Afrixalus Laurent, 1944

Marques, Mariana P., Ceríaco, Luis M. P., Blackburn, David C. & Bauer, Aaron M., 2018, Diversity and Distribution of the Amphibians and Terrestrial Reptiles of Angola Atlas of Historical and Bibliographic Records (1840 - 2017), Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences 65, pp. 1-501 : 85-88

Genus Afrixalus Laurent, 1944

Afrixalus dorsalis ( Peters, 1875) STRIPED SPINY REED FROG

Hyperolius dorsalis Peters 1875:206 , pl. 1, fig. 2. Syntype: ZMB 4488 (collector R. Buchholz) fide Bauer et al. (1995:44). Type locality: “Boutry” and “Victoria in einem Wassertümpel” restricted to “Boutry” by Mertens (1938b:24), [= mouth of River Butre], Ghana.

Afrixalus dorsalis regularis : Laurent (1964a:149) Cei (1977:17).

Afrixalus dorsalis : Schiøtz (1999:47), Channing (2001:136), Frétey et al. (2011:28), Channing et al. (2012:187), Frost (2016).

Global conservation status (IUCN): Least Concern.

Global distribution: The species is known from West Africa, from eastern Sierra Leone to extreme northern coastal Angola, but it has not been recorded from Benin ( Gilles et al. 2006). Ocurrences in Angola (Map 27): The species occurs in coastal Angola. Benguela:

“Cubal da Ganda (Marco de Canavezes)”

[-13.08333, 14.33333] ( Laurent 1964a:149).

Undetermined Locality: “areas of forest and savanna in the north and northeast of Angola ”

( Cei 1977:17).

Taxonomic and distributional notes:

Schiøtz (1999) suggested that this species might extend from coastal Cameroon to Angola. However, these populations vary in phenotype and Angolan populations are somewhat different with some populations having a pale dorsal surface to the crus. For Angola, Schiøtz

(1999) considered two valid subspecies, Afrixalus dorsalis regularis Laurent, 1951 and

Afrixalus dorsalis leptosomus (Peters, 1877) .

The latter was described by Peters (1877a) MAP 27. Distribution of Afrixalus dorsalis in Angola. based on one individual from “Chinchoxo, Cabinda enclave,” which was originally placed in Hyperolius ( Amiet 2012) . Both, Schiøtz (1999) and Amiet (2012) discussed the nomenclatural confusion regarding leptosomus as a member of the fluvovittatus complex and Frétey et al. (2011) included Afrixalus dorsalis regularis and A. d. leptosomus as synonyms of the nominate form. In contrast, Frost (2016) considered A. d. leptosomus to be a synonym of Afrixalus quadrivittatus ( Werner, 1908) and A. d. regularis to be a synonym of A. dorsalis . Channing (2001) provided three records for Afrixalus dorsalis in Angola in Benguela Province without detailed information, which probably correspond to previously unpublished museum specimens.

Afrixalus fulvovittatus (Cope, “1860” 1861) FOUR-LINED SPINY REED FROG

Hyperolius fulvovittatus Cope “1860” 1861:517. Holotype: ANSP 3219 fide Malnate (1971:350) (collector possibly Dr. Goheen). Type locality: “ Liberia ” (Cope “1860” 1861:517).

Rappia fulvo-vittata : Günther (1868 “1869”:479).

Hyperolius fulvovittatus : Noble (1924:252).

Rappia fulvovittata : Boulenger (1882:121), Ferreira (1904:112).

Afrixalus fulvovittatus : Cei (1977:17), Schiøtz et al. (2013), Frost (2016).

Global conservation status (IUCN):

Least Concern.

Global distribution: The species is known from Guinea to western Ivory Coast,

south to north-central Cameroon, Republic of

Congo and northern Angola.

Ocurrences in Angola (Map 28): The species occurs in northern Angola. Bengo:

“Cabiri” [-8.91667, 13.66667] ( Ferreira

1904:112). Malanje: “Duque de Bragança ”

[-9.10000, 15.95000] ( Boulenger 1882:121).

