Skip to main content Skip to main navigation menu Skip to site footer
Responsive image
Issue: Vol. 5604 No. 3: 14 Mar. 2025
Type: Article
Published: 2025-03-14
DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5604.3.2
Page range: 234-254
Abstract views: 106
PDF downloaded: 6

Two new species of microhylid frogs (Cophixalus, Oreophryne) from the Purari River Basin, Papua New Guinea

Museum für Naturkunde; Herpetologie; Invalidenstr. 43; 10115 Berlin; Germany
New Guinea Binatang Research Center; Nagada; Madang; Papua New Guinea
Herpetology Department; South Australian Museum; North Terrace; Adelaide; S. A. 5000; Australia and Australian Museum Research Institute; Sydney; Australia
Amphibia Advertisement calls Asterophryinae AmphibiaAnura Gulf Province lowlands taxonomy

Abstract

We describe two new species of asterophryine microhylid frogs from the Gulf Province lowlands of south-central Papua New Guinea. Cophixalus flavopunctatus sp. nov. is a small member of the genus (SUL 13.5–15.5 mm) that is most commonly encountered on stream banks. It can be distinguished from all congeners by its small size and the presence of yellow tubercles on the dorsum. Calling activity appears to peak in the early morning and evening when males produce a train of melodious peeping notes from within litter on the forest floor. Oreophryne purari sp. nov. is a medium-sized member of the genus (SUL 24.0 mm in the only male) that calls at night from high in the forest canopy with a series of harsh honking notes. Its morphology and call structure closely resemble O. loriae (Boulenger, 1898), a species known from eastern Papua New Guinea, but it differs from that species by having a cartilaginous connection between the procoracoid and the scapula (vs. a ligamentous connection), and by several aspects of morphometrics and colouration. The discovery and description of these two species adds to an already impressive known frog diversity in the lowland forests of southern Papua New Guinea.

 

