Boulenophrys lichun, Lin & Chen & Li & Peng & Zeng & Wang, 2024

Lin, Shi-Shi, Chen, Hong-Hui, Li, Yuan-Hang, Peng, Zhao-Ning, Zeng, Zhao-Chi & Wang, Jian, 2024, A new Boulenophrys species (Anura, Megophryidae) from the coastal hills of eastern Fujian Province, China, ZooKeys 1216, pp. 1-15 : 1-15

Boulenophrys lichun sp. nov.

Fig. 3

Material examined.

Holotype. China • ♂; Fujian Province, Ningde City, Jiaocheng District, Mt Nanji ; 26.645774 ° N, 119.519939 ° E, ca. 230 m elev.; 4 Feb. 2024; Jian Wang, Zhao-Chi Zeng, Shi-Shi Lin and Yuan-Hang Li leg.; GEP a 214.

Paratypes. China • 4 ♂♂; same data as for holotype; CIB 121428 [field number GEP a 210], GEP a 211–213 • 1 ♀; same data as for holotype; GEP a 215 .

Etymology.

The specific name lichun is derived from Chinese Pinyin Lì Chūn, i. e. 立春 in Chinese, which means the beginning of spring, the first of the 24 solar terms (24 节气) of China. The specific name refers to the breeding season of the new species which begins around this period. The song of the new species heralds the spring of a year. The type specimens of the new species were also collected on “ Lichun ” of the Year 2024.

Diagnosis.

(1) small size (SVL 33.5–37.0 mm in five adult males, SVL 47.1 mm in a single adult female); (2) canthus rostralis well developed, tongue not notched posteriorly; (3) tympanum distinct; (4) vomerine ridges and vomerine teeth present; (5) dorsal skin rough and highly granular, discontinuous X-shaped ridge on center of dorsum, discontinuous dorsolateral ridges present, sparse large tubercles on flanks, dorsal limbs with discontinuous transverse ridges and tubercles, ventral skin with dense raised tubercles; (6) outer margin of upper eyelid with a small horn-like prominent tubercle, supratympanic fold distinct and narrow, curving posteroventrally to above arm; (7) two metacarpal tubercles distinct, inner one observably enlarged; relative finger lengths I < II < IV < III; distinct subarticular tubercle at base of each finger; (8) heels not meeting when hindlimbs folded; tibio-tarsal articulation reaching shoulder to posterior corner of eye; (9) toes without webbing and lateral fringes, inner metatarsal tubercle long ovoid, outer one absent, relative toe length I < II < V < III < IV; (10) dorsal surface yellowish-brown with irregular dark-brown patches, and dark-brown triangular marking between eyes, dorsal limbs and digits light brown with dark-brown transverse bands; and (11) dense nuptial spines on dorsal bases of fingers I and II in breeding adult males, subgular vocal sac present in males.

Description of holotype.

Adult male. Body size small, SVL 37.0 mm. Head width larger than head length, HWD / HDL 1.04; snout rounded in dorsal view, projecting, sloping backward to mouth in profile, protruding well beyond margin of lower jaw; top of head flat; eyes moderate in size, ED 0.34 of HDL, pupil vertical, near diamond-shaped; nostril obliquely ovoid; canthus rostralis well developed; loreal region slightly oblique; internasal distance slightly larger than interorbital distance; tympanic region oblique, tympanum distinct and visible in dorsal view; tympanum moderate in size, margin clear, upper margin in contact with supratympanic fold, lower margin in contact with upper lip, TD / ED 0.55; large ovoid choanae at base of maxilla; vomerine ridge and vomerine teeth present, maxillary teeth present; margin of tongue rounded, not notched distally; presence of single subgular vocal sac.

Forearm length 0.23 of SVL, hand 0.24 of SVL; webbing absent between fingers, lateral fringes absent, relative finger length I < II < IV < III; tips of fingers slightly dilated, round; subarticular tubercles on base of fingers present, distinct; inner metacarpal tubercle observably enlarged, outer one slightly smaller; single nuptial pad bearing nuptial spines present on dorsal surface of first and second fingers, respectively. Hindlimbs short, tibio-tarsal articulation reaching forward to posterior conner of eye when hindlimb stretched along body; heels not meeting when flexed hindlimbs held at right angles to body axis; crus length 0.40 of SVL and foot length 0.58 of SVL; relative toe length I < II < V < III < IV; tips of toes round and slightly dilated; toes without lateral fringes and webbing; subarticular tubercles on base of toes present and distinct; inner metatarsal tubercle long ovoid and lacking outer metatarsal tubercle.

