A new species of Nidirana (Anura, Ranidae) from northern Guangxi, China

Wei-Cai Chen; Jian-Ping Ye; Wan-Xiao Peng; Peng Li; Tong-Ping Su; Gui-Dong Yu; Zhi-Ying Cheng

doi:10.3897/zookeys.1135.94371

A new species of Nidirana (Anura, Ranidae) from northern Guangxi, China

Zookeys. 2022 Dec 12:1135:119-137. doi: 10.3897/zookeys.1135.94371. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Wei-Cai Chen¹, Jian-Ping Ye², Wan-Xiao Peng¹, Peng Li¹, Tong-Ping Su¹, Gui-Dong Yu³, Zhi-Ying Cheng³

Affiliations

¹ Key Laboratory of Environment Change and Resources Use in Beibu Gulf Ministry of Education, Nanning Normal University, Nanning 530001, China.
² Guangxi Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Intelligent Simulation, Nanning Normal University, Nanning 530001, China.
³ Maoershan National Nature Reserve, Guilin 541000, China.

Abstract

A new species of music frog, Nidiranaguibeiensis sp. nov., is described from northern Guangxi, China. Based on two mtDNA fragments analyzed, phylogenetic trees reveal that N.guibeiensis sp. nov. is most closely related to N.leishanensis. However, the new species can be identified by conspicuous diagnostic morphological characteristics as well as bioacoustics. In contrast to the known Nidirana species, the advertisement calls of the new species can be divided into three types, calls with one, two, and three notes. In addition, the new species has nest construction behavior, which is inconsistent with N.leishanensis. Nidiranaguibeiensis sp. nov. occurs in paddy fields or still pools at 300-1300 m a.s.l.

Keywords: Bioacoustics; morphology; nest construction; phylogeny.

Wei-Cai Chen, Jian-Ping Ye, Wan-Xiao Peng, Peng Li, Tong-Ping Su, Gui-Dong Yu, Zhi-Ying Cheng.