References

  1. Allison, A., Bickford, D., Richards, S.J. & Torr, G. (1998) Herpetofauna. In: Mack, A. (Ed.), A Biological assessment of the Lakekamu Basin, Papua New Guinea. Rapid Assessment Program Working Paper No. 9. Conservation International, Washington, pp. 58–62 + 156–158.
  2. Bickford, D.P. (2002) Male parenting of New Guinea froglets. Nature, 418, 601–602. https://doi.org/10.1038/418601b
  3. Bickford, D.P. (2004) Differential parental care behaviors of arboreal and terrestrial microhylid frogs from Papua New Guinea. Behavioural Ecology and Sociobiology, 55, 402–409. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00265-003-0717-x
  4. Boettger, O. (1892) Katalog der Batrachier-Sammlung im Museum der Senckenbergischen Naturforschenden Gesellschaft in Frankfurt am Main. Gebrüder Knauer, Frankfurt am Main, 73 pp.
  5. Boettger, O. (1895) Liste der Reptilien und Batrachier der Insel Halmaheira nach den Sammlungen Prof. Dr. W. Kükenthal’s. Zoologischer Anzeiger, 18, 129–138.
  6. Boulenger, G.A. (1897) Descriptions of new lizards and frogs from Mount Victoria, Owen Stanley Range, New Guinea, collected by Mr. A. S. Anthony. Annals and Magazine of Natural History, Series 6, 19 (109), 6–13. https://doi.org/10.1080/00222939708680502
  7. Boulenger, G.A. (1898) An account of the reptiles and batrachians collected by Dr. L. Loria in British New Guinea. Annali del Museo Civico di Storia Naturale di Genova, Serie 2, 18, 695–710.
  8. Dahl, C., Richards, S.J. & Novotny, V. (2013) The Sepik River (Papua New Guinea) is not a dispersal barrier for lowland rain-forest frogs. Journal of Tropical Ecology, 29, 477–483. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0266467413000527
  9. Dubois, A., Ohler, A. & Pyron, R.A. (2021) New concepts and methods for phylogenetic taxonomy and nomenclature in zoology, exemplified by a new ranked cladonomy of recent amphibians (Lissamphibia). Megataxa, 5 (1), 1–738. https://doi.org/10.11646/megataxa.5.1.1
  10. Frost, D.R. (2024) Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 6.2. American Museum of Natural History, New York, New York. Electronic Database accessible. Available from: https://amphibiansoftheworld.amnh.org/index.php (accessed 30 July 2024) https://doi.org/10.5531/db.vz.0001
  11. Günther, R. (2003a) First record of the microhylid frog genus Cophixalus from western Papua, Indonesia, with descriptions of two new species (Anura: Microhylidae). Herpetozoa, 16, 3–21.
  12. Günther, R. (2003b) Further new species of the genus Oreophryne (Amphibia, Anura, Microhylidae) from western New Guinea. Zoologische Abhandlungen, Staatliches Museum für Tierkunde in Dresden, 53, 65–85.
  13. Günther, R. (2006) Two new tiny Cophixalus species with reduced thumbs from the west of New Guinea (Anura: Micro­hylidae). Herpetozoa, 19, 59–75.
  14. Günther, R. (2010) Another new Cophixalus species (Amphibia: Anura: Microhylidae) from western New Guinea. Bonn Zoological Bulletin, 57, 231–240.
  15. Günther, R., Dahl, C. & Richards, S.J. (2023) Another giant species of the microhylid frog genus Cophixalus Boettger, 1892 from the mountains of Papua New Guinea and first records of procoracoids in the genus. Zoosystematics and Evolution, 99, 173–183. https://doi.org/10.3897/zse.99.97006
  16. Günther, R. & Richards, S.J. (2012) “2011” Five new microhylid frog species from Enga Province, Papua New Guinea, and remarks on Albericus alpestris (Anura, Microhylidae). Vertebrate Zoology, 61, 343–372. https://doi.org/10.3897/vz.61.e31166
  17. Günther, R. & Richards, S.J. (2016) Description of two new species of the microhylid genus Oreophryne (Amphibia: Anura: Microhylidae) from southern Papua New Guinea. Vertebrate Zoology, 66, 157–168. https://doi.org/10.3897/vz.66.e31544
  18. Günther, R. & Richards, S.J. (2017) Three new species of the microhylid frog genus Choerophryne (Amphibia, Anura, Microhylidae) from Papua New Guinea. Zoosystematics and Evolution, 93, 265–279. https://doi.org/10.3897/zse.93.11576
  19. Günther, R. & Richards, S.J. (2018) A new species of the microhylid frog genus Choerophryne from Papua New Guinea. Alytes, 36, 159–169.
  20. Günther, R. & Richards, S.J. (2020) Two new frog species of the genus Copiula Mehely, 1901 (Anura, Microhylidae, Asterophryinae) from southern Papua New Guinea. Russian Journal of Herpetology, 27, 41–53. https://doi.org/10.30906/1026-2296-2020-27-1-41-53
  21. Günther, R. & Richards, S.J. (2021a) Description of six new species of Xenorhina Peters, 1863 from southern Papua New Guinea (Amphibia, Anura, Microhylidae). Zoosystematics and Evolution, 97, 355–382. https://doi.org/10.3897/zse.97.59696
  22. Günther, R. & Richards, S.J. (2021b) Three new tiny species of the microhylid frog genus Cophixalus Boettger, 1892 from central Papua New Guinea. Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington, 134, 339–362 https://doi.org/10.2988/0006-324X-134.339.
