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| Nidirana chongqingensis Ma & Wang, 2023 |
Abstract
Background: The Nidirana Dubois, 1992 exhibit a ubiquitous presence in East and Southeast Asia, spanning from Japan west to southern China and from northern Thailand to northern Vietnam and Laos in the south. The taxonomic categorisations pertaining to this genus continue to be a subject of debate, particularly with regard to those species that possess broad geographical distributions. In China, 18 species of Nidirana are currently recognised.
New information: We describe a new species of this genus from south-western China. Mitochondrial 16S and COⅠ gene phylogenetic analyses support the new species as an independent clade nested within the Nidirana. The new species is phylogenetically close to N. yaoica, with a genetic distance of 2.5% from its sister taxon. Morphologically, the new species can be distinguished from congeners by a combination of the following characteristics: males relatively small (SVL 41.8-43.3 mm); lateroventral grooves present on both fingers and toes; relative finger length Ⅱ < Ⅰ < Ⅳ < Ⅲ; tibio-tarsal articulation reaching to the level of the eye or nostril; a pair of external subgular vocal sacs in males; one single nuptial pad on the dorsal surface of the base of the first finger in males during the breeding season; webbing formula I 1/2 - 1 II 1/2 - 2 III 1 - 2½ IV 2 - 1V.
Keywords: Chongqing Municipality, mitochondrial DNA, morphology, Nidirana chongqingensis sp. nov.
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| Holotype of Nidirana chongqingensis sp. nov. (SWU0001408) in life. A lateral view; B dorsal view; C ventral view; D ventral view of hand; E ventral view of foot; F dorsal view of foot. |
Nidirana chongqingensis Ma & Wang, sp. n.
Diagnosis:
The new species was placed in the genus Nidirana based on molecular data (16S and COI genes).
The new species could be distinguished from its congeners by a combination of the following characters: (1) body size small (SVL 41. 8-43. 3 mm in males); (2) indistinct canthus rostralis; (3) no longitudinal ridges on the upper arm; (4) lateroventral grooves on the ventral side of all fingers and toes; (5) supernumerary tubercles below the base of fingers III and IV, inconspicuous; (6) metacarpal tubercles distinct and prominent; (7) well-developed dorsolateral folds, but intermittent posteriorly; (8) supratympanic fold absent; (9) males with large, smooth and protruding suprabrachial glands in breeding period; (10) dorsal skin relatively smooth, without horny spines on the back; (11) mid-dorsal stripe present; (12) ventral surface of body milky white, but the throat, chest and ventral side of the limbs are densely covered with brownish-red or brown-black spots; (13) tibio-tarsal articulation reaching the angle of the eye or the nostril when adpressed along body, heels not meeting or just meeting when hind limbs flexed at a straight angle to the body's axis; (14) a pair of external subgular vocal sacs in males; (15) males with one single nuptial pad on the dorsal surface first finger in the breeding period; (16) finger tips not dilated, tip of each toe slightly dilated (Table 2).
Etymology: The specific name "Chongqing" refers to the type locality of the new species in Chongqing Municipality, where the new species was collected.
Common name: “Chongqing Music Frog” in English and
“重庆琴蛙 (Chóng qìng qín wā)” in Chinese.
Qi Ma and Zhijian Wang. 2023. A New Species of Nidirana Dubois, 1992 (Anura, Ranidae) from Chongqing Municipality, China. Biodiversity Data Journal. 11: e101986. DOI: 10.3897/BDJ.11.e101986