Dorsal skin rough and highly granular; dense large tubercles on flanks; single horn-like prominent tubercle on edge of upper eyelid; obvious supratympanic fold curving posteroventrally from posterior corner of eye to level above insertion of arm; upper lip, mandibular articulation, loreal, temporal region excluding tympanum, upper eyelid and surface around cloaca with conical tubercles; discontinuous X-shaped ridge on center of dorsum, discontinuous dorsolateral ridges present; ventral surface with dense raised tubercles; tubercles on ventral hindlimbs and around cloaca bearing tiny spines on their tips; small and distinct pectoral gland closer to axilla; single femoral gland positioned on posterior surface of thigh at midpoint between knee and cloaca.

Coloration of holotype.

In life, dorsal surface of body yellowish-brown with irregular dark-brown patches, dark-brown X-shaped marking on center of dorsum, dark-brown triangular marking between eyes. A vertical dark-brown band present below eye. Dorsal surface of limbs with dark-brown transverse bands. Tubercles on edge of upper eyelids orange. Supratympanic fold light brown. Surface of throat and chest yellowish-brown with irregular dark brown and white patches and white and orange dots. Center of throat with black longitudinal band. Surface of abdomen white, mottled with orange dots and black patches. Surface of ventral limbs purple brown, with white mottling and dark-brown patches. Spines on tips of tubercles on ventral hindlimbs and area around cloaca black. Digits gray white; subarticular tubercles, inner and outer metacarpal tubercles and inner metatarsal tubercle grayish-brown. Pectoral glands and femoral glands white. Iris yellowish-brown with range mottling.

In preservative, the dorsal surface of the body is dark brown, with markings and patches more distinct. Surface of chest, throat and limbs are dark brown, with dark-brown markings and patches more distinct, white patches and dots faded and orange dots absent. Color of pectoral glands and femoral glands faded.

Variation.

Morphometric variation is listed in Table 2 . Most of the paratypes are similar to the holotype in morphology and color pattern, except for the following: tibio-tarsal articulation reaching forward to posterior corner of eye when hindlimb stretched along body in the holotype GEP a 214, while reaching to shoulder in female paratype GEP a 215; absence of nuptial pads and spines in the female paratype; larger body size in the female paratype.

Comparisons.

Boulenophrys lichun sp. nov. can easily be distinguished from the following congeners by its heels not meeting when flexed hindlimbs held at right angles to body axis: B. anlongensis , B. baishanzuensis , B. binlingensis , B. caudoprocta , B. cheni , B. chishuiensis , B. congjiangensis , B. daweimontis , B. fanjingmontis , B. fansipanensis , B. frigida , B. hoanglienensis , B. jiangi , B. jingdongensis , B. jinggangensis , B. jiulianensis , B. leishanensis , B. liboensis , B. lini , B. lushuiensis , B mirabilis , B. mufumontana , B. nanlingensis , B. omeimontis , B. palpebralespinosa , B. qianbeiensis , B. sangzhiensis , B. sanmingensis , B. shimentaina , B. shunhuangensis , B. spinata , B. sanmingensis , B. tongboensis , B. tuberogranulatus , B. wuliangshanensis , B. xianjuensis , B. yangmingensis , B. yaoshanensis , B. yingdeensis (vs. heels overlapping), from B. binchuanensis , B. elongata , B. lishuiensis , B. minor , B. xiangnanensis , B. xuefengmontis (vs. heels just meeting), and from B. angka , B. daiyunensis , B. baolongensis , B. wushanensis , B. yunkaiensis (vs. heels just meeting or slightly overlapping).

Boulenophrys lichun sp. nov. can easily be distinguished from the following congeners by its tongue not notched distally: B. brachykolos , B. insularis , B. pepe (vs. tongue notched distally). Boulenophrys lichun sp. nov. can easily be distinguished from the following congeners by its presence of vomerine teeth: B. acuta , B. boettgeri , B. caobangensis , B. daoji , B. hungtai , B. hengshanensis , B. kuatunensis , B. ombrophila , B. obesa , B. shuichengensis , B. wugongensis (vs. vomerine teeth absent).

Boulenophrys lichun sp. nov. can easily be distinguished from the following congeners by its absence of lateral fringes on webbing on toes: B. dongguanensis , B. fengshunensis , B. nankunensis , B. puningensis (vs. toes with rudimentary webbing), and from B. rubrimera (vs. toes with narrow lateral fringes).

Distribution and natural history.

Currently, Boulenophrys lichun sp. nov. is only known from the coastal hills of Ningde City, eastern Fujian Province, China. It inhabits flowing montane seeps and the nearby forest floor and leaf litter. The habitat is surrounded by secondary forest mixed with bamboo groves at elevations between 150– 510 m. Advertisement calls of males were heard from February to May. Males were found calling in rock crevices.

Figures

Figure 3. The male holotype (GEP a 214, A – C) and the female paratype (GEP a 215, D – F) of Boulenophrys lichun sp. nov. in life.