin of upper eyelid, continuing along upper edge of dorsolateral fold; upper one-fourth of iris bronze, lower three-fourths gold, black reticulations throughout; dorsal surfaces of limbs olive brown, with irregular, narrow, incomplete grey-brown bands and irregular black spots; immaculate venter; subarticular tubercles on fingers and expanded finger tips grey, subarticular tubercles on toes and expanded toe tips dark brown; inner metatarsal tubercle dark brown; foot webbing yellowish-gray with dark gray spots.

In preservative ( Fig. 6 ), dorsum faded to light gray; posterior portion of flank and surface of limbs faded to whitish-gray with dark marbling; ventral surface of throat, chest and belly faded to creamy-white; ventral surfaces of limbs faded to creamy-white with dark brown speckling; foot webbing gray with dark gray spots.

Morphological variation. Measurements of holotype and paratypes are given in Table 2. Paratype KIZ 0 21428 has several irregular, black spots on ventral surfaces of lower limbs.

Etymology. The specific epithet is named for the type locality, Wenshan National Nature Reserve, in Xichou county, Wenshan city, Yunnan Province, China.

Distribution and ecology. Currently, A. wenshanensis sp. nov. is known only from the holotype and paratype localities, which are separated by approximately 300 km straight-line distance, in Yunnan and Guangxi Provinces, China ( Fig. 1 ). The species was collected at night (20:15–22:00 h) on the bank or on low vegetation (grasses or branches 0.5–1 m above the ground) along small streams ( Fig. 7 ). The stream at the holotype locality was in forest, 1-2 m wide, and had slow current. Males were observed calling from small branches (0.5–1 m above the ground) along the stream. The call (not recorded) generally resembled a bird song (e.g. Tarsiger indicus ) with multiple, long, high frequency notes. Other frog species observed along the stream at the holotype locality included Xenophrys major , Ophryophryne microstoma , Leptolalax sp., Limnonectes bannaensis , Odorrana graminea , and Sylvirana sp. Paratype KIZ 0 21425 had an aberrantly-colored patch of skin on its dorsum and inguinal region, possibly caused by infection from a fungus or other microorganism ( Fig. 8 ).

Comparisons. Amolops wenshanensis sp. nov. differs from all other species of Amolops , except those in the A. monticola group, by having the combination of dorsolateral folds, smooth skin, and side of head dark with a lightcolored upper lip stripe extending to the shoulder.