Undetermined Locality: “plateaus regions”

( Cei 1977:17).

Taxonomic and distributional notes:

The taxonomy of Afrixalus fulvovittatus (Cope,

1861) is still unresolved. Some authors, including Frétey et al. (2011), consider it a synonym of the broadly distributed Afrixalus quadrivit- Map 28. Distribution of Afrixalus fulvovittatus in Angola. tatus Werner, 1908, whereas others, such as Schiøtz et al. (2013) and Frost (2016), consider this species to have a limited distribution in western Africa, including eastern Sierra Leone, southern Guinea, northern Liberia, and western Ivory Coast. This confusion, as well as the existence of other available names such as Afrixalus leptosomus (Peters, 1877) , makes unclear the taxonomic status of specimens from Angola. A thorough taxonomic review incorporating genetic data from many populations across Central Africa is sorely needed.

Afrixalus osorioi ( Ferreira, 1906) OSORIO’S SPINY REED FROG

Rappia osorioi Ferreira 1906:162 , pl. 1. Syntypes: MHNFCP 017307 [3 specimens] fide Ceríaco et al. (2014a:22) (collector F. Newton). Type locality: “Quilombo” ( Ferreira 1906:162) Kwanza Norte Province, Angola.

Hyperolius osorioi : Noble (1924:153).

Afrixalus osorioi : Perret (1976b:27), Cei (1977:17), Laurent (1982:24), Frost (1985:222, 2016), Schiøtz (1999:49), Channing (2001:140), Köhler et al. (2005:130), Frétey et al. (2011:28), Ceríaco et al. (2014a:22).

Global conservation status (IUCN): Least Concern.

Global distribution: The species is distributed from west-central Angola northwards across much of the Congo Basin, western Kenya, and eastern Uganda.

Ocurrences in Angola (Map 29): The species has only been recorded from its type locality “Quilombo” in Kwanza Norte Province, although is expected to be more widespread in the west-central plateaus of the country. Kwanza Norte: “Quilombo” MAP 29. Distribution of Afrixalus osorioi in Angola .

[-9.33333, 14.90000] ( Ferreira 1906:162; Perret 1976b:27; Laurent 1982:24; Frost 1985:222, 2016; Ceríaco et al. 2014a:22; Frost 2016).

Taxonomic and distributional notes: Ferreira (1906) described Rappia osorioi based on three specimens, from “Quilombo” collected by Francisco Newton. Laurent (1982) discussed patterns of morphological variation in A. osorioi and the minor phenotypic differences from two other Congo Basin species, Afrixalus equatorialis ( Laurent, 1941) and Afrixalus leucostictus (Laurent, 1950) . In his discussion of the variation in color and pattern of A. osorioi, Laurent noted that “la phenotype représenté par l’holotype” has an elongate rectangular and dark scapular spot. Howev- er, the citation provided in this discussion, as well as the list of specimens examined, indicates Laurent was, in fact, referring to the holotype of Megalixalus fornasinii congicus Laurent, 1941 and not the type material described by Ferreira (1906). Perret (1976b) listed three type specimens in Museu do Porto lacking catalog numbers (one holotype and two paratypes) and followed Laurent in recognizing this taxon as conspecific with M. f. congicus (Ceríaco et al. 2014a). Channing (2001) provided two records without specific information that are probably based on museum specimens.

Afrixalus quadrivittatus ( Werner, 1908) FOUR-LINED SPINY REED FROG

Hyperolius leptosomus Peters 1877a:619 , pl., figs. 5-5a. Holotype: ZMB 9175 (collector Africanische Gesellschaft) fide Bauer et al. (1995:44). Type locality: “Chinchoxo (Westafrika)” ( Peters 1877a:611), [= Chinchoxo] Cabinda Province, Angola. Synonymy with A. fulvovittatus ( Werner, 1908) by Schiøtz (1975:78) and assigned by implication to A. “ quadrivittatus ” by Pickersgill (2007b:23).

