Boulenophrys pepe Wang and Zeng, 2024

Wang, Jian, Lin, Shi-Shi, Gan, Jun-Shen, Chen, Hong-Hui, Yu, Ling-Min, Pan, Zhong, Xiao, Jia-Jie & Zeng, Zhao-Chi, 2024, A new species of the genus Boulenophrys from South China (Anura, Megophryidae), Zootaxa 5514 (5), pp. 451-468 : 459-463

Boulenophrys pepe Wang and Zeng sp. nov.

Pepe Horned Toad (in English) / Lián Shān Jiǎo Chán (ḔƜmDz in Chinese)

Figures 3–4

Holotype. GEP a207 ( Figure 3 ), adult male, collected by Jian Wang, Zhao-Chi Zeng, Hong-Hui Chen and Shi-Shi Lin on 17 January 2024 from Lianshan Bijiashan Nature Reserve (24.216343°N, 111.995255°E; ca. 540 m a.s.l.), Lianshan Zhuang and Yao Autonomous County, Qingyuan City, Guangdong, China.

Paratypes. Three adult males from Lianshan Bijiashan Nature Reserve . GEP a117 (24.222098°N, 111.991852°E; ca. 510 m a.s.l.), collected by Jun-Shen Gan and Hu-Jun Pan on 18 March 2023; SYS a009350 (field number GEP a208; Fig. 4A–D ) (24.219745°N, 111.997946°E; ca. 520 m a.s.l.), collected by Jian Wang, Zhao-Chi Zeng, Hong-Hui Chen and Shi-Shi Lin on 17 January 2024; GEP a209 ( Fig. 4E–F ) (24.219954°N, 111.997601°E; ca. 490 m a.s.l.), collected by Jian Wang, Zhao-Chi Zeng, Hong-Hui Chen and Shi-Shi Lin on 17 January 2024 .

Etymology. The specific epithet “ pepe ” is named after “Pepe the Frog”, also known as the “Sad Frog”, a webcomic and international. The swollen lips of this new species ( Figs. 3D , 4D ) make it look like to has a sad face resembling to Pepe. Moreover, we name the new species after the well-known internet figure in the hope that it could bring attention to the conservation of the micro-endemic genus of frogs.

Diagnosis. The new species can be diagnosed from its congeners by a combination of the following characters: (1) body size small and stout, SVL 35.3–36.4 mm (n = 4) in adult males; (2) head width distinctly larger than head length, (HDW/HDL 1.1–1.2); (3) lips swollen, upper and lower jaws distinctly protrude; tympanic region oblique, tympanum distinct and visible in dorsal view; (4) tongue feebly notched posteriorly; (5) vomerine ridges strong, vomerine teeth weak; (6) dorsal skin rough with dense granules, discontinuous X-shaped ridge on center of dorsum, discontinuous dorsolateral ridges present, dense large tubercles on flanks, dorsal limbs with discontinuous transverse ridges and tubercles, ventral skin smooth; (7) outer margin of upper eyelid with a small horn-like prominent tubercle; supratympanic fold distinct and narrow, curving posteroventrally to above arm; (8) two metacarpal tubercles distinct, inner one observably enlarged; distinct subarticular tubercle at base of each finger; (9) relative finger lengths I <II <IV <III; (10) heels not meeting when hindlimbs folded; tibiotarsal articulation reaching the posterior corner of eye; (11) toes without webbing and lateral fringes; (12) inner metatarsal tubercle long ovoid, outer one absent; (13) dorsal surface dark brown to yellowish brown, dark brown triangular marking between eyes, dorsal surface of forearm with two wide oblique dark brown bands, and dorsal surface of hindlimbs and digits with dark brown transverse bands; (14) dense tiny spines on surface of sacral region and dorsal hindlimbs in males; and (15) dense nuptial spines on dorsal bases of fingers I and II in breeding adult males; subgular vocal sac present in males.

