Afrixalus cf. quadrivittatus (Werner, 1908)

Badjedjea, Gabriel, Masudi, Franck M., Akaibe, Benjamin Dudu & Gvoždík, Václav, 2022, Amphibians of Kokolopori: an introduction to the amphibian fauna of the Central Congolian Lowland Forests, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Amphibian & Reptile Conservation (e 301) 16 (1), pp. 35-70 : 51

Afrixalus cf. quadrivittatus (Werner, 1908)

Fig. 7D.

Area: Yalokole, Yetee, Yotemankele.

Season/survey: Wet (May 2018, Nov 2018), dry (Aug 2019).

Material: CSB:Herp: RNBK 156, 172, 173, 175, 185, 196, 208, 231, 233, 402, 405, 424, 436, 510, 511, 658– 663, 673; IVB-H-CD 18094, 18135–18137, 18360– 18363, 18391–18395.

Comments: The striped Afrixalus from Central Africa usually known as A. fulvovittatus (Cope, 1861) and/or A. quadrivittatus seemingly represent more than two species and form a species complex together with A. dorsalis (Peters, 1875) , which probably also represents more than one species ( Portik et al. 2019). Moreover, the latter is also known to have a striped morph, which further complicates morphological identifications ( Schiøtz 1999). These striped Afrixalus have been known under several names either as subspecies or full species depending on the taxonomic authority as A. ( fulvovittatus ) brevipalmatus ( Ahl, 1931), A. ( fulvovittatus ) leptosomus (Peters, 1877), A. ( fulvovittatus ) quadrivittatus , or A. “ quadrivittatus ” Pickersgill, 2007 ( Amiet 2012; Amiet and Goutte 2017; Frétey et al. 2011; Laurent 1982; Pickersgill 2007; Schiøtz 1999). The nomen leptosomus is now considered a synonym of A. dorsalis ( Amiet 2012; Frétey et al. 2011) in line with the opinion of earlier authors ( Perret 1976b; Schiøtz 1999). Afrixalus fulvovittatus is the oldest available name for this frog group. The type locality is in Liberia, and the species is now believed to be distributed only in West Africa ( Channing and Rödel 2019). Afrixalus quadrivittatus has the type locality in South Sudan and is believed to be distributed in East Africa with unclear limits westward in Central Africa ( Channing and Rödel 2019). Frétey et al. (2011) hypothesized that this species is widespread throughout Central Africa, similar to the hypothesis of Laurent (1982; as subspecies A. f. quadrivittatus ). The taxonomic situation is obviously complex ( Portik et al. 2019) and a molecular phylogeographic approach is needed to resolve it. Afrixalus ( fulvovittatus ) brevipalmatus is the available name applicable to the Cameroonian and Equatorial Guinean populations (type locality: Sangmelima, Cameroon; Amiet 2012; Amiet and Goutte 2017; Sánchez-Vialas et al. 2020). For the Kokolopori population we follow Laurent (1982), a respected Congo herpetology expert, who hypothesized that A. quadrivittatus is widespread from East Africa to the Congo. However, in respect to the distance to the type locality, we refer to this species as A. cf. quadrivittatus , pending a thorough taxonomic revision. In Kokolopori, we found this species mostly in open areas on higher herbaceous vegetation, usually along streams, and commonly together with A. osorioi .