[Herpetology • 2024] Systematic Assessment of the Brown Tree Frog (Anura: Pelodryadidae: Litoria ewingii) reveals Two endemic Species in South Australia; Litoria azuroscelis & L. sibilus

Litoria sibilus  

Parkin, Rowley, Elliott-Tate, Mahony, Sumner, Melville & Donnellan, 2024

Kangaroo Island Tree Frog  ||  DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5406.1.1

 australian.museum

 

Abstract

The brown tree frog (Litoria ewingii) is a relatively widespread, commonly encountered pelodryadid frog from south-eastern Australia, known for its characteristic whistling call. The distribution of Litoria ewingii spans over more than 350,000 km2, encompassing a range of moist temperate habitats, and is fragmented by well-known biogeographic barriers. A preliminary analysis of mitochondrial DNA sequences revealed evidence for deep phylogenetic structure between some of these fragmented populations. In this study, we sought to re-evaluate the systematics and taxonomy of Litoria ewingii sensu lato by analysing variation in nuclear and mitochondrial DNA, adult morphology and male advertisement calls throughout the species’ range. Our analyses reveal two additional, deeply divergent and allopatric lineages in South Australia. We herein re-describe Litoria ewingii from Tasmania, southern New South Wales, Victoria and south-eastern South Australia, resurrect the name Litoria calliscelis for a species occurring in the Mount Lofty Ranges and Fleurieu Peninsula in South Australia, and describe a new species, Litoria sibilus sp. nov., endemic to Kangaroo Island.

Key words: mtDNA, single-nucleotide polymorphisms, biogeography, Kangaroo Island, Murray River Basin

Images in life of Litoria sibilus sp. nov.
A–E  unvouchered  individuals  (Mark  Sanders). A)  Parndana, central Kangaroo Island; B) Parndana, central Kangaroo Island, C) Vivonne Bay, southern Kangaroo Island; D) hindfoot of individual in A; E) hand of individual A;
F–G unvouchered individuals, Kangaroo Island (Department of Environment and Water, South Australian Government).

Litoria sibilus sp. nov. 

Suggested common name: Kangaroo Island Tree Frog

Diagnosis. Litoria sibilus is diagnosable from all other members of the L. ewingii group by a combination of (1) adult body size 25–34 mm for males and 28–43 mm for females, (2) moderately robust build, (3) pads wider than fingers (mean Fin3W/Fin3DW = 0.6) and toes (mean Toe4W/Toe4DW = 0.7), (4) webbing on hands vestigial but relatively well-developed on the feet (extending to the 1st subarticular tubercle on the 4th toe [see Fig 8, Type B]), (5) posterior edge of thigh orange-pink, usually patterned with dark spots and blotches (n= 26/27), occasionally plain (n=1/27), (6) dark spots or blotches in inguinal region usually absent (n=23/27), sometimes a single spot may be present right at the junction of the thigh and body (n=4/27), (7) genetically by apomorphic nucleotide states at 15 sites in the ND4 gene. Diagnoses of Litoria sibilus and the other species described herein are presented in Table 8 for ease of comparison.

Etymology. The specific epithet, sibilus, is a masculine Latin 2nd declension noun meaning whistle or hiss. It is used in apposition to the genus name.

Tom Parkin, Jodi J. L. Rowley, Jessica Elliott-Tate, Michael J. Mahony, Joanna Sumner, Jane Melville and Steve C. Donnellan. 2024. Systematic Assessment of the Brown Tree Frog (Anura: Pelodryadidae: Litoria ewingii) reveals Two endemic Species in South Australia.  Zootaxa. 5406(1); 1-36. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5406.1.1

 australian.museum/blog/amri-news/whistling-frogs/

  twitter.com/FrogIDAus/status/1753241972796538996 

[Herpetology • 2023] Litoria ridibunda • Revision of Litoria rothii (Anura: Pelodryadidae) from northern Australia

