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| Kurixalus gracilloides
Nguyen, Duong, Luu & Poyarkov, 2020
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ABSTRACT
We describe a new species of rhacophorid frogs from Nghe An Province in northern Vietnam based on morphological and molecular evidences. Morphologically, Kurixalus gracilloides sp. nov. is distinguished from its congeners by a combination of the following diagnostic characters: body size small (snout–vent length 27.9–31.2 mm in males); head width subequal to head length; snout rounded with no dermal projection; canthus rostralis distinct, curved; vomerine teeth present; single internal vocal sac; iris golden-brown; small nuptial pad in finger I; dorsal surfaces golden-brown with a saddle-shaped dark marking; large dark spots on ventral surfaces absent; dermal fringes along outer edge of limbs; conical dermal appendage at the heel; skin on dorsum rough; skin on throat and chest granular; finger webbing rudimentary and toe webbing moderately developed, webbing formula I 2–2½ II 1½–3 III 1¾–3½ IV 3–1½ V. The new species is separated from all other congeners by uncorrected genetic distances ranging from 5.4% to 12.7% based on mitochondrial 16S rRNA gene. Phylogenetic analyses of mtDNA suggest that the new species is nested within a clade of Taiwanese and Yunnan Kurixalus with strong support values. The new species is currently known only from secondary bamboo forest in Pu Mat National Park, northern Vietnam, at elevations of 150 m asl. We suggest the new species should be considered as Near Threatened (NT) following the IUCN’s Red List categories.
KEYWORDS: Kurixalus gracilloides sp. nov., Gracixalus, Pu Mat National Park, Nghe An Province, morphology, mtDNA, 16S rRNA
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| Distribution of the genus Kurixalus and the new species. (a) Map of Southeast Asia with approximate range of the genus Kurixalus; distribution of each main clade is shown in green (Clade A), red (Clade B) and blue (Clade C); colours correspond to those shown in Figure 2. Green star designates the type locality of Kurixalus gracilloides sp. nov.; black dot in the centre of the icon indicates the type locality (Pu Mat National Park). Black square indicates the inset shown in detail in B. (b) Map of northern Vietnam and adjacent regions, showing distribution of Kurixalus Clade A members: 1 – Pu Mat National Park, Nghe An Province, Vietnam (type locality of K. gracilloides sp. nov.); 2 – Lenquan, Mengzi, Yunnan Province, China (type locality of K. lenquanensis); 3 – Yangjiatian, Gejiu, Yunnan Province, China (locality of K. lenquanensis). Photo by Tan Van Nguyen. |
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| Figure 3. Holotype of Kurixalus gracilloides sp. nov. (SIEZC 30188), male, in life. (a) Dorsolateral view; (b) dorsal view; (c) dorsolateral view of head; (d) lateral view of limbs; (e) axillary area colouration; (f) ventral view. Photos by Tan Van Nguyen. |
Family RHACOPHORIDAE Hoffman, 1932
Genus Kurixalus Ye, Fei, & Dubois in Fei, 1999
Kurixalus gracilloides sp. nov.
Etymology: The specific epithet ‘gracilloides’ is a Latin adjective in nominative singular, derived from
Latin ‘gracilis’ (gracile, thin) and ‘-oides’ (similar to, resembling something). The species
name is given to a remarkable similarity of the new species with several species of the
genus Gracixalus in body shape and dorsum colouration.
Recommended vernacular names: We suggest the following common names: Gracile Frilled Treefrog (English), Stroynyi
Bakhromchatyi Veslonog (Russian) and Ếch cây rìa chân mảnh (Vietnamese).
Tan Van Nguyen, Tang Van Duong, Kien Trung Luu and Nikolay A. Poyarkov. 2020. A New Species of Kurixalus (Anura: Rhacophoridae) from northern Vietnam with Comments on the Biogeography of the Genus. Journal of Natural History. DOI: 10.1080/00222933.2020.1728411