Comparisons. Boulenophrys pepe sp. nov. is the sister species to B. obesa ( Figure 2 ). However, the new species differs from the later by the vomerine teeth present (vs. absent), tongue notched posteriorly (vs. rounded), lips swollen (vs. normal), upper and lower jaws distinctly protruded (vs. not protruded), and toes without webbing (vs. with weak fleshy webbing).

Boulenophrys pepe sp. nov. is further phylogenetically close to B. ombrophila ( Figure 2 ), but can be distinguished from the latter by the vomerine ridges and vomerine teeth present (vs. both absent), tongue notched posteriorly (vs. rounded posteriorly) and lips swollen (vs. normal).

Boulenophrys pepe sp. nov. can be distinguished by its heels not meeting when flexed hindlimbs held at right angles to body axis, from the following congeners: B. anlongensis , B. baishanzuensis , B. binlingensis , B. caudoprocta , B. cheni , B. chishuiensis , B. congjiangensis , B. daweimontis , B. elongata , B. fanjingmontis , B. jiangi , B. jingdongensis , B. jinggangensis , B. jiulianensis , B. leishanensis , B. liboensis , B. lini , B. lushuiensis , B. mirabilis , B. mufumontana , B. nanlingensis , B. omeimontis , B. palpebralespinosa , B. qianbeiensis , B. sangzhiensis , B. sanmingensis , B. shimentaina , B. shunhuangensis , B. spinata , B. sanmingensis , B. tongboensis , B. tuberogranulata , B. wuliangshanensis , B. xianjuensis , B. yangmingensis , B. yaoshanensis and B. yingdeensis (vs. heels overlapping); from B. binchuanensis , B. lishuiensis , B. minor , B. xiangnanensis and B. xuefengmontis (vs. heels just meeting); and from B. angka , B. daiyunensis , B. baolongensis , B. wushanensis and B. yunkaiensis (vs. heels just meeting or slightly overlapping).

For the other congeners, Boulenophrys pepe sp. nov. can be distinguished by the vomerine teeth present, from the following congeners: B. acuta , B. boettgeri , B. caobangensis , B. daoji , B. hungtai , B. hengshanensis , B. kuatunensis , B. shuichengensis and B. wugongensis (vs. vomerine teeth absent).

Boulenophrys pepe sp. nov. can be further distinguished by its lateral fringes and webbing on toes absent, from the following congeners: B. brachykolos , B. dongguanensis , B. fengshunensis , B, insularis , B. nankunensis and B. puningensis (vs. toes with rudimentary webbing); and from B. rubrimera (vs. toes with narrow lateral fringes).

Boulenophrys pepe sp. nov. can be distinguished by its tongue notched posterior, from the remaining congeners: B. hoanglienensis , B. fansipanensis and B. frigida (vs. tongue rounded posteriorly).

Description of holotype. Adult male, body stout, SVL 36.4 mm. Head width distinctly larger than head length, HWD/HDL 1.12; snout rounded in dorsal view, projecting, sloping backward to mouth in profile, protruding well beyond margin of lower jaw; top of head flat; eyes moderate in size, ED 0.31 of HDL, pupil vertical, near diamondshaped; nostril obliquely ovoid; canthus rostralis well developed; loreal region slightly oblique; internasal distance slightly larger than interorbital distance; lips swollen, upper and lower jaws distinctly protrude, tympanic region oblique, tympanum distinct and visible in dorsal view; tympanum moderate in size, margin clear, upper margin in contact with supratympanic fold, lower margin in contact with upper lip, TD/ED 0.54; large ovoid choanae at base of maxilla; strong vomerine ridge and weak vomerine teeth present, maxillary teeth present; margin of tongue feebly notched posteriorly; presence of single subgular vocal sac.