 Litoria ridibunda

Donnellan, Catullo, Rowley, Doughty, Price, Hines & Richards, 2023

DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5352.1.3 

 australian.museum 

  facebook.com/JodiRowley

Abstract

Litoria rothii is a widespread pelodryadid frog with a charismatic “laughing” advertisement call, distributed across the Australian Monsoon Tropics and southern New Guinea. Given its large distribution spanning well-known biogeographic barriers, variation in male advertisement calls and the prevalence of unresolved species complexes in the Australian frog fauna, we examine the genetic, morphological and acoustic diversity in the species from across its range. Our analyses reveal the presence of a previously unrecognised species in western parts of the range of L. rothii sensu lato, which we describe herein as a new species. Litoria ridibunda sp. nov. is distinguished from L. rothii on the basis of paraphyly of nuclear gene trees with L. everetti from Indonesia, colour patterns on the posterior thigh and male advertisement calls. Compared to L. rothii, the new species has a less contrasting pattern on the posterior thigh and a male advertisement call with a greater number of notes per call and a greater call duration. In particular, the magnitude of call differences between the species is highest where the ranges of the two species are in proximity in north-western Queensland. Our study further emphasises the undiagnosed diversity that remains in Australian frogs, even in relatively large, charismatic, frequently encountered species that often share human dwellings.

Keywords: Amphibia, frog, single nucleotide polymorphisms, mitochondrial DNA, taxonomy, Carpentarian Gap 

Litoria ridibunda  

 Western Laughing Tree Frog  

S.C. Donnellan, R.A. Catullo, J.J.L. Rowley, P. Doughty, L. Price, H.B. Hines and S.J. Richards. 2023. Revision of Litoria rothii (Anura: Pelodryadidae) from northern Australia.  Zootaxa. 5352(1); 73-108. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5352.1.3

  facebook.com/JodiRowley/posts/10159377834420952

  australian.museum/blog/amri-news/funnier-than-the-original

[Herpetology • 2023] Litoria azuroscelis • A New large Green Treefrog (Anura: Pelodryadidae) from western New Guinea, with the Description of A New Diagnostic Character for the Litoria graminea Group

Litoria azuroscelis 

Günther, Richards, Hamidy, Trilaksono, Sulaeman & Oliver, 2023

RAFFLES BULLETIN OF ZOOLOGY. 71 

Photographs: Rainer Günther.

Abstract

 The Litoria graminea group currently consists of seven nominal species of large, predominately green canopy-associated treefrogs from New Guinea and surrounding islands. Here, we first describe a character that appears to diagnose this species group from the similarly large and green Litoria infrafrenata group, specifically nuptial pads comprised of relatively large asperities versus more numerous and tiny asperities. We then describe a new species of this group from the Wondiwoi Mountains at the base of the Wandammen Peninsula in Indonesian New Guinea. The new species differs from other members of the Litoria graminea group in aspects of body proportions, extent of hand webbing, colouration, and size and shape of the male nuptial pad. Discovery of this new species emphasises the until-recently overlooked pattern of multiple co-occurring species of large, green and highly arboreal Litoria in lowland and foothill rainforest areas across much of New Guinea. Over 40 species of frogs were documented in the vicinity of the type locality, emphasising the high species richness of forests on the Wandammen Peninsula. 

Key words. frog alpha diversity, Litoria infrafrenata group, Indonesia, nuptial pads

Litoria azuroscelis, new species, holotype MZB Amph. 32893 in life.
 A, lateral view, B, more dorsal view highlighting blue wash on groin and hidden surfaces of hindlimbs.

Photographs: Rainer Günther.

Litoria azuroscelis, new species 

Azure-thighed Treefrog 

Katak-pohon paha-biru

Diagnosis. A treefrog that differs from other New Guinean Litoria in the following unique combination of characters: body large (adult male SVL to at least 66.6 mm) and robust; vomero-palatines large, prominently raised, each with ~6 small teeth; labial stripe narrow, white, not extending beyond rictus of jaw; dorsum in life predominantly or entirely dark green; enlarged parotoid glands absent; scapular region lacking deep skin creases; webbing on hands extending slightly beyond distal edge of subarticular tubercles at base of penultimate phalanges on inside of Finger 4 and outside of Finger 3; webbing on feet extending to discs on all toes except Toe 4, where it reaches to midway between disc and subarticular tubercle at base of penultimate phalanx; discs very wide (3FD/SVL 0.073–0.074; 4TD/SVL 0.067–0.069); nuptial pads elongate, broader anteriorly than posteriorly, comprised of distinct almost conical asperities; hidden surfaces of limbs purplish blue in life; iris reddish brown; upper half of nictitating membrane largely clear except for dark dorsal margin; and advertisement call consisting of a harsh note (= call) produced singly or more often in series of 2–7 calls with a mean repetition rate of 2.02 calls/s.

