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| Boulenophrys gutu Kuang, Wei & Shi, in Kuang, Wei, Luo, Pei, Cao, Zhang, Huang, Pu et Shi, 2025. |
Abstract
Boulenophrys gutu sp. nov. was described from Mt. Hengshan, and B. hengshanensis was re-described based on the holotype and newly collected specimens using phylogenetic and morphological evidence. The new species forms an independent clade, and it is diagnosed by a combination of following characters: (1) male SVL 34.4–44.7 mm (n = 7), female SVL 36.2–52.8 mm (n = 8); (2) dorsal surface of head, body, and limbs relatively smooth; (3) vomerine ridge weak, vomerine teeth absent; (4) narrow lateral fringes on toes; (5) heels moderate long, meeting when thighs are positioned at right angles to body; (6) supratympanic fold behind tympanum thick, distinctly enlarged with thickness near diameter of tympanum; (7) inner metatarsal tubercle small (IMT/SVL 4.4–5.2%); (8) several large dark brown patches along both ventrolateral sides of abdomen; (9) coloration of inner and outer metacarpal tubercle, inner metatarsal tubercle, and tip of digits ivory. Phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA and COI genes revealed that B. hengshanensis is sister to B. wugongensis. Morphological comparisons showed that B. hengshanensis is diagnosed by a combination of following characters: (1) moderate body size, male SVL 34.4–38.0 mm (n = 9), female SVL 48.4 mm (n = 1); (2) weak vomerine ridge, absence of vomerine teeth; (3) tongue not notched behind; (4) a small horn-like tubercle on upper eyelid; (5) rudimentary webbing between toes; (6) narrow lateral fringes on toes; (7) heels relatively short, not meeting when thighs are positioned at right angles to body; (8) supratympanic fold behind tympanum narrow, not distinctly enlarged; (9) a pair of dark brown broad stripes along ventrolateral sides of abdomen; (10) dense creamy white dots present on lower abdomen, merge with deep brown patches without clear boundary.
Keywords: Boulenophrys gutu; Boulenophrys hengshanensis; taxonomy; phylogeny; morphology
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| Holotype of Boulenophrys gutu sp. nov. CIB NY20240402004 in life. (A) dorsolateral body; (B) dorsal body; (C) ventral body; (D) lateral head; (E) ventral hand; (F) ventral feet; (G) nuptial pads on inner two fingers. |
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| Paratypes of Boulenophrys gutu sp. nov. in life. (A) male paratype JHUN SSC24148 calling on a bamboo leaf; (B, C) dorsolateral and ventral view of female paratype CIB NY20240402005; (D, E) dorsolateral and ventral view of female paratype CIB SSC1804. |
Boulenophrys gutu sp. nov. Kuang, Wei, and Shi
Diagnosis. Boulenophrys gutu sp. nov. is distinguished from congeners by a combination of following characters: (1) male SVL 34.4–44.7 mm (n = 7), female SVL 36.2–52.8 mm (n = 8); (2) dorsal surface of the head, body, and limbs relatively smooth; (3) vomerine ridge weak, vomerine teeth absent; (4) narrow lateral fringes on toes; (5) heels moderate long, meeting when thighs are positioned at right angles to body; (6) supratympanic fold behind tympanum thick, distinctly enlarged with thickness near diameter of tympanum; (7) inner metatarsal tubercle small (IMT/SVL 4.4–5.2%); (8) several large dark brown patches along both ventrolateral sides of abdomen; (9) coloration of inner and outer metacarpal tubercle, inner metatarsal tubercle, and tip of digits ivory.
Etymology. The specific epithet gutu (顾莵 in Chinese) refers to the “toad” on the moon in ancient Chinese poetry Tian Wen (天问) by Qu Yuan (屈原, 340–278 BC) of Chu State (楚国) in the Warring States Period. The poetry documented many questions about nature, including why there is “toad” on the moon (厥利维何，而顾菟在腹). This species is named to commemorate the shared spirit of exploration of humankind. We suggest 顾莵角蟾 [ɡùtù jiǎo chán] as the Chinese name.
Dai-Yong Kuang, Yi-Fu Wei, Yi-Sha Luo, Kang-Wen Pei, Ying-Yue Cao, Meng-Fei Zhang, Tai-Fu Huang, Ling Pu and Sheng-Chao Shi. 2025. A New Species of Boulenophrys (Megophyridae) from Mt. Hengshan, Hunan Province, China, with Re-Description on B. hengshanensis. Animals. 15(18), 2745. DOI: doi.org/10.3390/ani15182745 [19 September 2025]
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Evolution, Diversity, and Conservation of Herpetofauna: Second Edition)
Simple Summary: The genus Boulenophrys is a diverse group of Megophryinae found in southeastern Asia and southern China. In 2023, B. hengshanensis was described from Mt. Hengshan, Hunan Province, South-central China. However, based on morphological and phylogenetic analyses, we found that the type specimens of recently described species B. hengshanensis actually included specimens of two species. Hence, we revised the description and diagnosis of B. hengshanensis based on the holotype (HUNL 0706000A), the female paratype (HUNL 1997:6–17), and nine newly collected specimens provided in this study, and described the other species from Mt. Hengshan as B. gutu sp. nov.
