Pelophylax plancyi (Lataste, 1880)

Zhou, Sheng-Bo, Zhang, Qiu-Yi, Hu, Zi-Qiang, Xia, Zu-Yao, Miao, Qing, Guan, Ping & Shi, Jing-Song, 2023, The validity of Pelophylax chosenicus (Okada, 1931) and P. hubeiensis (Fei & Ye, 1982) (Amphibia, Ranidae), Herpetozoa 36, pp. 143-152 : 143

Pelophylax plancyi (Lataste, 1880)

Rana plancyi - Lataste 1880; Boulenger (1920).

Rana nigromaculata coreana - Okada (1927, 1928).

Rana nigromaculata chosenica - Okada (1931).

Rana chosenica - Kuramoto (1983).

Rana plancyi plancyi - Kuramoto (1983).

Rana (Rana) plancyi - Dubois (1986).

Rana (Rana) chosenica - Dubois (1986).

Rana (Pelophylax) plancyi - Dubois (1992).

Rana (Pelophyxlax) chosenica - Dubois (1992).

Rana (Pelophylax) plancyi chosenica - Dubois and Ohler (1994).

Hylarana plancyi - Chen et al. (2005).

Hylarana chosenica - Chen et al. (2005).

Pelophylax chosenicus - Frost et al. (2006); Che et al. (2007); Zhou et al. (2022).

Type series.

Syntypes: Not traced, two specimens presumably originally in Lataste’s personal collection and which were deposited ultimately in the BMNH; BMNH 1920.1.20.1020 is by museum records a syntype (Lataste 1880; Frost 2022). Neotype: CIB 79I1764, adult male, collected from Yongfeng, Beijing, China ( Fei et al. 2009).

Specimens examined.

Twelve newly-collected specimens (six adult males and six adult females): adult males SYAU BAA000035, SYAU BAA000072 and adult female SYAU BAA000073, from Nanshan Park , Jiujiang, Jiangxi, China (29.6698°N, 116.0057°E, 28 m a.s.l.) (type locality of Pelophylax plancyi ); adult male HGSE 01 and adult female HGSE 02 from Liulin Wetland, Seoul, South Korea (37.5663°N, 126.9779°E, 45 m a.s.l.) (type locality of " P. chosenicus "); adult male SYAU BAA000046 and adult female SYAU BAA000016 from Puhe Park, Shenyang, Liaoning, China (41.5114°N, 122.7579° E, 30 m a.s.l.) ; adult male SYAU BAA000061 and adult female SYAU BAA000062 from Donggang District , Dandong, Liaoning, China (39.8260°N, 124.0526°E, 60 m a.s.l.) ; adult female SYAU BAA000074 from Yuzui Park , Nanjing, Jiangsu, China (31.9801°N, 118.6723°E, 26 m a.s.l.) ; adult female SYAU BAA000075 from Bailuhu Park , Binzhou, Shandong, China (37.4209°N, 118.1575°E, 55 m a.s.l.) ; adult male SYAU BAA000077 from Si River , Jining, Shandong, China (35.5338°N, 116.8349°E, 45 m a.s.l.) .

Diagnosis.

(1) large body size, SVL 40.7-59.6 mm in adult males (n = 16), SVL 55.2-70.5 mm in adult females (n = 16) ( Fei et al. 2009); (2) head length slightly larger than head width; (3) maxillary gland pronounced; (4) tympanum diameter large, slightly smaller than the eye diameter; (5) loreal region oblique, concave; (6) nostril located dorsally, between the eye and the tip of snout; (7) vomerine teeth two small masses; (8) tongue pyriform, free-margin notched; (9) fingers with rudimentary webs; toes almost full webs, webbing formula I 0 -0- II 0-⅓ III 0 - ⅓ IV I ⅓ - 0 V; (10) heels only meeting.

Common names.

"Green Pond Frog" in English / "金线侧褶蛙 (jīn xiàn cè zhě wā)” in Chinese.

Comparison.

Pelophylax plancyi can be differentiated from other species in the Pelophylax nigromaculatus species group ( P. nigromaculatus , P. terentievi and P. mongolius ), based on the internal subgular vocal sacs in males ( Fei et al. 2009). Pelophylax plancyi additionally differs from P. hubeiensis , based on its head slightly longer than wide, its tympanum slightly smaller than the eye diameter and longer foot (see Morphological Comparisons in the Results above). Pelophylax plancyi further differs from P. fukienensis , based on the dorsolateral fold wider and heels meeting (vs. dorsolateral fold narrower and heels meeting in P. fukienensis ).

Colouration.

The living specimens exhibit varying degrees of green, olive green or emerald green body colour variation, without spots on their backs, a tympanic membrane that was golden yellow or brown with a green margin and yellow eyelids. The dorsolateral fold ranged from green to golden yellow or light brown, with yellow at the ends and some minuscule irregular yellow spots. The legs were slightly lighter than the body, with brownish-yellow transverse stripes. The throat, chest and belly were light yellow. The backs of the elbows were yellow, with light brown cloudy spots behind the thighs. The ventral surface of the forelimbs and hind limbs were yellow. The nuptial pads were light grey (Fig. 4A, B ).

In preservative, the dorsal surface turned dark grey without patches, while the dorsolateral fold and backline were light grey, the limbs were brown with black stripes, the ventral surface was flesh-coloured, the ventral surface of the limb was beige and the hand and toe webs were dark grey (Fig. 5 ).

Sexual dimorphism.

Male with a pair of internal subgular vocal sacs; in the breeding season, a single, light grey nuptial pad on the dorsal surface of finger I. Males slightly smaller than females with linea masculina.

Distribution and ecology.

At present, specimens of Pelophylax plancyi have been identified in eastern China (except Hunan, Guangdong, Jilin and Heilongjiang) and the Korean Peninsula ( Fei et al. 2009; Zhou et al. 2022). Specimens were collected from ponds full of aquatic plants (Fig. 7A, B ), where they perch along the river bank during the night-time, although, when startled, they jump into the water.

Figures

Figure 4. Colouration of Pelophylax plancyi A. ♀ SYAU BAA 000073; B. ♂ SYAU BAA 000061 and P. hubeiensis; C. ♂ SYAU BAA 000052; D. ♀ SYAU BAA 000051.

Figure 5. Specimen (SYAU BAA 000073) of Pelophylax plancyi. A. Dorsal view; B. Ventral view; C. Lateral view; D. Ventral view of the hand; E. Ventral view of the foot.

Figure 7. The habitat of Pelophylax plancyi (A) macrohabitats, (B) microhabitats and P. hubeiensis (C, D).