Capensibufo deceptus, 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 : 284-287

Capensibufo deceptus sp. nov.

Deception Peak Mountain Toadlet ( Fig. 2 A, B)

Capensibufo rosei (part)

Holotype. A female NMB A8099, collected from a plateau below Deception Peak in the DuToits Mountains (33.78419°S, 19.19886°E, 1686 m), by A. Rebelo, A.A. Turner, D. Rossouw and R. Howat, 19 September 2016 . Paratypes. PEM A10159, a female from below Deception Peak , 1635 m, Dutoits Mountains, South Africa (33.79472°S, 19.21806°E) collected by M.J. Cunningham and C.L. Henderson , 6 October 2003, and a smaller female NMB A8100 from nearby (33.78397°S, 19.19633°E, 1701 m), collected by A. Rebelo, A.A. Turner, D. Rossouw and R. Howat, 19 September 2016.

Other material. Two large specimens from near the top of Koeël Mountain (Kogelberg) ( CNCH 6847–48) are provisionally assigned to this species, on the basis of their large size and the presence of a tympanum. Although C. tradouwi also has a tympanum, the nearest confirmed record for this species is on the Langeberg Mountains, 150 km east. Fresh material for sequencing is required to confirm this assignment.

Sequences. Two 16S sequences FN652323 –4 and two ND2 sequences FN650111 – 2 ( Tolley et al. 2010) from Du Toit's Kloof Mountains , vouchers PEM A10159 and MH 0 201. The holotype GenBank 16S accession number is KY171944 .

Diagnosis. Capensibufo deceptus is larger than the other species in the group. The female holotype SUL 36.3 mm, and a female PEM A10159, 38 mm. The largest specimens of the other species include C. rosei 28.3 mm (SAM 43270, Table Mountain), C. magistratus 26 mm (Jonaskop), and C. selenophos 23.5 mm (holotype, Maanskynkop). It possesses a visible tympanum, which distinguishes it from C. magistratus , C. rosei , and C. selenophos . In preservative, the dorsal spots have no thin white outer margin, which is usually present in C. magistratus and C. selenophos . The umbraculum is angular, but rounded in C. rosei , C. selenophos and C. tradouwi . Parotids are usually not expanded, in contrast to the wide parotid middle of C. magistratus , C. selenophos , and C. tradouwi . The vertebral stripe consists of a thin white line inside a broad pale band, while a vertebral stripe is usually absent in C. rosei , and it consists of a diffuse band in C. magistratus . The belly is immaculate to lightly speckled, while there are white spots on a darker background in C. magistratus and C. selenophos . Capensibufo tradouwi has a belly that is flecked, the marks running together into thin interrupted lines. The intraspecific uncorrected p distances for 16S are 0–0.2 (n=3), and 2.5–3.4 between C. deceptus and the other three species previously included in C. rosei , and 2.6–3.8 from C. tradouwi ( Table 1 ).

Description of holotype. A male, 36.3 mm SUL, in breeding condition, robust, widest at mid-body; head wide (SUL/HW 2.5), not wider than trunk, wider than long (HW/HL 1.2); snout long (SL/HL 0.39), nearly square in dorsal view, angular in profile, slightly projecting beyond lower jaw, shorter than wide (SL/IO 0.85); canthus rostralis gently rounded; loreal region almost vertical, slightly concave; nostril raised, rimmed, with a small outer flap, directed dorsolaterally; situated closer to eye than to tip of snout, separated from each other by distance less than distance between eye and nostril (IN/EN 0.89); eyes directed anterolaterally, relatively small (EYE/HL 0.3); umbraculum present; eye diameter shorter than snout (EYE/SNT 0.81); interorbital distance less than eye diameter (IO/EYE 0.84), and greater than internarial distance (IO/IN 1.33); tympanum distinct, round, less than eye diameter (TYM/EYE 0.58), situated close to eye (ET/EYE 0.21); 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 snout does not protrude beyond the lower jaw.

Lateral and dorsal surfaces of trunk smooth; ventral surfaces of limbs and gular smooth; supratympanic fold absent. Parotid elongated, smooth, not expanded, (PL/PW 2.36), (PL/SUL 0.18); raised, rounded rictal gland behind angle of jaw; inguinal gland rugose, not extending forward beyond thighs; vent opens posteriorly, no large surrounding glandular structures.

Forelimbs moderately robust; hand gracile; tips of fingers rounded, slightly expanded but without discs; relative length of fingers: III>I>II>IV (F3/HW 0.58); subarticular tubercles single, well developed; small supernumerary tubercles present on the palm; thenar tubercle raised; a single rounded metacarpal tubercle present; fingers lightly pigmented, with pigment extending along outer surface of forearm, confluent with dorsal pigment. Nuptial pads cover the upper surfaces of the first two fingers, and the inner surface of the third finger. They consist of small dark raised spots, evenly spaced.

Foot as long as tibia (FT/TIB 0.99); Relative length of toes: I<II<V<III<IV; subarticular tubercles small, rounded: webbing absent; inner metatarsal tubercle small, prominent; outer metatarsal tubercle flat, rounded.

Colour in life. ( Fig. 2 A, B) The back is a dark reddish-brown, with a thin pale-grey vertebral stripe. The parotids have a dark orange tinge. The iris is speckled silver. The tympanum is mottled brown. The lateral glandular ridge extending from the parotid is grey, with the posterior third dark orange. The snout is dark brown, extending to the upper lip. A pale area runs from below the eye to the upper lip, continuing as a glandular ridge to the upper arm. The upper surfaces of the limbs are light brown, with darker transverse blotches. The belly is pale grey with darker lateral markings that extend from the back. The inguinal gland is dark red. The throat is white. The soles and palms are black with pale tubercles.

Colour in preservative. The pattern of the specimen has faded, but some details are apparent. The dorsal spots consist of a dark circle, with no white outer ring. Some specimens have white-tipped warts inside the dark rings. The parotids are orange, and there is a thin white vertebral stripe within a more diffuse pale vertebral band. Ventral markings consist of grey speckles.

Paratype variation. The paratypes are similar in morphology, with the largest female SUL 38 mm. The colour patterns are similar.

Advertisement call. Unknown. This species has a tympanum, and it is expected to produce an advertisement call.

Distribution. The species is so far only known from the DuToits Mountains in South Africa ( Fig. 1 ), from below Deception Peak. Two specimens from Koeël Mountain (Kogelberg) ± 980 m (CNCH 6847–48) have been provisionally assigned to this species. They have snout-urostyle lengths of 31 and 35 mm, much larger than any other species, and both possess a visible tympanum. They were previously called Capensibufo rosei , but the latter does not have a tympanum, nor any hearing organs. This assignment will require fresh material for molecular confirmation.

Etymology. This species is named for the type locality, below Deception Peak, DuToits Mountains, South Africa. The specific epithet is Latin for 'deceive'.

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.

Tables

TABLE 1. Uncorrected 16 S p distances, as percentages.

	C. deceptus (n = 3)	C. magistratus (n = 14)	C. rosei (n = 13)	C. selenophos (n = 3)
C. deceptus	0–0.2
C. magistratus	2.5–3.4	0–1.4
C. rosei	2.8–3.0	2.6–3.8	0–0.4
C. selenophos	2.6–3.0	3.0–4.0	3.7–4.0	0.2–0.6
C. tradouwi	2.6–3.8	3.2–4.5	2.4–4.5	3.8–4.6