Nidiranaguangxiensis sp. nov., a new music frog species, is proposed, based on a series of specimens collected from Mt Daming, Guangxi, southern China. The new species is close to N.yeae, N.daunchina, N.yaoica, and N.chapaensis from southwestern and south-central China and northern Indochina, while the relationships among these species remain unresolved. Nidiranaguangxiensis sp. nov. can be distinguished from all known congeners by the genetic divergences in the mitochondrial 16S and COI genes, the behavior of nest construction, the advertisement call containing 6-11 rapidly repeated regular notes, and a combination of morphological characteristics. Furthermore, the Nidirana populations recorded in Guangxi are clarified in this work, providing valuable new information on the knowledge of the genus Nidirana.
Keywords: Bioacoustics; geography; mitochondrial DNA; morphology; nest construction.
Zhi-Tong Lyu, Zhong Huang, Xiao-Wen Liao, Li Lin, Yong Huang, Ying-Yong Wang, Yun-Ming Mo.