Systematics of the Lao torrent frog, Amolops cremnobatus Inger & Kottelat, 1998 (Anura: Ranidae), with descriptions of four new species

Abstract

Abstract The Lao torrent frog Amolops cremnobatus Inger & Kottelat, 1998 was recently hypothesized, based on mitochondrial DNA, to consist of more than a single species across its range in Laos and flanking regions of Vietnam and Thailand. We tested this hypothesis using mitochondrial DNA, nuclear DNA, and quantitative and qualitative morphological data from adults and larvae. We found corroborating lines of evidence for five distinct evolutionary lineages that we hypothesize to be species. Amolops cremnobatus sensu stricto is restricted to the southeastern portion of its previous range, and remaining populations are described as four new species. Some of the new species are easier to diagnose with morphology as larvae than as adults. Further sampling in northern Thailand may reveal an additional species of this torrent frog complex.