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| Litoria azuroscelis Günther, Richards, Hamidy, Trilaksono, Sulaeman & Oliver, 2023 RAFFLES BULLETIN OF ZOOLOGY. 71 Photographs: Rainer Günther. |
Abstract
The Litoria graminea group currently consists of seven nominal species of large, predominately green canopy-associated treefrogs from New Guinea and surrounding islands. Here, we first describe a character that appears to diagnose this species group from the similarly large and green Litoria infrafrenata group, specifically nuptial pads comprised of relatively large asperities versus more numerous and tiny asperities. We then describe a new species of this group from the Wondiwoi Mountains at the base of the Wandammen Peninsula in Indonesian New Guinea. The new species differs from other members of the Litoria graminea group in aspects of body proportions, extent of hand webbing, colouration, and size and shape of the male nuptial pad. Discovery of this new species emphasises the until-recently overlooked pattern of multiple co-occurring species of large, green and highly arboreal Litoria in lowland and foothill rainforest areas across much of New Guinea. Over 40 species of frogs were documented in the vicinity of the type locality, emphasising the high species richness of forests on the Wandammen Peninsula.
Key words. frog alpha diversity, Litoria infrafrenata group, Indonesia, nuptial pads
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| Litoria azuroscelis, new species, holotype MZB Amph. 32893 in life. A, lateral view, B, more dorsal view highlighting blue wash on groin and hidden surfaces of hindlimbs. Photographs: Rainer Günther. |
Litoria azuroscelis, new species
Azure-thighed Treefrog
Katak-pohon paha-biru
Diagnosis. A treefrog that differs from other New Guinean Litoria in the following unique combination of characters: body large (adult male SVL to at least 66.6 mm) and robust; vomero-palatines large, prominently raised, each with ~6 small teeth; labial stripe narrow, white, not extending beyond rictus of jaw; dorsum in life predominantly or entirely dark green; enlarged parotoid glands absent; scapular region lacking deep skin creases; webbing on hands extending slightly beyond distal edge of subarticular tubercles at base of penultimate phalanges on inside of Finger 4 and outside of Finger 3; webbing on feet extending to discs on all toes except Toe 4, where it reaches to midway between disc and subarticular tubercle at base of penultimate phalanx; discs very wide (3FD/SVL 0.073–0.074; 4TD/SVL 0.067–0.069); nuptial pads elongate, broader anteriorly than posteriorly, comprised of distinct almost conical asperities; hidden surfaces of limbs purplish blue in life; iris reddish brown; upper half of nictitating membrane largely clear except for dark dorsal margin; and advertisement call consisting of a harsh note (= call) produced singly or more often in series of 2–7 calls with a mean repetition rate of 2.02 calls/s.
Etymology. Named after the colouration on the hidden surfaces of the hindlimbs, from the combination of the Greek azur (deep blue) and scelis, latinised version of Greek skelos (leg).
Rainer Günther, Stephen J. Richards, Amir Hamidy, Wahyu Trilaksono, Taufan N. Sulaeman and Paul M. Oliver. 2023. A New large Green Treefrog (Litoria: Pelodryadidae) from western New Guinea, with the Description of A New Diagnostic Character for the Litoria graminea Group. RAFFLES BULLETIN OF ZOOLOGY. 71; 417–429.
https://lkcnhm.nus.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/RBZ-2023-0031.pdf
