Description of two new species of torrent frog, Amolops Cope (Anura: Ranidae) from a degrading forest in the northeast Indian state of Nagaland

Abstract

Two distinctive new species of torrent frogs, Amolops nidorbellus sp. nov. and Amolops kohimaensis sp. nov. are described from the state of Nagaland in northeast India. Both species are compared with all known congeners. Amolops nidorbellus sp. nov. morphologically belongs to a group of torrent frogs including A. caelumnoctis, A. splendissimus, A. kaulbacki and A. viridimaculatus and is unarguably the most spectacularly coloured species in the genus. Amolops kohimaensis sp. nov. appears most similar to A. granulosus, each with extensive dorsal spinulation. The two new species are sympatrically occurring and currently known only from the type locality, about 5 kilometers west of Kohima town, Nagaland. The small forest fragment is in the process of extensive destruction from local quarrying activities, thus these species may already be threatened. Additional taxonomic comments are provided for A. caelumnoctis, A. splendissimus, A. daorum and A. mengyangensis.