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| Leptolalax macrops
Duong, Do, Ngo, Nguyen & Poyarkov, 2018
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ABSTRACT
We describe a new species of megophryid frog from Phu Yen Province in southern Vietnam. Leptolalax macrops sp. nov. is distinguished from its congeners by a combination of the following morphological attributes: (1) body size medium (SVL 28.0–29.3 mm in three adult males, 30.3 mm in single adult female); (2) supra-axillary glands present, creamy white; ventrolateral glands indistinct; (3) tympanum externally distinct; (4) dorsal skin roughly granular with larger tubercles, dermal ridges on dorsum absent; (5) rudimentary webbing present between fingers I–II and II–III; rudimentary webbing between all toes; fingers and toes without dermal fringes; (6) in life ventral surface greyish-violet with white speckling; (7) supratympanic fold distinct, dark brown in life; (8) iris bicolored, typically golden in upper half, fading to golden green in lower half; (9) tibia short (TbL/SVL 0.44–0.45 in males); and (10) eyes large and protuberant (ED/SVL 0.15–0.16 in males). From all congeners for which comparable sequences are available, the new species differs markedly in the 16S rRNA mitochondrial gene sequence (P-distance>5.7%). The new species is currently known only from montane evergreen tropical forests of Song Hinh District, Phu Yen Province, and M’Drak District of Dak Lak Province at elevations of 470–630 m a.s.l. We suggest the new species should be considered as Data Deficient following the IUCN’s Red List categories. We also report a previously unknown Leptolalax mtDNA lineage from an evergreen tropical forest in the Hoa Thinh District of Phu Yen Province, which may also represent an undescribed species.
Keywords: Leptolalax macrops sp. nov.; Phu Yen Province; Dak Lak Province; Southern coastal region of Vietnam
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| Figure 5: Male paratype of Leptolalax macrops sp. nov. (IEBR A.2017.9) in life (Photo taken in situ. Photo by Dang Trong Do) |
Leptolalax macrops sp. nov.
Chresonymy: Leptolalax sp. [molecular lineage 7] — Rowley et al., 2015a: 10, 12.
Etymology: Specific epithet “macrops” is a noun in the nominative case, derived from Greek “macros” for “large” and “ops” for “eye”, in reference to its comparatively large eye size.
Recommended vernacular names: We recommend “Big-eyed Litter Frog” as the common English name of the new species and the common name in Vietnamese as “Cóc mày mắt to”
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| Figure 5: Male paratype of Leptolalax macrops sp. nov. (IEBR A.2017.9) in life. Figure 6: Typical habitat (A) and microhabitat (B) of Leptolalax macrops sp. nov. in type locality: Suoi Khi Stream, Hon Den Mt., Ea Ly and Ea Trol commune border, Song Hinh District, Phu Yen Province, Vietnam
(Photos by Dang Trong Do)
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Tang Van Duong, Dang Trong Do, Chung Dac Ngo, Truong Quang Nguyen and Nikolay A. Poyarkov, Jr. 2018. A New Species of the Genus Leptolalax (Anura: Megophryidae) from southern Vietnam. ZOOLOGICAL RESEARCH. 38(3); 1-16. DOI: 10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2018.009