  23. Günther, R., Richards, S.J., Bickford, D.P. & Johnston, G.R. (2012) A new egg-guarding species of Oreophryne (Amphibia, Anura, Microhylidae) from southern Papua New Guinea. Zoosystematics and Evolution, 88, 223–230. https://doi.org/10.1002/zoos.201200019
  24. Günther, R., Richards, S.J. & Dahl, C. (2014) Nine new species of microhylid frogs from the Muller Range in western Papua New Guinea (Anura, Microhylidae). Vertebrate Zoology, 64, 59–94. https://doi.org/10.3897/vz.64.e31463
  25. Günther, R., Richards, S.J. & Iskandar, D. (2001) Two new species of the genus Oreophryne from Irian Jaya, Indonesia (Amphibia, Anura, Microhylidae). Spixiana, 24, 257–274.
  26. Günther, R., Richards, S.J., Tjaturadi, B. & Iskandar, D. (2009) A new species of the microhylid frog genus Oreophryne from the Mamberano Basin of northern Papua Province, Indonesian New Guinea. Vertebrate Zoology, 59, 147–155. https://doi.org/10.3897/vz.59.e30968
  27. Günther, R., Richards, S.J., Tjaturadi, B. & Krey, K. (2015) Two new species of the genus Cophixalus from the Raja Ampat Islands west of New Guinea (Amphibia, Anura, Microhylidae). Zoosystematics and Evolution, 91, 199–213. https://doi.org/10.3897/zse.91.5411
  28. Hill, E.C., Fraser, C.J., Gao, D.F., Jarman, M.J., Henry, E.R., Iova, B., Allison, A. & Butler, M.A. (2022) Resolving the deep phylogeny: implications for early adaptive radiation, cryptic, and present-day ecological diversity of Papuan microhylid frogs. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 177, 107618. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2022.107618
  29. Iannella, A., Richards, S.J. & Oliver, P.M. (2014) A new species of Choerophryne (Anura, Microhylidae) from the central cordillera of Papua New Guinea. Zootaxa, 3753 (5), 483–493. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.3754.5.6
  30. Köhler, F. & Günther, R. (2008) The radiation of microhylid frogs (Amphibia: Anura) on New Guinea: A mitochondrial phylogeny reveals parallel evolution of morphological and life history traits and disproves the current morphology-based classification. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 47, 353–365. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2007.11.032
  31. Köhler, J., Jansen, M., Rodríguez, A., Kok, P.J.R., Toledo, L.F., Emmrich, M., Glaw, F., Haddad, C.F.B., Rödel, M.-O. & Vences, M. (2017) The use of bioacoustics in anuran taxonomy: theory, terminology, methods and recommendations for best practice. Zootaxa, 4251 (1), 1–124. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4251.1.1
  32. Kraus, F. (2012) Papuan frogs of the genus Cophixalus (Anura: Microhylidae): new synonyms, new species, and a dichoto­mous key. Zootaxa, 3559 (1), 1–36. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.3559.1.1
  33. Kraus, F. (2013) Three new species of Oreophryne (Anura, Microhylidae) from Papua New Guinea. ZooKeys, 333, 93–121. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.333.5795
  34. Kraus, F. (2016) Ten new species of Oreophryne (Anura: Micro­hylidae) from Papua New Guinea. Zootaxa, 4195 (1), 1–68. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4195.1.1
  35. Kraus, F. (2017) A new insular species of Oreophryne (Anura, Microhylidae) from Papua New Guinea. Journal of Herpetology, 51, 552–558. https://doi.org/10.1670/17-002
  36. Kraus, F. (2018) A new species of Choerophryne (Anura: Microhylidae) from Papua New Guinea. Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington, 131, 53–60. https://doi.org/10.2988/17-00027
  37. Kraus, F. (2019) A revision of Callulops doriae (Anura: Microhylidae), with descriptions of four new species. Zootaxa, 4612 (1), 1–28. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4612.1.1
  38. Kraus, F. & Allison, A. (2000) Two new species of Cophixalus from New Guinea. Journal of Herpetology, 34, 535–541. https://doi.org/10.2307/1565268
  39. Kraus, F. & Allison, A. (2003) A new species of Callulops (Anura: Microhylidae) from Papua New Guinea. Pacific Science, 57, 29–38. https://doi.org/10.1353/psc.2003.0006
  40. Kraus, F. & Allison, A. (2006) Three new species of Cophixalus (Anura: Microhylidae) from southeastern New Guinea. Herpetologica, 62, 202–220. https://doi.org/10.1655/05-09.1
  41. Kraus, F. & Allison, A. (2009a) New species of frogs from Papua New Guinea. Bishop Museum Occasional Papers, 104, 1–36. https://doi.org/10.1643/CH-09-015
  42. Kraus, F. & Allison, A. (2009b) New species of Cophixalus (Anura: Microhylidae) from Papua New Guinea. Zootaxa, 2128 (1), 1–38. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.2128.1.1
