Megophrys (Panophrys) mirabilis Lyu, Wang & Zhao, 2020

Lyu, Zhi-Tong, Li, Yuan-Qiu, Zeng, Zhao-Chi, Zhao, Jian, Liu, Zu-Yao, Guo, Guo-Xin & Wang, Ying-Yong, 2020, Four new species of Asian horned toads (Anura, Megophryidae, Megophrys) from southern China, ZooKeys 942, pp. 105-140 : 105

Megophrys (Panophrys) mirabilis Lyu, Wang & Zhao sp. nov. Figures 3 , 4A

Chresonymy.

Megophrys sp25 (SYS a002192-93, 2289, 2917 in Liu et al. 2018).

Type material.

Holotype. SYS a002917 (Figs 3 , 4A ), adult male, collected on 16 June 2014 by Yu-Long Li and Ying-Yong Wang from Huaping Nature Reserve (25.5554N, 109.9490E; ca 1300 m a.s.l.), Lingui District, Guilin City, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, PR China.

Paratypes. Three adult specimens from the same locality as the holotype: male SYS a002192 and female SYS a002193 collected on 10 July 2013 by Jian Zhao and Yu-Long Li; female SYS a002289 collected on 9 September 2013 by Zu-Yao Liu.

Etymology.

The specific epithet mirabilis means marvelous, referring to its distinctive habitus and color pattern of this species within the subgenus Panophrys .

Common name.

Huaping Horned Toad (in English) / Huā Píng Jiăo Chán (花坪角蟾 in Chinese)

Diagnosis.

(1) Body size relatively large, SVL 55.8-61.4 mm (N = 2) in adult males and SVL 68.5-74.8 (N = 2) mm in adult females; (2) snout rounded in dorsal view; (3) internasal distance smaller than interorbital distance; (4) tympanum clear, moderate size, TD/ED 0.49-0.63; (5) absence of vomerine ridge and vomerine teeth; (6) tongue small, majorly attached to the mandible, free margin small and rounded, not notched behind; (7) hindlimbs slender, heels overlapping and tibio-tarsal articulation reaching forward at the central eye; (8) fingers with distinct lateral fringes, presence of indistinct subarticular tubercles at the bases; (9) toes with distinct lateral fringes and rudiment of webs, presence of indistinct subarticular tubercles at the bases; (10) presence of slightly large horn-like tubercle at the edge of upper eyelid; (11) dorsal skin smooth with granules, (12) skin on flanks flabby, with spiny tubercles; (13) supratympanic fold distinct, with dense tubercles, forming an extremely swollen large shoulder gland above insertion of arm; (14) grayish brown above, tinged with blue in males, but dorsum of head and body reddish brown in females; (15) ventral surface of throat and chest with grayish blue latticed patches and black spots in males, but with orange latticed patches and black spots in females; (16) presence of underdeveloped nuptial pads on the dorsal surface of the first finger in adult males.

Comparison.

Megophrys (Panophrys) mirabilis sp. nov. can be easily distinguished from all recognized congeners, by having a small tongue, majorly attached to the mandible, flank skin flabby with spiny tubercles, and supratympanic fold with dense tubercles forming an extremely swollen large shoulder gland above insertion of arm.

Further, detailed comparative data of Megophrys (Panophrys) mirabilis sp. nov. with 42 recognized congeners of Panophrys are given in Table 4 .

