Theloderma albopunctatum ( Liu and Hu, 1962 )

Nguyen, Tan Van, Brakels, Peter, Maury, Nathanael, Sudavanh, Somchit, Pawangkhanant, Parinya, Idiiatullina, Sabira, Lorphengsy, Sengvilay, Inkhavilay, Khamla, Suwannapoom, Chatmongkon & Poyarkov, Nikolay A., 2020, New herpetofaunal observations from Laos based on photo records, Amphibian & Reptile Conservation (e 248) 14 (2), pp. 218-249 : 229

Theloderma albopunctatum ( Liu and Hu, 1962) White-spotted Bug-eyed Frog ( Fig. 6A )

Two individuals of T. albopunctatum were observed by N. Maury on 13 November 2018 in Phou Khao Khouay NPA, Hom District , Xaisomboun Province (18°30.552’N, 103°28.787’E; elevation 350 m asl) at the border with Bolikhamxai Province.

Morphological characters of the individuals from Xaisomboun Province agreed well with the descriptions of Liu and Hu (1962), Fei et al. (2010), and Poyarkov et al. (2015). The photographed individual ( Fig. 6A ) agrees with the diagnosis of T. albopunctatum in the following characters: small body size, slender habitus; snout rounded; pupil rounded and horizontal; tympanum round; supratympanic fold slight distinct; canthus rostralis indistinct; loreal region slightly concave, oblique; dorsal surfaces covered by tubercles with whitish granular asperities; coloration of dorsal surfaces of head and body whitish-gray with a small brown bar between eyes; scapular area with a large chocolatebrown chevron, posterior part of body whitish; dorsal surface of forelimbs and hindlimbs light chocolate with some crossbar brown marking; ventral surface gray with white marking.

Ecological notes. The individuals were found at ca. 2000 h in vegetation at a height of ca. 2 m near the stream. The surrounding habitat was mixed dry evergreen hill forest.

Distribution. In Laos, this species has been recorded from Louangphabang, Vientiane, and Khammouan provinces ( Stuart et al. 2005; Ohler and Grosjean 2006). This is the first record from Xaisomboun Province. This species is also expected to be found in the Bolikhamxai provincial part of Phou Khao Khouay NPA. Elsewhere, this species has been reported from India, China, Myanmar, Vietnam, and Thailand ( Frost 2020).

Remarks. The taxonomy of the Theloderma asperum complex is confusing and has been recently reviewed ( Poyarkov et al. 2015; Dever 2017); correct identification of species is often possible only with the application of molecular methods. We tentatively assign the Laotian populations to T. albopunctatum based on distribution and preliminary results of Poyarkov et al. (2015).

Figures

Fig. 6. (A) Theloderma albopunctatum in Hom District, Xaisomboun Province; (B) T. gordoni in Phiang District, Xaignabouli Province; (C) lateral view and (D) ventral view of T. lateriticum in Vang Vieng District, Vientiane Province; (E) T. petilum in Kasy District, Vientiane Province; (F) Zhangixalus feae in Xay District, Oudomxai Province. Photos by P. Brakels (A–C, E–F) and N. Maury (D).