Etymology. Named after the colouration on the hidden surfaces of the hindlimbs, from the combination of the Greek azur (deep blue) and scelis, latinised version of Greek skelos (leg).

 Rainer Günther, Stephen J. Richards, Amir Hamidy, Wahyu Trilaksono, Taufan N. Sulaeman and Paul M. Oliver. 2023. A New large Green Treefrog (Litoria: Pelodryadidae) from western New Guinea, with the Description of A New Diagnostic Character for the Litoria graminea Group. RAFFLES BULLETIN OF ZOOLOGY. 71; 417–429. 

https://lkcnhm.nus.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/RBZ-2023-0031.pdf

[Herpetology • 2023] Litoria gracilis, L. haematogaster, L. naispela, etc. • Five New Species of the Genus Litoria Tschudi (Anura: Pelodryadidae) from the southern versant of Papua New Guinea’s Central Cordillera, with Observations on the Diversification of Reproductive Strategies in Melanesian Treefrogs

Litoria haematogaster,

Litoria naispela & 

Litoria gracilis

Richards, Donnellan & Oliver, 2023

 

 DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5263.2.1

 

Abstract

New Guinea has the most diverse insular frog fauna in the world, and rates of species discovery and description have increased rapidly in the last two decades. Pelodryadid treefrogs are the second most diverse family of anurans on the island but their taxonomy, relationships, and especially ecology remain poorly documented. Based on differences in morphology, advertisement calls (where available) and phylogenetic analyses of a 787 base pair alignment from the mitochondrial ND4 gene and flanking tRNA, we describe five new species of small treefrogs from hill and lower montane forests in the high rainfall belt that straddles the southern versant of Papua New Guinea’s Central Cordillera. Three of these species are known only from forest growing on karst substrates, adding to the growing number of herpetofauna species currently known only from the extensive karst habitats of Papua New Guinea’s South-fold Mountains. We also describe the arboreal breeding strategies of two of the new species, and report obligate treehole (phytotelm) breeding in New Guinean frogs for the first time. The new phytotelm–breeding species has juveniles with colour and patterning that closely resemble bird droppings, suggesting defensive mimicry or masquerade. A preliminary phylogeny suggests that arboreal-breeding frogs do not form a monophyletic group and that arboreal breeding has evolved multiple times within the New Guinean pelodryadid radiation. A further striking feature of the phylogeny is poor support for most basal nodes in the most diverse radiation of Melanesian Pelodryadidae, suggesting rapid ecological diversification and speciation, potentially following colonisation from Australia and/or mountain uplift. These new taxa and observations highlight previously unrecognised ecological and reproductive diversity in the Melanesian Pelodryadidae.

 

Keywords: Amphibia, arboreal breeding, bird-dropping mimicry, Central Cordillera, frogs, karst, phylogeny, phytotelm-breeding, taxonomy  

slender spotted treefrog Litoria gracilis.

Photo: Steve Richards

Darai Plateau treefrog Litoria daraiensis.

Photo: Steve Richards

Lisa’s treefrog Litoria lisae.

Photo: Steve Richards

 red-bellied treefrog Litoria haematogaster.

Photo: Steve Richards

 crater mountain treehole frog Litoria naispela.

Photo: Steve Richards

A young crater mountain treehole frog with coloring like bird droppings.

Photo: Steve Richards 

Stephen J. Richards, Stephen C. Donnellan and Paul M. Oliver. 2023. Five New Species of the pelodryadid Genus Litoria Tschudi from the southern versant of Papua New Guinea’s Central Cordillera, with Observations on the Diversification of Reproductive Strategies in Melanesian Treefrogs. Zootaxa. 5263(2); 151-190. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5263.2.1

https://www.aol.com/news/five-treefrog-species-including-poo-162249418.html

[Herpetology • 2023] Litoria lakekamu • A New Species of Small Green Treefrog (Anura: Pelodryadidae) from the Lakekamu Basin in Southern Papua New Guinea

