Panophrys daiyunensis Lyu, Wang & Wang, 2021

Lyu, Zhi-Tong, Zeng, Zhao-Chi, Wang, Jian, Liu, Zu-Yao, Huang, Ya-Qiong, Li, Wen-Zhou & Wang, Ying-Yong, 2021, Four new species of Panophrys (Anura, Megophryidae) from eastern China, with discussion on the recognition of Panophrys as a distinct genus, Zootaxa 4927 (1), pp. 9-40 : 21-23

Panophrys daiyunensis Lyu, Wang & Wang sp. nov.

Chresonymy. Megophrys sp18— Liu et al. 2018

Holotype: SYS a001733 ( Fig. 3 A–D), adult male, collected by Run-Lin Li on 22 May 2012 from Daiyun Village (25.6362°N, 118.2139°E; ca 1040 m a.s.l.), Daiyun Mountain Nature Reserve , Dehua County, Quanzhou City, Fujian Province, PR China.

Paratypes: Three adult males (SYS a001730/ CIB 116075 , SYS a001731–1732), collected at the same time from the same locality as the holotype ; one adult female (SYS a006002), collected by Jian Wang on 26 June 2017 from the same locality as the holotype ; two adult females (SYS a006000, 6003), collected by Zhi-Tong Lyu, Ying-Yong Wang, and Ya-Qiong Huang on 26 June 2017 from Jiuxianshan (25.7101°N, 118.1200°E; ca 1200 m a.s.l.), Daiyun Mountain Nature Reserve .

Etymology. The specific epithet daiyunensis refers to the type locality of the new species, the Daiyun Mountain Nature Reserve.

Common names. Daiyun Horned Toad (in English) / Dài Yún Jiǎo Chán (ăủfflḃ in Chinese)

Diagnosis. (1) body size small, with SVL 27.6–28.7 mm (n = 4) in adult males and 33.7–35.6 mm (n = 3) in adult females; (2) tympanum edge distinct, upper margin in contact with supratympanic fold, TD/ED 0.45–0.53; (3) vomerine teeth present; (4) margin of tongue not notched; (5) heels overlapping or meeting; (6) tibio-tarsal articulation reaching just posterior to eye; (7) TIB/SVL 0.36–0.42, FTL/SVL 0.51–0.60; (8) narrow lateral fringes on fingers present, one subarticular tubercle present at the base of each finger, relative finger lengths I = II <IV <III; (9) rudimentary web and narrow lateral fringes on toes present, one subarticular tubercle present at the base of each toe; (10) dorsal body’s skin texture rough, with densely-distributed granules and scattered tubercles, “X” shaped skin ridge on center of dorsum and dorsolateral skin ridges present; (11) a small horn-like tubercle present at edge of upper eyelid; (12) supratympanic fold distinct; (13) dorsal surfaces yellowish brown or reddish brown, a dark triangular marking with light edge between eyes, a dark “X” or “)(”-shaped marking, with light edge, present on center of dorsum; (14) rounded, densely-distributed tubercles present on ventrum (chest and belly); (15) single subgular vocal sac present in males; (16) nuptial pads and/or nuptial spines absent in breeding males.

Comparisons. Comparative data of Panophrys daiyunensis sp. nov. with 47 recognized Panophrys congeners are given in Table 3 .

Six Panophrys species occur in eastern China, namely P. boettgeri , P. huangshanensis , P. kuatunensis , P. lishuiensis , P. ombrophila , and P. xianjuensis . Panophrys daiyunensis sp. nov. differs from P. boettgeri by the smaller body size, SVL 27.6–28.7 mm in males and 33.7–35.6 mm in females (vs SVL 34.5–37.8 mm in males and 39.7– 46.8 mm in females), vomerine teeth present (vs absent), tongue not notched (vs notched), and round light patches on the shoulder absent (vs present). Panophrys daiyunensis sp. nov. differs from P. huangshanensis by its smaller body size (vs SVL 36.0– 41.6 mm in males and 44.2 mm in female), vomerine teeth present (vs absent), tongue not notched (vs notched), narrow lateral fringes and rudimentary web on toes present (vs both absent), and round light patches on the shoulder absent (vs present). Panophrys daiyunensis sp. nov. differs from P. kuatunensis by its vomerine teeth present (vs absent), tongue not notched (vs notched), heels overlapping or meeting (vs not meeting), and rudimentary web on toes present (vs absent). Panophrys daiyunensis sp. nov. differs from P. lishuiensis by the smaller body size (vs SVL 30.7–34.7 mm in males and 36.9–40.4 mm in female), vomerine teeth present (vs absent), and narrow lateral fringes and rudimentary web on toes present (vs both absent). Panophrys daiyunensis sp. nov. differs from P. ombrophila by its vomerine teeth present (vs absent), heels overlapping or meeting (vs not meeting), and narrow lateral fringes and rudimentary web on toes present (vs both absent). Panophrys daiyunensis sp. nov. differs from P. xianjuensis by the smaller body size (vs SVL 31.0– 36.3 mm in males and 41.6 mm in female), and vomerine teeth present (vs absent).