Five Panophrys species were previously recorded from the hilly areas among Guangdong, Guangxi, and Hunan, namely Megophrys (Panophrys) acuta , M. (Pa.) brachykolos , M. (Pa.) nanlingensis , M. (Pa.) obesa , and M. (Pa.) shunhuangensis . M. (Pa.) mirabilis sp. nov. differs from M. (Pa.) acuta by the larger body size, SVL 55.8-61.4 mm in males and 68.5-74.8 mm in females (vs. 27.1-33.0 mm in males and 28.1-33.6 in females), snout rounded in dorsal view (vs. strongly remarkably pointed), fingers with distinct lateral fringes (vs. absent), and overlapping heels (vs. not meeting). M. (Pa.) mirabilis sp. nov. differs from M. (Pa.) brachykolos by the larger body size, SVL 55.8-61.4 mm in males and 68.5-74.8 mm in females (vs. 33.7-39.3 mm in males and 33.9-45.9 in females), slightly large horn-like tubercle at upper eyelid (vs. small), fingers and toes with distinct lateral fringes (vs. all absent), overlapping heels (vs. not meeting). M. (Pa.) mirabilis sp. nov. differs from M. (Pa.) nanlingensis by the larger body size, SVL 55.8-61.4 mm in males (vs. 30.5-37.3 mm), slightly large horn-like tubercle at upper eyelid (vs. small), absence of vomerine ridge and vomerine teeth (vs. both present), tongue not notched behind (vs. notched), and fingers with distinct lateral fringes (vs. absent). M. (Pa.) mirabilis sp. nov. differs from M. (Pa.) obesa by larger body size, SVL 55.8-61.4 mm in males and 68.5-74.8 mm in females (vs. 35.6 mm in male and 37.5-41.2 in females), slightly large horn-like tubercle at upper eyelid (vs. small), absence of vomerine ridge (vs. present), fingers and toes with distinct lateral fringes (vs. all absent), and overlapping heels (vs. not meeting). M. (Pa.) mirabilis sp. nov. differs from M. (Pa.) shunhuangensis by larger body size, SVL 55.8-61.4 mm in males and 68.5-74.8 mm in females (vs. 30.3-33.7 mm in males and 37.6 in female), slightly large horn-like tubercle at upper eyelid (vs. small), and fingers and toes with lateral fringes (vs. all absent).

With a large body size, SVL 55.8-61.4 mm in adult males and 68.5-74.8 mm in adult females, Megophrys (Panophrys) mirabilis sp. nov. is significantly different from 30 congeners whose SVL <50 mm in males or <60 mm in females, namely M. (Pa.) baolongensis , M. (Pa.) binchuanensis , M. (Pa.) boettgeri , M. (Pa.) cheni , M. (Pa.) daweimontis , M. (Pa.) dongguanensis , M. (Pa.) fansipanensis , M. (Pa.) hoanglienensis , M. (Pa.) huangshanensis , M. (Pa.) insularis , M. (Pa.) jiangi , M. (Pa.) jinggangensis , M. (Pa.) jiulianensis , M. (Pa.) kuatunensis , M. (Pa.) latidactyla , M. (Pa.) leishanensis , M. (Pa.) lini , M. (Pa.) lishuiensis , M. (Pa.) minor , M. (Pa.) mufumontana , M. (Pa.) nankunensis , M. (Pa.) ombrophila , M. (Pa.) palpebralespinosa , M. (Pa.) rubrimera , M. (Pa.) spinata , M. (Pa.) tuberogranulatus , M. (Pa.) wugongensis , M. (Pa.) wuliangshanensis , M. (Pa.) wushanensis , and M. (Pa.) xianjuensis .

Megophrys (Panophrys) mirabilis sp. nov. can be further distinguished from the remaining seven congeners by the following characteristics: SVL 55.8-61.4 mm in adult males and 68.5-74.8 mm in adult females [vs. SVL 45.1-51.0 mm in adult males in M. (Pa.) binlingensis ; vs. SVL 81.3 mm in adult male in M. (Pa.) caudoprocta ; vs. SVL 63.5 mm in adult female in M. (Pa.) jingdongensis ; vs. SVL 102.0-118.3 mm in adult males and 99.8-115.6 mm in adult females in M. (Pa.) shuichengensis ]; slightly large horn-like tubercle at upper eyelid [vs. small in M. (Pa.) binlingensis , M. (Pa.) jingdongensis , M. (Pa.) omeimontis , and M. (Pa.) sangzhiensis ]; vomerine teeth absent [vs. present in M. (Pa.) caudoprocta , M. (Pa.) jingdongensis , M. (Pa.) liboensis , M. (Pa.) omeimontis , and M. (Pa.) sangzhiensis ]; tongue not notched behind [vs. notched in M. (Pa.) binlingensis , M. (Pa.) jingdongensis , M. (Pa.) liboensis , M. (Pa.) omeimontis , M. (Pa.) sangzhiensis , and M. (Pa.) shuichengensis ]; lateral fringes on toes narrow [vs. wide in M. (Pa.) jingdongensis , M. (Pa.) liboensis , and M. (Pa.) shuichengensis ]; rudimentary webs on toes [vs. more than one-fourth webs in M. (Pa.) jingdongensis and M. (Pa.) shuichengensis ].