Litoria lakekamu 

Richards & Bickford, 2023

DOI: 10.5358/hsj.42.43

Abstract

We describe a new species of very small (male body length 22.0–22.8 mm), green treefrog in the pelodryadid genus Litoria Tschudi from lowland rainforest on the southern margin of Papua New Guinea's central cordillera. The new species is morphologically most similar to Litoria leucova, a small green treefrog known only from the north-flowing Sepik River catchment in western Papua New Guinea. It differs from that species by having longer limbs (TL/SVL 0.56–0.60 vs. 0.53–0.55), a poorly defined (vs. prominent) tympanum, in having a distinct lemon yellow mid-lateral line, and in its unique advertisement call comprising a slowly repeated series of short clicks followed by a discrete group of pulses produced rapidly but with highly variable inter-pulse intervals. Although genetic data are not available, the new species' association with a fast-flowing rocky stream suggests that its relationships may lie with other torrent-dwelling Litoria species.

KEYWORDS: advertisement calls, frog, Litoria lakekamu sp. nov, morphology, taxonomy

 

Images in life of: (A) Litoria lakekamu sp. nov. paratype SAMA R70114, (B) Litoria lakekamu sp. nov. paratype PNGNM (FN: 11625),
(C) Litoria leucova SAMA R71844 from the Sepik River catchment, northern Papua New Guinea, (D) Litoria lodesdema SAMA R64772 from New Britain Island, Papua New Guinea.

Photographs by S. Richards.

Litoria lakekamu sp. nov.

(English name: Lakekamu pygmy treefrog)

Diagnosis: The new species is distinguished from all other Litoria by the following unique combination of characters: size very small (SVL of four males 20.0–22.8 mm, females unknown); dorsum in life predominantly green; vomerine teeth absent; tympanum indistinct; finger webbing extensive, reaching distal edge of subarticular tubercle at base of penultimate phalanx on outer edge of Finger 3 and inner edge of Finger 4; finger discs slightly larger than or same size as toe discs; webbing on toes extending nearly to base of all discs except Toe 4 where it reaches midway between subarticular tubercle at base of penultimate phalanx and disc on both sides of digit; dermal fringes on limbs and below vent absent; pigmentation on nictitating membrane restricted to scattered flecks at dorsal margin; advertisement call a series of short (0.017–0.053 s) distinctly pulsed rasping notes repeated at 2.1–6.5 s intervals, followed by a discrete group of rapidly repeated pulses with highly variable inter-pulse intervals.

Etymology: The specific name lakekamu is a noun in apposition referring to the type and only known locality [Lakekamu Basin, Gulf Province, Papua New Guinea] of this species.

Torrential stream habitat of Litoria lakekamu sp. nov. on the Sapoi River near Ivimka Camp, Lakekamu Basin, Gulf Province, Papua New Guinea. Males were calling from vegetation along the stream bank.

Photograph by S. Richards.

Stephen J. Richards and David Bickford. 2023. A New Species of Small Green Treefrog (Pelodryadidae: Litoria) from the Lakekamu Basin in Southern Papua New Guinea. Current Herpetology. 42(1);  43-54. DOI: 10.5358/hsj.42.43

[Herpetology • 2023] Litoria hastula • A New Species of Torrent-breeding Treefrog (Anura: Pelodryadidae) from the mountains of Papua, Indonesia, with New Records and Observations of Litoria dorsivena (Tyler, 1968)

Litoria hastula 

Oliver, Iskandar & Richards, 2023

  DOI: 10.3897/vz.73.e91111

photographs by S.J. Richards.

Abstract

The mountains of New Guinea are home to species-rich but poorly understood communities of stream or torrent-breeding pelodryadid treefrogs. Here we describe a new species of moderately sized torrent-breeding Litoria from the mountains of Papua Province, Indonesia. The new species is most similar to Litoria dorsivena but differs from that species in aspects of body size, skin texture and especially the shape of the snout. Based on recent collections, we also present new data on the distribution and colour in life of L. dorsivena. Both species show marked sexual size dimorphism when compared to most other pelodryadid treefrogs, and the colour pattern of the new species may also vary between males and females. The torrent-breeding treefrogs of New Guinea remain poorly known and, given declines of ecologically similar pelodryadids in Australia, should be a priority group for taxonomic research and population monitoring.

