A new species of the genus Boulenophrys (Anura, Megophryidae) from Southwest China

作者：Jing Liu, Shize Li, Yanlin Cheng, Gang Wei, Bin Wang, Gang Cheng · 发表于：Biodiversity Data Journal · 年份：2025 · DOI：10.3897/bdj.13.e153987 · 被引用次数：6 · 研究领域：Amphibian and Reptile Biology、Bat Biology and Ecology Studies、Lepidoptera: Biology and Taxonomy

The Asian horned toad subfamily Megophryinae (Bonaparte, 1850) currently comprises more than 140 species and is widely distributed in southern China, as well as in Tropical Asia from India and Bhutan to the Philippines. During amphibian surveys conducted at Mt.Daxue Nature Reserve on June 28-30, 2023, we collected specimens of within the genus Boulenophrys . Based on molecular phylogenetic analyses and morphological comparisons, we describe this taxon as a new species from southwestern China. Molecular phylogenetic analyses based on mitochondrial DNA strongly support the new species as a sister species of B. jiangi . The uncorrected genetic distances between the 16S rRNA and COI genes between the new species and its closest congener were 9.3% and 8.1%, respectively. The new species could be distinguished from its congeners by a combination of the following characters: (1) adult males have a moderate body size (SVL 37.1–40.6 mm), differing from B. jiangi in having longer hindlimbs when adpressed anteriorly—the tibiotarsal articulation reaches the mid-level of the eye when extended (vs. only reaching the area between the tympanum and the eye in B. jiangi ); (2) vomerine ridge present and vomerine teeth absent; (3) tongue not notched behind; (4) a small horn-like tubercle at the edge of each upper eyelid; (5) tympanum distinctly visible, rounded; (6) toes lacking lateral fringes and webbing; (7) Distinct relative finger lengths: II < I < V < III in the new s...