With a small body size, SVL 27.6–28.7 mm in adult males and 33.7–35.6 mm in adult females, Panophrys daiyunensis sp. nov. can be distinguished from 32 congeners whose SVL> 31 mm in males or> 38 mm in females, namely P. angka , P. baolongensis , P. binchuanensis , P. binlingensis , P. brachykolos , P. caobangensis , P. caudoprocta , P. daweimontis , P. fansipanensis , P. hoanglienensis , P. insularis , P. jiangi , P. jingdongensis , P. jinggangensis , P. leishanensis , P. liboensis , P. lini , P. mirabilis , P. minor , P. nankunensis , P. obesa , P. omeimontis , P. palpebralespinosa , P. sangzhiensis , P. shuichengensis , P. spinata , P. tuberogranulatus , P. wugongensis , P. wuliangshanensis , P. wushanensis , P. xiangnanensis , and P. yangmingensis .

Panophrys daiyunensis sp. nov. can be distinguished from the remaining nine congeners by the following characteristics: SVL 27.6–28.7 mm in males and 33.7–35.6 mm in females (vs SVL 30.2–39.3 mm in males in P. dongguanensis ; vs SVL 30.4–33.9 mm in males in P. jiulianensis ; vs SVL 30.1–30.8 mm in males and 36.3 mm in female in P. mufumontana ; vs SVL 30.5–37.3 mm in males in P. nanlingensis ; vs SVL 30.3–33.7 mm in males and 37.6 mm in female in P. shunhuangensis ); horn-like tubercle at upper eyelid small (vs large in P. acuta ); vomerine teeth present (vs absent in P. acuta , P. cheni , P. mufumontana , and P. shunhuangensis ); tongue not notched (vs notched in P. cheni , P. jiulianensis , P. nanlingensis , and P. rubrimera ); heels overlapping or meeting (vs not meeting in P. acuta and P. dongguanensis ); narrow lateral fringes present on toes (vs wide in P. cheni ; vs absent in P. dongguanensis , P. jiulianensis , and P. shunhuangensis ); rudimentary web present between toes (vs absent in P. rubrimera ).

Description of holotype. SYS a001733, adult male. Habitus small, SVL 28.7 mm; head width shorter than head length, HDW/HDL 0.97; snout rounded in dorsal view, projecting, sloping posteriorly to mouth in profile, protruding well beyond margin of lower jaw; dorsal surface of head flat; eye small, ED/HDL 0.39; nostril obliquely ovoid; pupil vertical; canthus rostralis well developed, curved above nostril; loreal region sloping; internasal distance larger than interorbital distance; tympanum distinct, small, upper margin in contact with supratympanic fold; choanae large ovoid, situated at base of maxilla; vomerine teeth present; margin of tongue not notched.

Lower arm length 0.23 of SVL and hand length 0.24 of SVL; relative finger lengths I = II <IV <III; tip of finger rounded, slightly dilated; one subarticular tubercle present at base of each finger; fingers without webs, narrow lateral fringes present on fingers; outer and inner metacarpal tubercles distinct, inner metacarpal tubercle observably enlarged.

Shank length 0.46 of SVL and foot 0.63 of SVL; tibio-tarsal articulation reaches posterior margin of eye when hindlimb stretched alongside body; heels overlapping when hindlimbs held at right angles to body; relative toe lengths I <II <V <III <IV; tips of toes rounded, slightly dilated; one subarticular tubercle present at base of each toe; rudimentary web and lateral fringes present between toes; tarsal folds absent; inner metatarsal tubercle long, ovoid, and outer metatarsal tubercle absent.

Dorsal body’s skin texture rough with densely-distributed granules and scattered raised tubercles; “X” shaped skin ridge on center of dorsum; dorsolateral skin ridges present; a small horn-like tubercle present at edge of upper eyelid; supratympanic fold distinct, curving from posterior corner of eye, posteroventrally to above insertion of arm. Ventral surface of throat smooth; rounded, densely-distributed tubercles present on ventral chest and belly; raised, densely-distributed tubercles on ventral thigh; pectoral gland large, closer to axilla; single large femoral gland on posterior surface of thigh.

Coloration of holotype. Dorsal surface yellowish brown; a dark incomplete triangular marking with light edge between eyes; a dark “X” shaped marking with light edge on center of dorsum; dark patches on dorsal upper arms and hindlimbs; dark stripes below eyes and at lateral tip of snout; iris reddish brown. Ventral surface dark brown; three dark longitudinal stripes on the throat, middle one distinctly shorter; red spots on the chest and densely-distributed tiny white spots on belly and ventral thigh; palms and soles purplish brown, tips of digits greyish white, metacarpal and metatarsal tubercles orange red; pectoral glands and femoral glands white.

Variation. Measurements of type series are given in Table 4 . All specimens were similar in morphology. Females are larger than males. SYS a006000 ( Fig. 3E, F ) has reddish brown dorsal surface with “)(”-shaped marking and gray ventral surface with unclear marking. Without “X” or “)(”-shaped marking on center of dorsum in SYS a006002.

Distribution and ecology. Currently, Panophrys daiyunensis sp. nov. is known from Daiyun Mountain Nature Reserve (1000–1250 m a.s.l.) and Xiamen City (ca 400 m a.s.l.) of southern Fujian. This toad inhabits streams surrounded by moist subtropical secondary evergreen broadleaved forests, and is common from May to June. Males call actively on leaves of bushes or rocks near streams during this period. All females found in June were gravid with oocytes but tadpoles have not been found.

Figures

FIGURE 3. (A)–(D) dorsolateral view, ventral view, right hand, and right foot of adult male holotype SYS a001733 of Panophrys daiyunensis sp. nov. in life. (E)–(F) dorsolateral and ventral views of adult female paratype SYS a006000.