Abstract
We describe a new species of rhacophorid frog from the Langbian Plateau in southern Vietnam. Rhacophorus vampyrus sp. nov. is distinguished from its congeners by a combination of: a pale tan to brick red dorsum; white throat, chest and belly; black flanks and anterior and posterior surface of thighs; grey to black webbing between fingers and toes; reduced finger webbing; and pointed projection at tibiotarsal articulation. At present, the new species is known from montane evergreen forest between 1470–2004 m elevation. Rhacophorus vampyrus sp. nov. is a phytotelm breeder, depositing eggs in foam nests in small tree-holes.
References
Ahl, E. (1927) Zur Systematik der asiatischen Arten der Froschgattung Rhacophorus. Sitzungsberichte der Gesellschaft Naturforschender Freunde zu Berlin 1927, 35–47.
Ahl, E. (1931) Amphibia, Anura III, Polypedatidae. Das Tierreich, 55, 1–477Alberch, P. & Gale, E.A. (1985) A developmental analysis of an evolutionary trend: digital reduction in amphibians. Ecology, 39, 8–23.
Andersson, L.G. (1939 "1938"). Batrachians from Burma collected by Dr. R. Malaise, and from Bolivia and Ecuador collected by Dr. C. Hammarlund. Arkiv för Zoologi, 30, 1–24.
Blanford, W.T. (1881) On a collection of reptiles and frogs chiefly from Singapore. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London, 1881, 215–226
Bordoloi, S., Bortamuli, T. & Ohler, A. (2007) Systematics of the genus Rhacophorus (Amphibia, Anura): identity of red-webbed forms and description of a new species from Assam. Zootaxa, 1653, 1–20.
Boulenger, G.A. (1893) Concluding report on the reptiles and batrachians obtained in Burma by Signor L. Fea dealing with the collection made in Pegu and the Karin Hills in 1887-88. Annali del Museo Civico di Storia Naturale di Genov, Serie 2, 13, 304–347
Bourret, R. (1937) Notes herpétologiques sur lIndochine française. XIV. Les batraciens de la collection du Laboratoire des Sciences Naturelles de lUniversité. Descriptions de quinze especes ou variétés nouvelles. Annexe au Bulletin Général de l'Instruction Publique. Hanoi, 1937, 5–56.
Brown, W.C. & Alcala, A.C. (1994) Philippine frogs of the family Rhacophoridae. Proceedings of the Californian Academy of Sciences 48, 185–220.
Chan, K.O. & Grismer, L.L. (2010) Re-assessment of the Reinwardt’s Gliding Frog, Rhacophorus reinwardtii (Schlegel 1840) (Anura: Rhacophoridae) in Southern Thailand and Peninsular Malaysia and its re-description as a new species. Zootaxa, 2505, 40–50.
David, A. (1872 "1871") Rapport adressé a MM. les Professeurs-Administráteurs du Museum d'histoire naturelle. Nouvelles Archives du Muséum d'Histoire Naturelle, 7, 75–100.
Dehling, J.M. & Grafe, T.U. (2008) A new treefrog of the genus Rhacophorus (Anura: Rhacophoridae) from Brunei Darussalam (Borneo). Salamandra, 44, 101–112.
Duellman, W.E. & Trueb, L. (1986) Biology of Amphibians. The John Hopkins University Press, Baltimore and London. 670 pp.
Fei, L., Hu, S.-Q., Ye, C.-Y. &. Huang, Y.-Z. (2009) Fauna Sinica. Amphibia. Volume 2. Anura. Science Press, Beijing. 957 pp.
Frost, D.R. (2010) Amphibian Species of the World: an online reference. Version 5.4 (8 April, 2010). American Museum of Natural History, New York, USA. Available from http://research.amnh.org/vz/herpetology/amphibia/ (accessed 7 September 2010).
Glaw, F. & Vences, M. (1997) Anuran eye colouration: definitions, variation, taxonomic implications and possible functions, pp. 125–138. In: Böhme W., Bischoff W. and Ziegler T., Edits. Herpetologia Bonnensis. SEH Proceedings, Bonn.
Günther, A.C.L.G. (1858) Neue Batrachier in der Sammlung des britischen Museums. Archiv für Naturgeschichte, 24, 319–328.
Inger, R.F. (1966) The systematics and zoogeography of the amphibians of Borneo. Fieldiana Zoology, 52, 1–402.
Inger, R.F., Orlov, N. & Darevsky, I. (1999) Frogs of Vietnam: a report on new collections. Fieldiana Zoology, 92, 1–46.
IUCN. (2001) IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria: Version 3.1. IUCN Species Survival Commission. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK. ii + 30 pp.
