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Cophixalus brevidigitus, C. pusillus & C. melanogenys Günther & Richards, 2021 |
Abstract
We describe three new species of frogs in the asterophryine microhylid genus Cophixalus from New Guinea's central cordillera. All three are characterized by their very small size (adult body length < 18 mm), reduced first fingers, narrow ridges on the dorsum, and having terminal discs on the fingers smaller than or the same size as those on the toes. They were found on the forest floor or on low vegetation in montane rainforest, where males called at night during or after heavy rain. Each of the new species is known only from one or two locations within a small area of central Papua New Guinea, although the extent of suitable habitat in the region suggests that their distributions may be broader. This study brings to 51 the number of described Cophixalus species known from the New Guinea region, but numerous additional undescribed forms reside in museum collections awaiting formal description, and others undoubtedly await discovery in their natural habitats.
Keywords: Amphibia, central cordillera, Hela Province, new species, Southern Highlands Province
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Cophixalus brevidigitus, C. pusillus & C. melanogenys |
Cophixalus brevidigitus, new species
Etymology.— Brevis is a Latin adjective meaning “short”; digitus is a singular masculine Latin substantive and means “finger” or “toe”. The specific epithet “brevidigitus” is a compound masculine substantive in apposition and refers to the very short first finger of the new species.
Cophixalus pusillus, new species
Etymology.— The specific epithet pusillus is a nominative Latin masculine adjective meaning “tiny” and refers to the very small body size of this new species.
Cophixalus melanogenys, new species
Etymology.— The specific epithet melanogenys is a single-ending Latinized Greek compound substantive in apposition combining melanus, meaning “black”, and genys (from gena), meaning “cheek”.
Rainer Günther and Stephen Richards. 2021. Three New Tiny Species of the Microhylid Frog Genus Cophixalus Boettger, 1892 from central Papua New Guinea. Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington. 134(1); 339-362. DOI: 10.2988/0006-324X-134.339
