Monday, December 12, 2022

[Herpetology • 2021] Megophrys lushuiensis • A New Species of Megophrys Kuhl & Van Hasselt, 1822 (Anura: Megophryidae) from western Yunnan Province, China


Megophrys lushuiensis 
 Shi, Li, Zhu, Jiang, Jiang & Wang, 2021

Lushui Horned Toad | 泸水角蟾  ||  DOI:  10.11646/zootaxa.4942.3.3 

Abstract
A new species of genus Megophrys from Gaoligong Mountains, Yunnan Province, China is described. Phylogenetic analyses based on mitochondrial DNA and nuclear DNA all clustered the new species as an independent clade nested into the subgenus Panophrys. The smallest genetic distance based on 16S rRNA gene between the new species and its congeners was 3.0%. The new species could be identified from its congeners by a combination of following characters: moderate body size (SVL 31.0–34.8 mm in males); vomerine ridge weak, vomerine teeth absent; dorsal skin relatively smooth; tongue slightly notched behind; tympanum rounded and relatively large, 0.54 times of eye length; a horn-like tubercle on edge of each upper eyelid small; tibio-tarsal articulation reaches middle eye when leg stretched forward; finger tips rounded, not expanded to small pad; toes with narrow fringes and rudimentary webbing; ventral hindlimbs semitransparent purplish with greyish white pigments; ventral body scattered with distinct dark patches in the middle.
 
Keywords: Amphibia, Taxonomy, new species, Megophrys, Gaoligong Mountains

 Locations of two sampling localities of Megophrys lushuiensis sp. nov. and the type localities of its closely related species.
1, Luzhang Town, Lushui County, Yunnan Province, China, the type locality of  Megophrys lushuiensis sp. nov. 2, another locality of the new species, Laowo Town, Lushui County, Yunnan Province, China.
Type localities for its closely related species: M. angka, Kiew Mae Pan nature trail in Doi Inthanon, Chiang Mai Province, Thailand; M. binchuanensis, Mt. Jizushan, Binchuan County, Yunnan Province, China; M. binlingensis, Bingling Town, Hongya County, Sichuan Province, China; M. caobangensis, Phia Oac-Phia Den National Park, Nguyen Binh District, Cao Bang Province, Vietnam; M. daweimontis, Mt. Daweishan, Pingbian County, Yunnan Province, China; M. jingdongensis and M. wuliangshanensis, Jingdong County, Yunnan Province, China; M. omeimontis, Mt. Emei, Leshan City, Sichuan Province, China; M. palpebralespinosa, Chapa, Tonkin, Vietnam; M. rubrimera, Sa Pa District, Lao Cai Province, Vietnam; M. sangzhiensis, Mt. Badagongshan, Sangzhi County, Hunan Province, China; M. spinata, Mt. Leigongshan, Leishan County, Guizhou Province, China.

 Megophrys lushuiensis sp. nov. 
Photos of the holotype CIBYN201909290 in life.
A, dorsal view. B, ventral view. C, lateral view. D, ventral view of hand. E, ventral view of foot. F, maxillary view, noting vomerine ridges weak and vomerine teeth absent.

  Color variation in  Megophrys lushuiensis sp. nov. in life.
A and B, dorsolateral and ventral view of adult male paratype CIBYN201909283, SVL 31.0 mm, respectively. C and D, dorsolateral view of two juveniles in situ, SVL 17.8−18.7 mm.



Shengchao Shi, Donghui Li, Wenbo Zhu, Wen Jiang, Jianping Jiang and Bin Wang. 2021. Description of A New Toad of Megophrys Kuhl & Van Hasselt, 1822 (Amphibia: Anura: Megophryidae) from western Yunnan Province, China. Zootaxa. 4942(3); 351–381. DOI:  10.11646/zootaxa.4942.3.3