A new species of Gracixalus (Anura, Rhacophoridae) from Yunnan, China

By

Yu, Guohua
Hui, Hong
Wang, Jian (Herpetologist)
Rao, Dingqi
Wu, Zhengjun
Yang, Jun–Xing

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2019

Original Publication

ZooKeys

Volume

851

Pages

91-111

Subjects

Gracixalus yunnanensis sp. n , Rhacophoridae , southwestern China , taxonomy

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Sofia, Bulgaria Pensoft Publishers

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.851.32157

 

Abstract

A new species of the genusGracixalus,Gracixalusyunnanensissp. n., is described based on a series of specimens collected from southwestern and southern Yunnan, China. This species is distinguished from all other known congeners by a combination of the following characters: relatively small body size in adult males (SVL 26.0–34.2 mm); dorsal surface yellow brown or red brown; distinctive conical asperities on dorsum; males with an external subgular vocal sac and linea masculina; throat, chest, and belly nearly immaculate; venter surface orangish with yellow spots, semi-transparent; snout rounded; supratympanic fold distinct; iris bronze; lack of white patch on temporal region; tibiotarsal projection absent; sides of body nearly smooth with no black blotch; finger webbing rudimentary; and toe webbing formula I1.5–2II1.5–2.7III.5–3IV2.5–1.5V. Genetically, the new species diverges from its congeners by 2.2%–14.1% (uncorrected p-distance) and is closest toG.guangdongensis. However, the new species can morphologically be separated fromG.guangdongensisby distinctive conical tubercles on dorsum (versus absent), lateral surface nearly smooth with no black blotches on ventrolateral region (versus lateral surface rough, scattered with tubercles and black blotches on ventrolateral region), snout rounded (versus triangularly pointed), iris bronze (versus iris brown), and ventral surface orangish (versus throat and chest creamy white and belly light brown).