Abstract
Nidiranaguangxiensissp. 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.
Highlights
The music frog genus Nidirana Dubois, 1992 was originally proposed as a subgenus of Rana Linnaeus, 1758
The Nidirana populations from Mt Daming (MDM) (ID 1–5) and Mt Jiuwan (MJW) (ID 9–12) are both inserted in the Clade C of the N. adenopleura group, which are distant from the true N. adenopleura in Clade D in phylogeny
Within Clade C, the Nidirana population from MJW (ID 9–12) is clustered with samples of N. leishanensis from Mt Leigong and Mt Fanjing, Guizhou, with strong supports (BS = 100) and small divergences, which indicates the MJW population should be clarified as N. leishanensis
Summary
The music frog genus Nidirana Dubois, 1992 was originally proposed as a subgenus of Rana Linnaeus, 1758. Comprehensive morphological, molecular, bioacoustic, and biogeographical evidence has resurrected Nidirana as a distinct genus (Lyu et al 2017). The frogs of this genus usually inhabit the natural or artificial swamps, ponds, and paddy fields in the hilly regions of subtropical eastern and southeastern Asia, with some species having nest construction behavior when courting (Fei et al 2009; Lyu et al 2017). Lyu et al (2020b) revised multiple populations historically recorded as Nidirana adenopleura (Boulenger, 1909) from China. Lyu et al.’s (2020b) work did not clarify all historic records of N. adenopleura, and the taxonomic status for the records not involved in their study remains unresolved
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