Capensibufo selenophos, Channing, A., Measey, G. J., De Villiers, A. L., Turner, A. A. & Tolley, K. A., 2017

Channing, A., Measey, G. J., De Villiers, A. L., Turner, A. A. & Tolley, K. A., 2017, Taxonomy of the Capensibufo rosei group (Anura: Bufonidae) from South Africa, Zootaxa 4232 (2), pp. 282-292 : 289-290

Capensibufo selenophos sp. nov.

Moonlight Mountain Toadlet

Capensibufo rosei (part)

Holotype. A female, NMB A8115, from Maanskynkop in the Kleinrivier Mountains (34.372889° S, 19.326712° E), collected by A.L. de Villiers and M.E. de Villiers 27 September 2000.

Paratypes. A male, NMB A8116, from Akkedisberg, Stanford, collected by A.L. de Villiers 1 October 2003, and a female NMB A8117 and juvenile NMB A8118, both from Maanskynkop, with the same details as the holotype.

GenBank sequences. The sequences of the paratypes are FN652328 –9, FN652339 , FN650124 –5 and FN650135 ( Tolley et al. 2010).

Other material examined. Two males NMB A8119, SAM 51837, two females NMB A8120, SAM 51825, SAM 51834- 8 and a metamorph NMB A8121, all from Maanskynkop Nature Reserve ; SAM 50000-4, Stanford; NMB A8122, Mimetes plot, Elgin Forest Reserve , near Rockview Dam, 445 m.

Diagnosis. There is no visible tympanum in C. selenophos , while a tympanum is present in C. deceptus and C. tradouwi . In preservative, the dorsal spots have incomplete black rings usually with a thin white margin, distinguishing it from C. deceptus , which has no white margin. Capensibufo rosei has brown spots with thin black rings, and C. tradouwi has thin black rings without a white outer margin. The umbraculum is rounded, distinguishing it from C. deceptus and C. magistratus , which have angular umbracula. The parotids are flat, broadest in the centre third, while C. deceptus and C. rosei have parotids that are widest anteriorly. There is a thin white vertebral stripe inside a paler broader vertebral band, distinguishing it from C. rosei , which usually has no vertebral stripe. The belly is immaculate or has some pale spots on a darker background, distinguishing it from C. deceptus , C. rosei and C. tradouwi which have lightly speckled to marbled markings. The ratio of parotid length/ SUL is greater than 0.18, distinguishing it from C. tradouwi , which has a ratio less than 0.18. The intraspecific uncorrected p distances for 16S are 0.2–0.6 (n=3), and 2.6–4.0 between C. selenophos and the other three species previously included in C. rosei and 3.8–4.6 from C. tradouwi ( Table 1 ).

Description of holotype. A male, 23.5 mm SUL, gracile; head wide (SUL/HW 2.9), as wide as trunk, about as long as wide (HW/HL 1.04); snout moderately long (SL/HL 0.32), bluntly rounded in dorsal view, rounded in profile, slightly projecting beyond lower jaw, shorter than wide (SL/IO 0.73); canthus rostralis gently rounded, indistinct; loreal region convex; nostril delicately rimmed, directed dorsolaterally; situated closer to tip of snout than to eye (EN/SNO 1.78), separated from each other by distance greater than distance between eye and nostril (IN/EN 1.13); eyes directed anterolaterally, relatively small (EYE/HL 0.32); eye diameter equal to snout length (EYE/SL 1.0); interorbital distance less than eye diameter (IO/EYE 0.69), and slightly more than internarial distance (IO/IN 1.11); tympanum not visible; choanae small, round, located far anterolaterally at margins of roof of the mouth; no vomer processes; median lingual process of tongue absent. Viewed from below the upper lip protrudes beyond the lower jaw, but not the snout.

Lateral and dorsal surfaces of trunk smooth with paravertebral rows of nine large warts from behind the eye, and lateral rows of about five warts running from behind the parotid; ventral surfaces of limbs and gular smooth.

Parotid elongated, smooth, expanded anteriorly (PL/PW 3.0), (PL/SUL 0.23); four or five raised, rounded rictal glands behind angle of jaw; inguinal gland rugose, extending forward beyond thighs; vent opens posteriorly, no large surrounding glandular structures.

Fore limbs moderately robust; hand gracile; tips of fingers rounded but without discs; relative length of fingers: III>I>IV>II (F3/HW 0.62); distal subarticular tubercle of finger 3 double, well developed; all other subarticular tubercles single; small supernumerary tubercles present on the palm and base of fingers; thenar tubercle raised; a single rounded metacarpal tubercle present; fingers lightly pigmented ventrally and dorsally, with pigment extending along outer surface of forearm, confluent with dorsal pigment.

Foot as long as tibia (FT/TIB 1.05); relative lengths of toes: I<II<V<III<IV; subarticular tubercles small, rounded; median subarticular tubercle of the third toe and distal subarticular tubercle of the fourth toe double; webbing absent; inner metatarsal tubercle small, prominent; outer metatarsal tubercle flat, rounded.

Colour in life. This is based on a specimen from Maanskynkop Nature Reserve, that was photographed but not collected (see Fig. 2 E). The dorsal background is grey-brown, with an orange vertebral band, enclosing a thin pale stripe. The iris is speckled silver. The parotid is reddish-brown. A pale grey lateral band extends from the parotid. The dorsal warts are dark brown, surrounded by a thin black ring. Many have a thin yellowish outer border. The upper lip is grey with small black markings. The upper limbs are grey, mottled with brown and black blotches.

Colour in preservative. The orange has faded to a light tinge, and the lateral band is white. The outer border surrounding the dorsal warts has faded to white.

Paratype variation. The faint white margin around the dorsal spots is absent on the female. The paratypes are otherwise similar in morphology and colour pattern to the holotype. The male paratypes are immature, without nuptial pads.

Advertisement call. This species has no advertisement call.

Distribution. Akkedis Mountain and Maanskyn Nature Reserve, on the Kleinriviers Mountains ( Fig. 1 ), and the lower slopes of the Koeël Mountain near Rockview Dam. The Kleinriviers populations are healthy, found breeding near Stanford in September 2016.

Etymology. The specific epithet derives from the Greek selenóphos (moonlight), in reference to the type locality Maanskyn Nature Reserve (Afrikaans maanskyn = moonlight). It is used as a noun in apposition.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Map of the south-western Cape, South Africa, showing the distribution of the material examined. Symbols: Capensibufo deceptus — green triangles; C. magistratus – blue circles; C. rosei — violet diamonds, C. selenophos — red squares. Mountains are indicated in brown, cities and towns in grey. The distribution of C. tradouwi falls outside the boundaries of the map.

FIGURE 2. Illustrations of the species. A— Capensibufo deceptus (NMB A 8099), holotype, Deception Peak. B—Ventral surface of Capensibufo deceptus holotype (NMB A 8099). C— Capensibufo magistratus (NMB A 8101), holotype, Landdroskop. D—Ventral surface of Capensibufo magistratus (NMB A 8102). E— Capensibufo selenophos, no voucher, Maanskyn Nature Reserve. F— Capensibufo rosei, no voucher, Silvermine, Cape Peninsula.