Forearm length 0.23 of SVL, hand 0.24 of SVL; webbing absent between fingers, lateral fringes absent, relative finger length I <II <IV <III; tips of fingers slightly dilated, round; subarticular tubercles present, distinct; inner metacarpal tubercle observably enlarged, outer one slightly smaller; single nuptial pad bearing nuptial spines present on dorsal surface of first and second fingers, respectively. Hindlimbs short, tibio-tarsal articulation reaching forward to posterior conner of eye when hindlimb stretched along body; heels not meeting when flexed hindlimbs held at right angles to body axis; shank length 0.40 of SVL and foot length 0.55 of SVL; relative toe length I <II <V <III <IV; tips of toes round and slightly dilated; toes without lateral fringes and webbing; subarticular present and distinct; inner metatarsal tubercle long ovoid and lacking outer metatarsal tubercle.

Dorsal skin rough and highly granular; dense large tubercles on flanks; single horn-like prominent tubercle on edge of upper eyelid; obvious supratympanic fold curving posteroventrally from posterior corner of eye to level above insertion of arm; upper lip, mandibular articulation, loreal, temporal region excluding tympanum, upper eyelid and surface around cloaca with conical tubercles; discontinuous X-shaped ridge on center of dorsum, discontinuous dorsolateral ridges present; dense large tubercles on flanks; dense tiny spines on surface of sacral region and dorsal hindlimbs; ventral surface relatively smooth; small pectoral gland closer to axilla; single femoral gland positioned on posterior surface of thigh at midpoint between knee and cloaca.

Coloration of holotype in life. Dorsal surface of body yellowish brown, with incomplete dark brown triangular marking between eyes. Two wide oblique dark bands present on forearm. Dorsal surface of digits and hindlimbs with dark brown transverse bands. Tubercles on edge of upper eyelids orange. Supratympanic fold light brown. Spines on surface of sacral region and dorsal hindlimbs gray brown. Ventral surface dark brown, with black longitudinal band on surface of throat; surface of chest mottled with orange dots and patches; surface of ventral limbs and abdomen with grayish white mottling. Digits gray white; subarticular tubercles, inner and outer metacarpal tubercles and inner metatarsal tubercle orange. Pectoral glands and femoral glands gray white. Iris yellowish brown.

Coloration of holotype in preservative. Yellowish brown fades to grayish brown dorsally. Color of the triangular marking between eyes, oblique bands on forearms, patterns on ventral surface more distinct. Orange patches and dots on surface of chest absent, white mottling on ventral limbs and abdomen faded; color of pectoral glands and femoral glands faded.

Variation. Morphometric variation is listed in Table 3 . Most of the paratypes are similar to the holotype in morphology and color pattern, except for the following: dorsal surface of body dark brown in the paratype GEP a209; orange patches and dots denser in the paratype SYS a009350 and absent in GEP a209.

Distribution and natural history. Currently, Boulenophrys pepe sp. nov. is only known from its type locality. It inhabits flowing montane seeps and the nearby forest floor and leaf litter at elevations between 490–540 m ( Figure 5 ). On January, males were found calling in rock crevices or under leaf litters and tadpoles were observed.

Figures

FIGURE 2. ML tree based on the partial DNA sequences of the mitochondrial 16S and COI genes, with Bootstrap Support (BS) and Posterior Probabilities (BPP) at nodes.

FIGURE 3. The holotype (GEP a207) of Boulenophrys pepe sp. nov. in life: A. dorsal view; B. dorsolateral view; C. ventral view; D. ventral view of head, arrows showing swollen lips and protrude jaws; E. ventral view of hand; F. ventral view of foot.

FIGURE 4. The paratypes SYS a009350 (A–D) and GEP a209 (E–F) of Boulenophrys pepe sp. nov. in life: A. dorsal view; B. dorsolateral view; C. ventral view; D. lateral view of head, with an arrow showing swollen lips and protrude jaws; E. dorsolateral view; F. ventral view.

FIGURE 5. Habitat (A) and microhabitat (B) of Boulenophrys pepe sp. nov. at the type locality.