TIRAHANULAP, Brown & Siler & Richards & Diesmos & Cannatella, 2015

Brown, Rafe M., Siler, Cameron D., Richards, Stephen J., Diesmos, Arvin C. & Cannatella, David C., 2015, Multilocus phylogeny and a new classification for Southeast Asian and Melanesian forest frogs (family Ceratobatrachidae), Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society (Zool. J. Linn. Soc.) 174 (1), pp. 130-168 : 146

TIRAHANULAP SUBGEN. NOV.

Type species

Philautus hazelae ( Taylor, 1920) .

Diagnosis

The morphologically, ecologically, and acoustically similar species of Tirahanulap differ from all other subgenera of Platymantis by having: (1) widely expanded terminal discs of fingers and toes (vs. non- or minimally expanded): (2) subdigital surfaces relatively flat with low subarticular tubercles (vs. subarticular tubercles prominently rounded to pointed); (3) greatly reduced Finger I (vs. Finger I as long or nearly as long as Finger II); (4) tonal advertisement calls of constant frequency (vs. possession of frequency sweep calls or calls with multiple syllables of different frequencies); (5) small clutch sizes (four to eight eggs vs. clutches typically of 20 or more eggs); and (6) a mid- to upper montane shrub-layer vegetation microhabitat preference (vs. terrestrial, semiaquatic, forest canopy, limestone, or semifossorial). We consider the reduced length of Finger I, and the low, flat subarticular tubercles to be unique synapomorphies for the clade, which is strongly supported in phylogenetic analyses ( Fig. 2, Clade P).

Phylogenetic definition

Tirahanulap (NCN) is a maximum crown-clade name referring to the crown clade ( Fig. 2, Clade P) originating with the most recent common ancestor of Platymantis (Tirahanulap) hazelae and all extant species that share a more recent common ancestor with Pl. hazelae than with Pl. corrugatus , Pl. levigatus, Pl. guentheri , or Pl. dorsalis .

Content

Platymantis hazelae , Pl. isarog , Pl. lawtoni, Pl. montanus , Pl. panayensis , Pl. polillensis , Pl. sierramadrensis , and Pl. subterrestris ( Table 3).

Comment

Species of Tirahanulap form a morphologically and ecologically cohesive group that corresponds to the Pl. hazelae group of Brown et al. (1997a; 1999a) and Alcala & Brown (1999). The members of this clade are ecologically and phenotypically most similar to Cornufer (Palmatorappia) heffernani (formerly Palmatorappia solomonis ) and the high-elevation shrub frogs of New Britain ( Cornufer macrosceles , Cornufer citrinospilus , and Cornufer mamusiorum ) and Manus Island ( Cornufer custos ). We are aware of at least four currently unrecognized species in this clade (species 2, 3, 5, and 42; Fig. 2).

Etymology

From the Tagalog verb tumira, meaning, when conjugated (‘ tirahan ’), to ‘inhabit’ or ‘reside within’, and the Tagalog noun ulap, meaning cloud; together meaning ‘cloud-dwellers’ or ‘they come from the clouds’. The name is masculine in gender. Suggested common name: Philippine cloud frogs.