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| Amolops yangi Wu, Yu, Lu, Yuan & Che, in Wu, Yu, Lu, Zhang, Dong, Liu, Kilunda, Xiong, Jiang, Ouyang, Fu, He, Yuan et Che, 2024. Photos by Zhong-Bin Yu. |
Abstract
The torrent frogs of the genus Amolops represent a great anuran diversification in southern China and Southeast Asia. Previous studies have shown that, the diversity of this genus still remains underestimated. During herpetological surveys from 2021 to 2022, several Amolops specimens were collected from the international border regions of southwestern Yunnan Province, China. Herein, we utilized molecular phylogenetic and morphological data to identify these specimens. Our findings indicate the presence of a separate and previously unknown lineage in the A. viridimaculatus group, which we formally describe as a new species. Furthermore, the specimen from Xishuangbanna National Nature Reserve clustered with A. vitreus from the paratype, supporting the morphological diagnosis. Therefore, we describe a new species and a new species record for China. Our study contributes to the species richness of the genus Amolops as well as the diversity of amphibians in China. Notably, our discovery brings the total number of Amolops species to 85 and the total number of torrent frog species known to occur in China to 53. In addition, our study further confirmed that Yunnan and Indochina Peninsula have similar faunal composition, implying that more studies are needed to achieve a complete understanding of the species diversity and distribution pattern.
Key words: Amolops yangi sp. nov., Amolops vitreus, new species, new species record, Southwest border of China, Yunnan Province
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| Amolops yangi sp. nov. (Holotype KIZ 038643). A Lateral view, B dorsal view, C ventral view of thighs, D ventral view of hand, E foot, F habitat. Photos by Zhong-Bin Yu. |
Amolops yangi Wu, Yu, Lu, Yuan & Che, sp. nov.
Diagnosis: Amolops yangi sp. nov. is assigned to the genus Amolops based on molecular phylogenetic analyses and can be distinguished from its congeners by a combination of the following characters: (1) medium body size (SVL 46.3–51.8 mm in males and at least 51.5 mm in female); (2) vomerine teeth developed, on two short oblique between choanae, equal in distance from each other as to choanae; (3) supernumerary tubercles present at the base of each finger; (4) tympanum indistinct; (5) three metacarpal tubercles, inner metacarpal tubercle long, outer metacarpal tubercle relatively small, oval, median one rounded; (6) supratympanic fold indistinct; (7) discontinuous glandular dorsolateral fold from rear of eye to near vent; (8) circummarginal grooves present on tips of outer three fingers, absent on first finger; (9) iris distinctly bicolored, golden-yellow in upper one-fourth and reddish brown in lower three-fourths, black reticulations throughout; (10) rictal gland absent; (11) dorsal surface of the head, back, limbs, fingers, and toes green, interspersed with irregular black spots; (12) dorsal parts of limbs, fingers and toes with black crossbars; (13) vocal sac absent in males; (14) male with orange nuptial pad at the base of first finger.
Etymology: The specific epithet “yangi” is a patronymic noun in the genitive singular; derived from the name of Prof. Da-Tong Yang of the Kunming Institute of Zoology, CAS, China. We acknowledge his great contributions to the herpetological research in southwestern China. We suggest the Chinese formal name as “杨氏湍蛙”.
Yun-He Wu, Zhong-Bin Yu, Chen-Qi Lu, Yin-Peng Zhang, Wen-Jie Dong, Xiao-Long Liu, Felista Kasyoka Kilunda, Yun Xiong, Yun-Fang Jiang, Hong Ouyang, Zhong-Xiong Fu, Yun-Biao He, Zhi-Yong Yuan and Jing Che. 2024. A New Species of the Genus Amolops (Amphibia: Ranidae) and the first national record of Amolops vitreus from China. Vertebrate Zoology. 74: 343-357. DOI: 10.3897/vz.74.e108013