Description of holotype.

Adult male. Body size large, SVL 61.4 mm; head width slightly larger than head length, HDW/HDL 1.02; snout rounded in dorsal view, projecting, sloping backward to mouth in profile, protruding well beyond margin of lower jaw; top of head flat; eyes large, ED 0.31 of HDL, pupil vertical; nostril oblique-ovoid; canthus rostralis well developed; loreal region slightly oblique; internasal distance smaller than interorbital distance; tympanum clear, TD/ED 0.49; large ovoid choanae at the base of the maxilla; absence of vomerine ridge and vomerine teeth; tongue small, majority attached at the mouth, margin rounded, not notched behind; absence of vocal sac.

Radio-ulna length 0.26 of SVL and hand 0.28 of SVL; hand without webs, fingers with distinct lateral fringes, relative finger length II <I <IV <III; tips of fingers slightly dilated, round; one indistinct subarticular tubercle at the bases of each finger; metacarpal tubercles indistinct, the inner one observably enlarged and the outer one smaller; presence of underdeveloped nuptial pad on the dorsal surface of the first finger, without nuptial spines. Hindlimbs slender, tibio-tarsal articulation reaching forward at the central eye when hindlimb is stretched along the side of the body; heels overlapping when the flexed hindlimbs are held at right angles to the body axis; tibia length 0.47 of SVL and foot length 0.71 of SVL; relative toe length I <II <V <III <IV; tips of toes round and slightly dilated; toes with narrow lateral fringes and rudiment of webs; one indistinct subarticular tubercle at the bases of each toe; inner metatarsal tubercle long ovoid and the outer one absent.

Dorsal skin smooth with sparse granules; flanks flabby with spiny tubercles; distinct supratympanic fold curving postero-ventrally from posterior corner of eye to a level above insertion of arm; small tubercles arranged from above the nostril, along the canthus rostralis, edge of upper eyelid and supratympanic fold, to the posterior margin of temporal region; a distinct horn-like prominent tubercle on the edge of upper eyelid; a discontinuous X-shaped ridge with several short ridges on two sides on the back; transverse skin ridges on the dorsal shank and thigh; ventral surface smooth; several tubercles on posterior hindlimbs; small pectoral gland closer to axilla; a single large femoral gland on rear of thigh.

Coloration.

Grayish brown above in life; an dark interorbital triangle with light colored center and edge; a dark X-shaped making with light edge on the central of dorsum; dark brown transverse bands on forearms and hindlimbs; supratympanic fold light gray; dark vertical band below the eye; iris grayish brown; ventral surface grayish white; throat and chest with grayish blue latticed patches and black spots; ventral hands and feet grayish white, tips of digits creamy white, metacarpal tubercle and metatarsal tubercle grayish white; pectoral gland and femoral gland white.

Variations.

Measurement data of type series are listed in Table 5 . All paratypes are similar to the holotype. Females (SVL 68.5-74.8 mm) are significantly larger than males (SVL 55.8-61.4 mm). Dorsal surfaces reddish brown and ventral surfaces with orange latticed patches and black spots in females SYS a002193, 2289.

Distribution and ecology.

Currently, Megophrys (Panophrys) mirabilis sp. nov. is only known from Huaping Nature Reserve, northeastern Guangxi. The individuals were found on shrubbery branches near trail paths between elevations of 1300-1330 m a.s.l. from June to September. Males were not calling when found, but the collected female specimens bear mature yellowish oocytes. Tadpoles have not been found and ecological information remains unknown.

Figures

Figure 3. Adult male holotype SYS a 002917 of Megophrys (Panophrys) mirabilis sp. nov. in life A dorsolateral view B ventral view C hand D foot.

Figure 4. The holotype specimen of each new species in preservative A Megophrys (Panophrys) mirabilis sp. nov. B M. (Pa.) shimentaina sp. nov. C M. (Pa.) xiangnanensis sp. nov. D M. (Pa.) yangmingensis sp. nov. 1 dorsal view 2 ventral view 3 lateral view.