Litoria exophthalmia Tyler, Davies and Aplin, 1986

Richards, Stephen J., Hoskin, Conrad J., Cunningham, Michael J., Mcdonald, Keith & Donnellan, Stephen C., 2010, Taxonomic re-assessment of the Australian and New Guinean green-eyed treefrogs Litoria eucnemis, L. genimaculata and L. serrata (Anura: Hylidae), Zootaxa 2391 (1), pp. 33-46 : 42

Litoria exophthalmia Tyler, Davies and Aplin, 1986 .

Holotype: AMS R114751. Type locality: Haia village (6° 42' S, 145° 00' E), South Simbu Province, Papua New Guinea .

In their original description of this species the author’s remarked that it is ‘morphologically so distinctive that it is regarded the unique representative of a separate species-group’, and this impression was supported by Menzies (2006) who did not associate this species with any currently recognised species-group of New Guinean Litoria . We have examined the type material and compared it with numerous specimens of the Litoria genimaculata from across New Guinea and find them to be morphologically nearly indistinguishable. The sole character that appears to distinguish preserved specimens of L. exophthalmia from L. genimaculata is its less welldeveloped dermal folds. Molecular genetic data support the distinctiveness of this taxon (Donnellan et al. unpublished) but both morphological and genetic information indicate close relationships with L. genimaculata and thus this species does not warrant treatment as a separate species-group ( Figure 4B ).

Figures

FIGURE 4. Photographs in life of A) Litoria eucnemis, Muller Range, PNG, B) L. exophthalmia, Namosado, PNG, C) L. genimaculata, Waigeo Island, Indonesia, D) L. serrata, Wooroonooran National Park, Australia, and of preserved specimens of E) holotype of L. genimaculata, RMNH 4420, F) hand of L. genimaculata holotype showing extent of finger webbing, G) holotype of Hyla rhacophorus, ZMA 5823, and H) holotype of Nyctimystes loveridgei, MCZ 27823 including (below) close-up of large heel flap. All scale bars = 10 mm