Morphological characters for the A. monticola group are summarized in Table 4. Amolops wenshanensis sp. nov. differs from all other species in the A. monticola group by having an immaculate venter (spots on throat and/or belly in these species). Amolops wenshanensis sp. nov. further differs from A. akhaorum , A. archotaphus , A. bellulus , A. compotrix , A. cucae , A. daorum , A. iriodes , and A. vitreus by having an uncorrected p -distance> 6.7% in sequences of the ND2 gene and portions of flanking tRNA gene ( Table 3; molecular data remain unavailable for A. aniqiaoensis , A. mengyangensis , A. monticola , A. gerbillus , and A. nyingchiensis ). Amolops wenshanensis sp. nov. further differs from A. akhaorum , A. archotaphus , A. bellulus , A. chunganensis , A. cucae , A. compotrix , A. daorum , A. gerbillus , A. iriodes , A. mengyangensis , A. monticola , A. nyingchiensis , and A. vitreus by lacking distinct transverse bands on the dorsal surfaces of limbs (present in these species). Amolops wenshanensis sp. nov. further differs from A. aniqiaoensis , A. archotaphus , A. bellulus , A. chakrataensis , A. chunganensis , A. gerbillus , A. iriodes , and A. nyingchiensis by having green dorsal coloration in life (olive green in A. aniqiaoensis , A. archotaphus , and A. bellulus ; grayish-brown in A. chakrataensis ; dark gray in A. gerbillus ; reddish-brown in A. chunganensis ; iridescent green in A. iriodes ; light brown or yellowish brown in A. nyingchiensis ). Amolops wenshanensis sp. nov. further differs from A. akhaorum , A. archotaphus , A. bellulus , A. chunganensis , A. cucae , A. compotrix , A. daorum , A. gerbillus , A. iriodes , A. mengyangensis , A. monticola , A. nyingchiensis and A. vitreus by lacking dorsal spots (present in these species). Amolops wenshanensis sp. nov. further differs from A. daorum and A. iriodes by lacking a glandular gold-white flank spot (present in both species). Amolops wenshanensis sp. nov. further differs from A. akhaorum , A. archotaphus , A. bellulus , A. chakrataensis , A. cucae , A. compotrix , A. daorum , A. mengyangensis , A. monticola , and A. nyingchiensis by lacking a pineal body (present in these species). Amolops wenshanensis sp. nov. further differs from A. archotaphus , A. cucae , A. compotrix , and A. vitreus by lacking an outer metatarsal tubercle (present in both species). Amolops wenshanensis sp. nov. further differs from A. aniqiaoensis , A. bellulus , A. chakrataensis , and A. nyingchiensis by having smaller body size (SVL 35.7–39.9 mm in males, 43.7–45.6 mm in females of A. wenshanensis sp. nov.; SVL 52.0 mm in the single known male of A. aniqiaoensis ; SVL 46.0–50.0 mm in males, SVL 64.0 mm in the single known female of A. bellulus ; SVL 55.0 mm in the single known female of A. chakrataensis ; and SVL 52.3–58.3 mm in males, 57.6–70.7 mm in females of A. nyingchiensis ). Amolops wenshanensis sp. nov. further differs from A. akhaorum and A. iriodes by having males with nuptial pads (absent in both species). Amolops wenshanensis sp. nov. further differs from A. daorum and A. iriodes by having two oblique vomerine teeth (vomerine teeth absent in A. daorum , vomerine teeth crescent-shaped in A. iriodes ). Amolops wenshanensis sp. nov. further differs from A. vitreus by having non-translucent skin on the venter (present in A. vitreus ). Amolops wenshanensis sp. nov. further differs from A. bellulus and A. nyingchiensis by having males with gular sacs (absent in both species). Amolops wenshanensis sp. nov. further differs from A. chakrataensis and A. monticola by lacking a supratympanic fold (present in A. chakrataenis and A. monticola ). Amolops wenshanensis sp. nov. further differs from A. aniqiaoensis and A. gerbillus by having a distinct tympanum (indistinct in both species).

Amolops wenshanensis sp. nov. is most similar in morphology, and most closely related in mitochondrial DNA ( Fig. 2 ), to A. compotrix and A. cucae from Vietnam and Laos. However, as above, A. wenshanensis sp. nov. is readily distinguished from these two species by lacking distinct transverse bands on dorsal surfaces of limbs, an outer metatarsal tubercle, pineal body, spots on dorsum, and spots on throat and belly (all present in A. compotrix and A. cucae ).

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Figures

FIGURE 1. The two known localities of Amolops wenshanensis sp. nov. at Wenshan National Nature Reserve, Wenshan City, Xichou County, Xiaoqiaogou District, Yunnan Province, China (site 1), and Diding Village, Jingxi County, Guangxi Province, China (site 2). Elevations are presented by different colors.Insert shows the study region (red square) in China.

FIGURE 2. Fifty-percent majority rule consensus phylogram using Bayesian inference for the Amolops monticola group inferred from ND2 and flanking tRNA genes. A “-” denotes a Bayesian posterior probabilities <95% and bootstrap support <70%). The scale bar represents 0.06 nucleotide substitutions per site. Locality numbers next to the species name are defined in Fig.1.

FIGURE 3. Dorsal (A), lateral (B), ventral (C), and posterior thigh (D) views of the holotype male (KIZ021426) of Amolops wenshanensis sp. nov. in life.

FIGURE4. Dorsal(A) andventral (B) views ofthe hand of the holotypemale (KIZ021426)of Amolops wenshanensis sp. nov. in life.

FIGURE5. Dorsal(C) and ventral (D) views of the footof the holotype male (KIZ021426) of Amolops wenshanensis sp. nov. in life.

FIGURE 6. Dorsal (A) and ventral (B) views of the holotype male (KIZ021426) of Amolops wenshanensis sp. nov. in preservative.

FIGURE 7. Habitat at the type locality of Amolops wenshanensis sp. nov., Wenshan National Nature Reserve, Wenshan City, Xichou County, Xiaoqiaogou District, Yunnan Province, China (A), and adult male of Amolops wenshanensis sp. nov. calling in situ at the typelocality (B).

FIGURE 8. Paratype male (KIZ021425) of Amolops wenshanensis sp. nov. in life, showing the aberrant coloration on dorsal and inguinal regions possiblycaused by infection with a fungus or other microorganism.