Kuhl, H. & Van Hasselt, J.C. (1822) Uittreksels uit breieven van de Heeren Kuhl en van Hasselt, aan de Heeren C. J. Temminck, Th. van Swinderen en W. de Haan. Algemeene Konst-en Letter-Bode, 7, 99–104.
Liem, S.S. (1970) The morphology, systematic, and evolution of the old world treefrogs (Rhacophoridae and Hyperoliidae). Fieldiana Zoology, 57, 1–145.
Liu, C.-C. (1935) Types of vocal sac in the Salentia. Proceedings of the Boston Society of Natural History, 41, 19–40.
Liu, C.-C. (1950) Amphibians of western China. Fieldiana: Zoology Memoirs, 2, 1–400.
Liu, C.-C. & Hu S.-Q. (1961) Tailless Amphibians of China. Science Press, Shanghai. [In Chinese] 364 pp.
Manthey, U. & Steiof, C. (1998) Rhacophorus cyanopunctatus sp. n. (Anura: Rhacophoridae), ein neuer Flugfrosch von der Malaiischen Habinsel, Sumatra und Borneo. Sauria, 20, 37–42.
Matsui, M. & Panha, S. (2006) A new species of Rhacophorus from eastern Thailand (Anura: Rhacophoridae). Zoological Science, 23, 477–481.
Myers, C.W. & Duellman, W.E. (1983) A new species of Hyla from Cerro Colorado, and other tree frog records and geographical notes from western Panama. American Museum Natural History Novitates 2752: 1–32.
Ohler, A. (2009) Rhacophorus burmanus (Anderson, 1939) the valid nomen for Rhacophorus taroensis Smith, 1940 and Rhacophorus gongshanensis Yang & Su, 1984. Herpetozoa, 21, 179–182
Ohler, A. & Delorme, M. (2006) Well known does not mean well studied: morphological and molecular support for existence of sibling species in the Javanese gliding frog Rhacophorus reinwardtii (Amphibia, Anura). Comptes Rendus. Biologies. Paris, 329, 86–97.
Ohler, A., Marquis, O., Swan, S.R. & Grosjean, S. (2000) Amphibian biodiversity of Hoang Lien Nature Reserve (Lao Cai Province, northern Vietnam) with description of two new species. Herpetozoa, 13, 71–87.
Orlov, N.L. (2008) Description of a new species of Rhacophorus genus (Amphibia: Anura: Rhacophoridae) from Kon Cha Rang area (Gia Lai Province, Vietnam). Russian Journal of Herpetology, 15, 133–140
Orlov, N.L., Gnophanxay, S., Phimminith, T. & Phomphoumy, K. (2010 "2009") A new species of Rhacophorus Genus (Amphibia: Anura: Rhacophoridae: Rhacophorinae) from Khammouan Province, Lao PDR. Russian Journal of Herpetology, 16, 295–303.
Orlov, N.L., Lathrop, A., Murphy, R.W. & Ho, T.C. (2001) Frogs of the family Rhacophoridae (Anura: Amphibia) in the northern Hoang Lien Mountains (Mount Fan Si Pan, Sa Pa District, Lao Cai Province), Vietnam. Russian Journal of Herpetology, 8, 17–44
Orlov, N.L., Nguyen N.S. & Ho T.C. (2008) Description of a new species and new records of Rhacophorus genus (Amphibia: Anura: Rhacophoridae) with the review of amphibians and reptiles diversity of Chu Yang Sin National Park (Dac Lac Province, Vietnam). Russian Journal of Herpetology, 15, 67–84.
Palumbi, S.R., Martin, A., Romano, S., McMillan, W.O., Stice, L. & Grabowski, G. (1991) The simple fool's guide to PCR. Department of Zoology, University of Hawaii, Honolulu. 47 pp.
Savage, J.M. & Heyer, W.R. (1967) Variation and distribution of the tree-frog genus Phyllomedusa in Costa Rica, Central America. Beiträge zur Neotropischen Fauna, 5, 111–131.
Savage, J.M. & Heyer, W.R. (1997) Digital webbing formulae for anurans: a refinement. Herpetological Review, 28, 131.
Smith, M.A. (1924) New tree-frogs from Indo-China and the Malay Peninsula. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 1924, 225–234.
Stejneger, L. (1924) Herpetological novelties from China. Occasional Papers of the Boston Society of Natural History, 5, 119–121.
Ziegler, T. & Köhler, J. (2001) Rhacophorus orlovi sp. n., ein neuer Ruderfrosch aus Vietnam (Amphibia: Anura: Rhacophoridae). Sauria, 23, 37–46.