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| Nidirana yeae
Wei, Li, Liu, Cheng, Xu & Wang, 2020
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Abstract
The Music frog genus Nidirana is widely distributed in East and South Asia. Here, a new species of the genus is described from southwestern China. Phylogenetic analyses based on the mitochondrial 16S rRNA and COI gene sequences supported the new species as a clade closely related to N. leishanensis, N. hainanensis, N. chapaensis, N. daunchina, and N. yaoica. The new species could be distinguished from its congeners by a combination of the following characters: body of medium size (SVL 41.2–43.5 mm in males and 44.7 mm in female); lateroventral groove only present on toes; relative finger lengths: II < IV < I < III; three metatarsal tubercles on palm; heels overlapping when hindlimbs flexed at right angles to axis of body; tibiotarsal articulation reaching the level of eye when leg stretched forward; a pair of subgular internal vocal sacs at corners of throat in male; nuptial pad present on the inner side of base of fingers I in breeding male; tadpole labial tooth row formula with 1:1+1/1+1:2; in males, the advertisement call contains two kinds of notes and one call contains 2–6 repeated regular notes.
Keywords: Call, molecular phylogenetic analyses, morphology, Nidirana yeae sp. nov., taxonomy
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| Figure 4. Photos of the holotype CIBTZ20190608004 of Nidirana yeae sp. nov. in life. A Dorsal view B ventral view C dorsal view of hand D ventral view of hand E ventral view of foot. Key: 1 indicates nuptial pad on the inner side of finger I. |
Nidirana yeae sp. nov.
Diagnosis: Nidirana yeae sp. nov. is assigned to the genus Nidirana based on molecular data and the following combination of characters: absence of thumb-like structure on finger I; disks of digits dilated, rounded; dorsolateral folds distinct; the presence of large suprabrachial gland in male.
Nidirana yeae sp. nov. could be distinguished from its congeners by a combination of the following characters: (1) body of medium size (SVL 41.2–43.5 mm in males and 44.7 mm in female); (2) lateroventral groove only present on toes; (3) relative finger lengths: II < IV < I < III; (4) three metatarsal tubercles on palm; (5) heels overlapping when hindlimbs flexed at right angles to axis of body; (6) tibiotarsal articulation reaching the level of eye when leg stretched forward; (7) a pair of subgular internal vocal sacs at corners of throat in male; (8) nuptial pad present on the inner side of base of fingers I in male in breeding season; (9) tadpole labial tooth row formula with 1:1+1/1+1:2; (10) in male, the advertisement call containing two kinds of note and the call containing 2–6 repeated regular notes.
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| Figure 6. Colour variation in Nidirana yeae sp. nov. A Dorsal view of male specimen CIBTZ20190608003 B dorsal view of male specimen CIBTZ20190608016 C dorsal view of female specimen CIBTZ20190608005 D dorsal view of male specimen CIBTZ20190608006 E ventral view of male specimen CIBTZ20190608006 F ventral view of female specimen CIBTZ20190608005. |
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| Figure 8. Habitats of Nidirana yeae sp. nov. in the type locality, Huanglian Town, Tongzi County, Guizhou Province, China. A Landscape of montane forests in the type locality B a paddy field occupied by the species in its type locality. insert: a male of Nidirana yeae sp. nov. in the paddy field. |
Ecology: Nidirana yeae sp. nov. is currently found from the paddy field (28.44317N, 107.02003E; ca. 1170 m a. s. l.) in Huanglian Town, Tongzi County, Guizhou Province, China. The individuals were found on the paddy field near an evergreen broad-leaved forest (Fig. 8). Tadpoles of the species could be found in the water. Two sympatric amphibians, Zhangixalus omeimontis (Stejneger, 1924) and Polypedates braueri (Vogt, 1911) were also found in the type locality.
Etymology: The specific name yeae is in homage to the famous taxonomist Ye Chang-Yuan for her great contributions to Chinese amphibian research. For the common name, we suggest Ye’s Music Frog (English) and Ye Shi Qin Wa (Chinese).
Gang Wei, Shi-Ze Li, Jing Liu, Yan-Lin Cheng, Ning Xu and Bin Wang. 2020. A New Species of the Music Frog Nidirana (Anura, Ranidae) from Guizhou Province, China. ZooKeys. 904: 63-87. DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.904.39161