Megalixus leptosomus quadrivittatus Werner 1908 “1907”:1900, pl. 4, fig. 13. Syntypes: NHMW 3723 (collector F. Werner) fide Häupl et al. (1994:29). Type locality: “On the Nile near Khor Attar, Sudan ” (Wern- er 1908 “1907”:1900), Sudan.

Megalixus leptosomus : Boulenger (1882:129).

Hyperolius leptosomus quadrivittatus : Werner (1908 “1907”:1900).

Afrixalus fluvovittatus leptosomus : Loveridge (1957:322).

Afrixalus dorsalis leptosomus : Perret (1976b:19), Laurent (1982:31), Amiet (2012:71).

Afrixalus quadrivittatus : Largen (2001:357), Kölher et al. (2005:131), Frost (2016).

Afrixalus “quadrivittatus ”: Pickersgill (2007b:23), Frost (2016).

Global conservation status (IUCN):

Least Concern.

Global distribution: The species is known from eastern Nigeria to western

Ethiopia, southwards through western Tanzania and into northern Angola.

Ocurrences in Angola (Map 30): The species occurs in “Chinchoxo” in the Cabinda enclave, but it is also presumed to occur in northern Angola. Cabinda: “Chinchoxo”

[-5.10000, 12.10000] ( Peters 1877a:619;

Boulenger 1882:129; Loveridge 1957:322;

Perret 1976b:19; Laurent 1982:31; Kölher et al. 2005:132; Amiet 2012:71).

Taxonomic and distributional notes:

The taxonomy and distribution of A. quadrivittatus remains controversial. It was removed from synonymy of Afrixalus fulvovittatus MAP 30. Distribution of Afrixalus quadrivittatus in Angola.

(Cope, 1861) by Schiøtz (1975) and Kölher et al. (2005), where it had been placed by Laurent (1982) and recently placed again by Frétey et al. (2011). Pickersgill (2007b) suggested that the validity of this species is questionable, which leaves the Angolan records for this species in need of further study.

Afrixalus wittei ( Laurent, 1941) DE WITTE’S SPINY REED FROG Megalixus wittei Laurent 1941:127 . Holotype: MRAC 11500. Type locality: “Lukafu” ( Laurent 1941:127), Democratic Republic of Congo.

Hyperolius fulvovittatus : Bocage (1866a:55).

Rappia fulvovittata : Bocage (1895a:175).

Afrixalus wittei : Perret (1976b:24), Frost (1985:224, 2016), Poynton and Broadley (1987:191), Schiøtz (1999:64), Channing (2001:143), Frétey et al. (2011:27), Ceríaco et al. (2016b:30).

Global conservation status (IUCN): Least Concern.

Global distribution: The species is known from tropical lowland savannas from the southern Democratic Republic of Congo, northeastern Angola and Zambia.

Ocurrences in Angola (Map 31): The species was from some time only known from a single record from “Duque de Bragança”

[= Calandula], Malanje Province. It was recently found in Cangandala National Park , in the same region. Malanje : “Duque de Bragança ”

[-9.10000, 15.95000] ( Bocage 1866a:55,

1895a:175; Perret 1976b:24); “Cangandala

National Park” [-9.84606, 16.72233] (Ceríaco et al. 2016b:30).

Taxonomic and distributional notes:

Perret (1976b) considered the specimen from

“Duque de Bragança ” identified by Bocage as

Hyperolius fulvovittatus ( Bocage 1866a), and later as Rappia fulvovittata ( Bocage 1895a), to be referable to Afrixalus wittei ( Laurent, 1941) .

Through analysis of the morphological diversity in several species of Afrixalus, Laurent MAP 31. Distribution of Afrixalus wittei in Angola.

(1982) argued that A. wittei is closely related to A. osorioi Ferreira, 1906 (Poynton and Broadley 1987).