A new Asian leaf litter toad of the genus Leptobrachella (Amphibia, Anura, Megophryidae) from central south China

By

Liu, Jing
Shi, Shengchao
Li, Shize
Zhang, Mengfei
Xiang, Sunjun
Wei, Gang
Wang, Bin

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2023

Original Publication

ZooKeys

Volume

1149

Pages

103--134

Subjects

China , molecular phylogenetic analyses , Morphology , new species , taxonomy

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Sofia, Bulgaria Pensoft Publishers

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1149.85895

 

Abstract

A new species of the Asian leaf litter toad genusLeptobrachellafrom central south China is described. Molecular phylogenetic analyses, based on mitochondrial 16S rRNA and nuclear RAG1 gene sequences indicated the new species as an independent clade in the genus. The new species could be distinguished from its congeners by a combination of the following characters: body of medium size (SVL 29.2–34.2 mm in 15 adult males and 34.4–43.1 mm in seven adult females); distinct black spots present on flanks; toes rudimentary webbed, with wide lateral fringes; ventral belly white with distinct nebulous brown speckling on ventrolateral flanks; skin on dorsum shagreened with fine tiny granules or short ridges; iris copper above, silver below; heels overlapped when thighs are positioned at right angles to the body; tibia-tarsal articulation reaches the middle eye; dorsal surface of tadpole semi-transparent light brown, spots on tail absent, keratodont row formula I: 3+3/2+2: I; call series basically consist of repeated long calls, at dominant frequency (5093 ± 412 Hz).