Megophrys (Xenophrys) ancrae Mahony, Teeling & Biju, 2013

Mahony, Stephen, Kamei, Rachunliu G., Teeling, Emma C. & Biju, S. D., 2020, Taxonomic review of the Asian Horned Frogs (Amphibia: Megophrys Kuhl & Van Hasselt) of Northeast India and Bangladesh previously misidentified as M. parva (Boulenger), with descriptions of three new species, Journal of Natural History 54 (1 - 4), pp. 119-194 : 140-142

Megophrys (Xenophrys) ancrae Mahony, Teeling & Biju, 2013

Megophrys ancrae Mahony, Teeling & Biju, 2013, p. 145 , In: Three new species of horned frogs, Megophrys ( Amphibia : Megophryidae ), from northeast India, with a resolution to the identity of Megophrys boettgeri populations reported from the region. Zootaxa, 3722 (2), 143 – 169.

Holotype. Adult male ( ZSI A 11606 [field tag SDBDU 2011.307 ]) from ‘ 6th mile (27°29.833 ′ N 96°23.467 ′ E, 420 m asl.) approx. 3 km from Deban Guest House , Deban , Namdapha National Park and Tiger Reserve , Changlang district, Arunachal Pradesh state, northeast India ’, collected by the Systematics Lab members on 2 June 2011 ( Mahony et al. 2013).

Paratypes. Adult male ( ZSI A 11607 [field tag SDBDU 2011.308 ]) collected along with holotype; four adult males ( BNHS 5598 [field tag SDBDU 2011.347 ], BNHS 5600 – 5602 [field tags SDBDU 2011.392 – 394 ]), one subadult female ( ZSI A 11608 [field tag SDBDU 2011.391 ]) and one adult female ( BNHS 5599 [field tag SDBDU 2011.357 ]), from ‘ Bornulla forest stream (27°32.367 ʹ N 96°28.650 ʹ E, 790 m asl.), Namdapha National Park

and Tiger Reserve , Changlang district, Arunachal Pradesh state, northeast India ’, collected by the Systematics Lab members on 3 May 2011 ( Mahony et al. 2013) .

Originally referred specimens. Two adult males ( SDBDU 2009.727 [ Figure 4 (a,c,d)] & SDBDU 2009.730 [ Figure 4 (b,d)]) from ‘ approx . 1 km before reaching Deban Guest House (27°29.846 ʹ N 96°23.470 ʹ E, 330 m asl.), Deban , Namdapha National Park and Tiger Reserve , Changlang district, Arunachal Pradesh state, northeast India ’, collected by the Systematics Lab members on 20 June 2009 ( Mahony et al. 2013) .

Morphological comparisons. Megophrys ancrae (adult males, N = 8; adult female, N = 1; subadult female, N = 1) was originally compared with M. parva s.s. (i.e. the paralectotypes only) so refer to Mahony et al. (2013) for the comparison distinguishing these two species. See relevant Comparison sections below for morphological differences between M. ancrae and other M. (X.) megacephala SG taxa.

Suggested common name. We suggest ‘ Namdapha Horned Frog ’ based on the species ’ type locality.

Distribution. This species is thus far Fknown only from the type locality and surrounding foothill areas (330 – 790 m asl.) in Namdapha National Park and Tiger Reserve in Changlang district of eastern Arunachal Pradesh, NEI ( Figure 2 ; Mahony et al. 2013).

Remarks. Megophrys ancrae is currently only known from the type series, the originally associated referred specimens, and two additional specimens (ZSI/V/APRC/A63, ZSI/V/APRC/ A64) from Namdapha National Park and Tiger Reserve ( Dinesh and Radhakrishnan 2019). Refer to Mahony et al. (2013) for holotype description, variation, secondary sexual characters, etymology, habitat preference and natural history notes. Along with the holotype description, Mahony et al. (2013) provided a comprehensive description of morphological variation and compared the species with congeners from NEI and surrounding regions. Mahony et al. (2013) also provided field observations and discussed previously published reports of Megophrys from Namdapha National Park and Tiger Reserve and surrounding regions. Molecular dating analyses in Mahony et al. (2017, fig. 1) suggested that this species split from its most recent common ancestor at ~5 MY (million years before present).

Figures

Figure 2. Topographic distribution map of the Megophrys (X.) megacephala SG taxa: Left. All taxa from Northeast India and surrounding countries: diamonds represent type localities; circles represent referred localities based on examined specimens; circles with central dot represent identifications based on literature where sufficient evidence was available (see Remarks sections); Right. Inset rectangle enlarged to show the distributions of species from more densely sampled southern Nagaland and northern Manipur states, Northeast India. Blue lines represent major rivers; grey lines represent international borders.

Figure 4. Megophrys ancrae referred specimens from Changlang district, Arunachal Pradesh state, India: (a). adult male (SDBDU 2009.727: SVL 42.5 mm) in life; (b). adult male (SDBDU 2009.730: SVL 43.0 mm) in life; (c). adult male (SDBDU 2009.727) in preservation, ventral view showing hands with expanded digit tips; (d). adult males (SDBDU 2009.727, left & SDBDU 2009.730, right) in preservation, ventral view showing variation in markings.