Keywords: Cryptic extinction risk, New Guinea, sexual size dimorphism, taxonomy

Colouration of Litoria hastula sp. nov. in life:
A lateral view of adult male paratype SAMA R72334; B hidden coloration in thighs of male paratype SAMA R72335; C lateral view of adult female paratype MZB Amph.32872; D ventral view of adult female paratype MZB Amph.32872.

All photographs by S.J. Richards.

Litoria hastula sp. nov.

Diagnosis: A species of Litoria that can be distinguished from all congeners by the following unique combination of characters: moderate size and strong sexual size dimorphism (4 adult males 30.4–31.8 mm SVL, one adult female 48.9 mm SVL); snout moderately long (EN/IN 0.69–0.80), with sharply acuminate tip and with concave dorsal surface; canthus rostralis nearly straight, sharply defined; limbs moderately long (TL/SVL 0.55–0.60); finger webbing moderate, not extending beyond third phalanx between Finger 3 and Finger 4; toe webbing extensive, extending to penultimate phalanx between all digits except Toe 1 and Toe 2; dorsal skin relatively smooth with scattered small tubercles; heel with 2–3 distinct conical tubercles; vomeropalatines prominent; vocal slits present in males; dorsal colouration predominately light to mid-brown with scattered darker-brown spots and or blotches; venter largely buff with little to no pattern; and advertisement calls produced in series of 5–7 calls, each comprising a single short note that is unpulsed or slightly pulsatile but may become longer, with discrete pulses, in terminal calls of the series.

Etymology: Latin, “little spear’, combining spear “hasta” with the diminutive suffix “-ula” in reference to the elongate and sharply pointed snout of the species.

Details of habitat at the type locality for Litoria hastula sp. nov.:
 A dense and very mossy mid-montane forest, and B small fast-flowing rocky stream. The type series was collected from low vegetation along this stream at night.

 All photographs by S.J. Richards.

Paul M. Oliver, Djoko T. Iskandar and Stephen J. Richards. 2023. A New Species of Torrent-breeding Treefrog (Pelodryadidae: Litoria) from the mountains of Papua, Indonesia, with New Records and Observations of Litoria dorsivena (Tyler, 1968). Vertebrate Zoology. 73: 127-139. DOI: 10.3897/vz.73.e91111

[Herpetology • 2020] Litoria aplini • A New Species of Treefrog (Anura: Pelodryadidae) from Papua New Guinea

 Litoria aplini

Richards & Donnellan, 2020

Aplin’s Treefrog || DOI: 10.3853/j.2201-4349.72.2020.1729

Researchgate.net/publication/347159288

Abstract

We describe a new species in the Australopapuan pelodryadid frog genus Litoria from upper hill forest (940 m a.s.l.) on the northern slopes of Papua New Guinea’s central cordillera. The new species is moderately small (male body length = 31.9–35.1 mm) and slender (head width/body length = 0.29–0.30), with extensive golden-yellow markings ventrally. It is most similar to Litoria iris, L. majikthise, L. ollauro, and L. verae but differs from them by a suite of morphological and colour features. The advertisement call is a series of short buzzes and clicks reminiscent of calls produced by both L. iris and L. ollauro. Phylogenetic analysis of mitochondrial ND4 nucleotide sequences shows that the new species is closest to L. iris and L. majikthise but shows a net sequence divergence of 14–15% from both of these taxa. The new species is unusual in being found calling from forest on limestone substrate where free-standing water is rarely encountered.

Pelodryadidae Günther, 1858 

Litoria Tschudi, 1838 

Type series of  Litoria aplini in life:
(A) SAMA R71463; (B) SAMA R71465;
(C) SAMA R71464; (D) SJR12834 (PNGNM);
(E) SAMA R71463, in ventral view; and (F) SAMA R71463, ventral surfaces of hind limb.

Litoria aplini sp. nov. 

Diagnosis. Litoria aplini sp. nov. is diagnosed morphologically from all congeners by the combination of body size moderately small (male SVL 31.9–35.1 mm); snout relatively broad (EN/IN = 0.79–0.84) (Table 4); presence of crenulated folds on outer edge of tarsi; webbing on hands extending to slightly past penultimate tubercle on fourth finger; presence of prominent ivory conical tubercles below vent and on ventral surfaces of thighs; and in the following colour in life traits - belly golden-yellow posteriorly, hidden surfaces of limbs predominantly blue with dark brown mottling except for discrete golden-yellow patch on posteroventral surface of thighs. The advertisement call is a short buzz normally followed by 1–7 clicks, the latter most commonly comprising two pulses. From a genetic perspective, apomorphic nucleotide states at 12 sites in the mitochondrial ND4 gene reliably diagnose L. aplini from the eight most closely related species (Table 2).

