A new species of cascade frog (Anura: Ranidae: Amolops) from central Yunnan, China

Abstract

AbstractA new species of the genusAmolops,Amolops ailaosp. nov., is described from central Yunnan, China. The new species belongs to theA. mantzorumspecies group. Phylogenetic analyses based on the combination of mitochondrial 16S rRNA, COI, and cytb genes revealed that the new species is the sister taxon toAmolops ottorumwith strong support. Genetically, the new species differs fromA. ottorumby 5.0% in cytb sequences. Morphologically, the new species can be distinguished from known congeners by the combination of the following characters: true dorsolateral folds absent, but dorsolateral folds formed by series of glands present; circummarginal groove on tip of first finger absent; body size small (males SVL 33.0–35.1 mm and female SVL 41.3 mm); HW/SVL 0.32‒0.35; UEW/SVL 0.08‒0.10; THL/SVL 0.52‒0.56; vomerine teeth absent; interorbital distance narrower than internarial distance; tympanum distinct, less than half eye diameter; supratympanic fold present, indistinct; a pair of large tubercles on sides of cloaca; tibiotarsal articulation reaching beyond anterior corner of eye; and vocal sac absent. The cladogenesis events within theA. mantzorumgroup rapidly occurred from Pliocene 4.23 Mya to Pleistocene 1.2 Mya, coinciding with the recent intensive uplift of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau since the Pliocene. Combining findings in this study with the most recent taxonomic progress, we consider that there are 20 knownAmolopsspecies in Yunnan, China, accounting for the highest proportion of amphibian diversity of Yunnan, and five of them belong to theA. mantzorumgroup. Among different subfauna and water systems in Yunnan, the species diversity ofAmolopsin northwestern Yunnan and Nu River Basin is highest.