 Etymology. The species epithet is an honorific for Dr Ken Aplin, in recognition of his immense contributions to New Guinean herpetology and in gratitude for his friendship and selfless collaboration with the authors over many years. Ken’s tremendous intellect, boundless energy, and unfailing humour in the field are sorely missed. We recommend the common name “Aplin’s Treefrog” for this beautiful species. 

. Closely related species that could be confused with Litoria aplini:
(A) Litoria iris (SAMA R71615), adult male in life (Hindenburg Range, Western Province); (B) Litoria iris showing bright colours on hidden surfaces of the hind legs (unvouchered animal, Hela Province); 
(C) Litoria majikthise (SAMA R65042), in life, Muller Range, Western Province);
(D, E) Litoria majikthise (SAMA R65042), showing colour ventrally and on hidden surfaces of hind limbs;
and (F) Litoria ollauro, Milne Bay Province, photo courtesy of Fred Kraus.

 

Stephen J. Richards and Stephen C. Donnellan. 2020. Litoria aplini sp. nov., A New Species of Treefrog (Pelodryadidae) from Papua New Guinea. Records of the Australian Museum. 72(5); 325-337. DOI: 10.3853/j.2201-4349.72.2020.1729

Researchgate.net/publication/347159288_Litoria_aplini_a_new_species_from_Papua_New_Guinea

australian.museum/blog/amri-news/the-lives-of-creatures-obscure-misunderstood-and-wonderful-a-volume-in-honour-of-ken-aplin-1958-2019/

Nyctimene cephalotes aplini (Chiroptera)

Microperoyctes aplini (Peramelemorphia)

Alormys aplini (Rodentia) | Uromys aplini (Rodentia)

Litoria aplini (Anura)

[Herpetology • 2021] Litoria balatus & L. quiritatus • Two New Frog Species from the Litoria rubella Species Group (Anura: Pelodryadidae) from eastern Australia

 

Litoria dentata (Keferstein 1868) 

Litoria balatus
 Litoria quiritatus

Rowley, Mahony, Hines, Myers, Price, Shea & Donnellan, 2021

DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5071.1.1 

  Australian.Museum 

Abstract

The bleating tree frog (Litoria dentata) is one of the more prominent pelodryadid frogs of eastern Australia by virtue of its extremely loud, piercing, male advertisement call. A member of the Litoria rubella species group, L. dentata has a broad latitudinal distribution and is widespread from coastal and subcoastal lowlands through to montane areas. A recent mitochondrial DNA analysis showed a deep phylogeographic break between populations of L. dentata on the mid-north coast of New South Wales. Here we extended the mitochondrial survey with more geographically comprehensive sampling and tested the systematic implications of our findings with nuclear genome wide single-nucleotide polymorphism, morphological and male advertisement call datasets. While similar in appearance and in male advertisement call, our integrative analysis demonstrates the presence of three species which replace each other in a north-south series. We redescribe Litoria dentata, which is restricted to coastal north-eastern New South Wales, and formally describe Litoria balatus sp. nov., from south-eastern Queensland, and Litoria quiritatus sp. nov., from the mid-coast of New South Wales to north-eastern Victoria.

Key words: Frog diversity, genetic diversity, species complex

Images in life of Litoria dentata.
 A) male AMS R184779, Kyogle NSW, B) male AMS R184704, Oxley Wild Rivers National Park, NSW,
C) male, no voucher, Guy Fawkes River National Park, NSW, D) amplexing pair, no vouchers, Guy Fawkes River National Park, NSW,
E) male, no voucher, Guy Fawkes River National Park, NSW, F) male, no voucher, Barrington NSW,
G) male, no voucher, Kookabookra NSW, H) male AMS R184779, Kyogle, NSW, I) male AMS R184704, Oxley Wild Rivers National Park, NSW, J) male AMS R184705, Oxley Wild Rivers National Park, NSW.

All images by Jodi Rowley.

Litoria dentata (Keferstein 1868) 

Robust Bleating Tree Frog

Revised diagnosis. Litoria dentata is distinguished from all species in the Litoria rubella group by a combination of (1) adult body size 28–42 mm in males and 29–42 mm in females, (2) relatively robust build, (3) the presence of a single, continuous, irregularly edged, dark brown dorsal band, (4) the absence of light spots on the dorsum, (5) lack of a well-defined pale mid-dorsal stripe, (6) absence of distinctive pale markings above the groin, vent and along lower leg, (7) a dorsolateral line diffusing above insertion of the arm, and (8) adult males having a vocal sac that is black or very dark yellowish black when deflated and yellowish brown when inflated.

  Images in life of Litoria balatus sp. nov.
A) QM J95155, B) QM J95156, Mount Victoria, Bunya Mountains Road, adjoining Bunya Mountains National Park, Qld,
C) QM J93232, Ocean View, Qld, D) QM J86660, Karawatha Forest Park, Qld,
E) QM J97210, Samsonvale, Qld, F) QM J96340, Maroon, Qld,
G) QM J97210, Samsonvale, Qld, H) QM J96340, Maroon, Qld, I) QM J96341, Barney View, Qld, J) QM J86661, Karawatha, Qld.

All images by Harry B. Hines.

  

Litoria balatus sp. nov. 

Slender Bleating Tree Frog 

Diagnosis. Litoria balatus sp. nov. is distinguished from all species in the Litoria rubella group by a combination of (1) adult body size 26–44 mm in males and 33–43 mm in females, (2) relatively slender build, (3) the presence of a single, continuous, irregularly edged, dark brown dorsal band, (4) the absence of light spots on the dorsum, (5) lack of a well-defined pale mid-dorsal stripe, (6) absence of distinctive pale markings above the groin, vent and along lower leg, (7) presence of a distinct dorsolateral line continuing to groin, and (8) adult males having a vocal sac that is black.

Etymology. The specific epithet, balatus, is a masculine Latin 4th declension noun, meaning “a bleating”, used as a noun in apposition to the genus name.

 Images in life of Litoria quiritatus sp. nov.
A) male, no voucher, Blacktown, NSW (Stephen Mahony), B) male, no voucher, Darkes Forest, NSW (Jodi Rowley),
C) male, no voucher, Darkes Forest NSW (Jodi Rowley), D) male, no voucher, Barrington, NSW (Jodi Rowley),
E) male, no voucher, Barrington, NSW (Jodi Rowley), F) male, Ourimbah, no voucher, NSW (Steve Donnellan).

Litoria quiritatus sp. nov. 

Screaming Tree Frog 

Diagnosis. Litoria quiritatus sp. nov. is distinguished from all species in the Litoria rubella group by a combination of (1) adult body size 36–43 mm in males and 34–46 mm in females, (2) relatively robust build, (3) the presence of a single, continuous, irregularly edged, dark brown dorsal band, (4) the absence of light spots on the dorsum, (5) lack of a well-defined pale mid-dorsal stripe, (6) absence of distinctive pale markings above the groin, vent and along lower leg, (7) a dorsolateral line diffusing above insertion of the arm, and (8) adult males having a vocal sac that is yellow when deflated and when inflated.

Etymology. The specific epithet, quiritatus, is a masculine Latin 4th declension noun based on the verb quirito, meaning a shriek or scream, used as a noun in apposition to the genus name.

    

 Jodi J. L. Rowley, M. J. Mahony, Harry B. Hines, S. Myers, Luke C. Price, Glenn M. Shea & Stephen C. Donnellan. 2021. Two New Frog Species from the Litoria rubella Species Group from eastern Australia. Zootaxa. 5071(1); 1-41.  DOI:  10.11646/zootaxa.5071.1.1

Bleating or screaming? Two new, very loud, frog species described in eastern Australia

  Australian.Museum/blog/amri-news/bleating-or-screaming

     

[Herpetology • 2020] Litoria mira • Multiple Trans-Torres Strait Colonisations by Tree Frogs in the Litoria caerulea Group (Anura: Pelodryadidae), with the Description of A New Species from New Guinea

Litoria mira Oliver, Rittmeyer, Torkkola, Dahl, Donnellan & Richards

in Oliver, Rittmeyer, Torkkola, ... et Richards, 2020.

Chocolate Tree Frog  ||  DOI: 10.1071/ZO20071 

 blog.QM.qld.gov.au 

Abstract

Australia and New Guinea (together referred to as Sahul) were linked by land for much of the late Tertiary and share many biotic elements. However, New Guinea is dominated by rainforest, and northern Australia by savannah. Resolving patterns of biotic interchange between these two regions is critical to understanding the expansion and contraction of both habitat types. The green tree frog (Litoria caerulea) has a vast range across northern and eastern Australia and New Guinea. An assessment of mitochondrial and morphological diversity in this nominal taxon in New Guinea reveals two taxa. True Litoria caerulea occurs in disjunct savannahs of the Trans-Fly, Central Province and across northern Australia, with very low genetic divergence, implying late Pleistocene connectivity. A previously unrecognised taxon is endemic to New Guinea and widespread in lowland swampy rainforest. Date estimates for the divergence of the new species suggest Pliocene connectivity across lowland tropical habitats of northern Australia and New Guinea. In contrast, the new species shows shallow phylogeographic structuring across the central mountains of New Guinea, implying recent dispersal between the northern and southern lowlands. These results emphasise that the extent and connectivity of lowland rainforest and savannah environments across northern Australia and southern New Guinea have undergone profound shifts since the late Pliocene.

 

Keywords: Australian Monsoonal Tropics, biotic exchange, Litoria caerulea, Litoria mira sp. nov., New Guinea, rainforest, Sahul, savannah, Trans-Fly, tree frog.

Litoria mira holotype (SAMA R70446) from the Purari River Basin in life.

Photograph: S. Richards.

Species in the Litoria caerulea group in life:
(a) Litoria mira paratype SAMA R70446 from upper Fly River Region, Papua New Guinea, (b) L. mira paratype SAMA R71656 from Purari River Basin, Papua New Guinea,
 (c) L. caerulea from near Kuranda, Australia, (d) L. cavernicola from Theda Station, Australia,
(e) L. gilleni from Simpson’s Gap, Australia, and (f) L. splendida from the King Leopold Ranges, Australia.

Photographs: (a–c) S. Richards, (d) B. Schrembri, (e) C. Jolly and (f) P. Horner.

Litoria mira Oliver, Rittmeyer, Torkkola, Dahl, Donnellan & Richards, sp. nov.

Chocolate Tree Frog

 Litoria caerulea Tyler (1968 in part) 

Litoria caerulea Dahl, Richards & Novotny (2013)

Diagnosis: Litoria mira can be distinguished from all other Litoria by the unique combination of moderately large size (male SUL up to 70.8, female SUL up to 79.6 mm); vomerine teeth present; webbing on hand extending no further than base of penultimate phalanx on fourth finger; limbs without prominent white or yellow lateral folds or ornamentation; lip lacking a white stripe; limbs relatively short and robust (TL/SUL 0.41–0.48); parotoid gland present, but not prominent and not fused with prominent gland on top of head; head relatively narrow (HW/ HL 0.91–1.0), distinctly tapering from body; dorsal colouration uniformly brown, without white or yellow spots; small violet patch of skin at postero-ventral edge of eye; and ventral surfaces of limbs, torso and throat with moderate to extensive regions densely stippled with dark to medium brown.

Etymology: The name mira is the feminine form of the Latin adjective mirum, for surprised or strange, stemming from our surprise in discovering an undescribed member of the predominately Australian L. caerulea group occurring widely across lowland swampy rainforest in New Guinea. 

 Paul M. Oliver, Eric N. Rittmeyer, Janne Torkkola, Stephen C. Donnellan, Chris Dahl and Stephen J. Richards. 2020. Multiple Trans-Torres Strait Colonisations by Tree Frogs in the Litoria caerulea Group, with the Description of A New Species from New Guinea. Australian Journal of Zoology. 68; 25–39 . DOI: 10.1071/ZO20071

Sweet new discovery – a new species of chocolate frog

blog.QM.qld.gov.au/2021/05/28/sweet-new-discovery-a-new-species-of-chocolate-frog/

  twitter.com/QldMuseum/status/1398074055656366084