  43. Kraus, F. & Allison, A. (2009c) New microhylid frogs from the Muller Range, Papua New Guinea. ZooKeys, 26, 53–76. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.26.258
  44. Liem, D.S. & Haines, A.K. (1977) The ecological significance and economic importance of the mangrove and estuarine communities of the Gulf Province, Papua New Guinea. Purari River (Wabo) Hydroelectric Scheme Environmental Studies Vol. 3. Office of Environment and Conservation, Department of Minerals and Energy, Port Moresby, 35 pp.
  45. Loveridge, A. (1955) New frogs of the genera Asterophrys and Oreophryne from New Guinea. Breviora, 50, 1–5.
  46. Méhely, L.v. (1901) Beiträge zur Kenntnis der Engystomatiden von Neu-Guinea. Természetrajzi Füzetek, 24, 169–271.
  47. Menzies, J.I. (2006) The frogs of New Guinea and the Solomon Islands. Pensoft, Sofia-Moscow, 345 pp.
  48. Menzies, J.I. & Tyler, M.J. (2004) Litoria gracilenta (Anura: Hylidae) and related species in New Guinea. Australian Journal of Zoology, 52, 191–214.
  49. https://doi.org/10.1071/ZO03008
  50. Oliver, P.M., Rittmeyer, E.N., Torkkola, J., Donnellan, S.C., Dahl, C. & Richards, S.J. (2021) 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.
  51. https://doi.org/10.1071/ZO20071
  52. Oliver, P., Stuart-Fox, D. & Richards, S.J. (2008) A new species of treefrog (Hylidae, Litoria) from the southern lowlands of New Guinea. Current Herpetology, 27, 35–42. https://doi.org/10.3105/1345-5834(2008)27[35:ANSOTH]2.0.CO;2
  53. Parker, H.W. (1934) A Monograph of the Frogs of the Family Microhylidae. British Museum (Natural History), London, 208 pp.
  54. Peloso, P.L.V., Frost, D.R., Richards, S.J., Rodrigues, M.T., Donnellan, S.C., Matsui, M., Raxworthy, C.J., Biju, S.D., Lemmon, E.M., Lemmon, A.R. & Wheeler, W.C. (2016) The impact of anchored phylogenomics and taxon sampling on phylogenetic inference in narrow-mouthed frogs (Anura, Microhylidae). Cladistics, 32, 113–140.
  55. https://doi.org/10.1111/cla.12118
  56. Pernetta, J.C. & Burgin, S. (1980) Census of crocodile populations and their exploitation in the Purari area (with an annotated checklist of the herpetofauna). In: Petr, T. (Ed.), Purari River (Wabo) Hydroelectric Scheme Environmental Studies. Vol. 14. Office of Environment and Conservation, Waigani, pp. 1–44.
  57. Peters, W.C.H. & Doria, G. (1878) Catalogo dei rettili e dei batraci raccolti da O. Beccari, L.M. D’Albertis e A.A. Bruijn nella sotto-regione Austro-Malese. Annali del Museo Civico di Storia Naturale di Genova, 13, 323–450.
  58. Richards, S.J. (2002) Rokrok: An illustrated guide to the frogs of the Kikori River Basin. World Wildlife Fund for Nature, Port Moresby, 36 pp.
  59. Richards, S.J., Armstrong, K.N., Nagombi, E. & Dahl, G. (2021) Chapter 1. Frogs. In: Richards, S.J. (Ed.), Results of the third PMA3 Biodiversity Monitoring Survey of the PNG LNG Upstream Project Area, 8 August–2 September 2019. ExxonMobil PNG Limited, Port Moresby, pp. 19–51.
  60. Richards, S.J. & Bickford, D. (2023) A new species of small green treefrog (Pelodryadidae: Litoria) from the Lakekamu Basin in southern Papua New Guinea. Current Herpetology, 42, 43–54. https://doi.org/10.5358/hsj.42.43
  61. Richards, S.J., Donnellan, S.C. & Oliver, P.M. (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. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5263.2.1
  62. Richards, S.J. & Günther, R. (2019) Three new scansorial species of microhylid frogs (Anura: Cophixalus, Oreophryne) from Papua New Guinea. Salamandra, 55, 55–72.
  63. Richards, S.J. & Iskandar, D.T. (2000) A new minute Oreophryne (Anura: Microhylidae) from the mountains of Irian Jaya, Indonesia. Raffles Bulletin of Zoology, 48, 257–262.
  64. Richards, S.J., Johnston, G.R. & Burton, T.C. (1992) A new species of microhylid frog (genus Cophixalus) from the Star Mountains, central New Guinea. Science in New Guinea, 18, 141–145.
  65. Richards, S.J. & Oliver, P.M. (2007) A new species of Cophixalus (Anura: Microhylidae) from Misima Island, Papua New Guinea. Pacific Science, 61, 279–287. https://doi.org/10.2984/1534-6188(2007)61[279:ANSOCA]2.0.CO;2
  66. Richards, S.J. & Oliver, P.M. (2010) A new scansorial species of Cophixalus (Anura: Microhylidae) from the Kikori River Ba­sin, Papua New Guinea. Journal of Herpetology, 44, 555–562. https://doi.org/10.1670/09-044.1
  67. Richards, S.J. & Oliver, P.M. (2024) Two new species of torrent-breeding treefrogs (Anura: Pelodryadidae: Litoria) from hill forests on the southern edge of New Guinea’s Central Cordillera. Vertebrate Zoology, 74, 417–433. https://doi.org/10.3897/vz.74.e123251
  68. Rivera, J.A., Kraus, F., Allison, A. & Butler, M.A. (2017) Molecular phylogenetics and dating of the problematic New Guinea microhylid frogs (Amphibia: Anura) reveals elevat­ed speciation rates and need for taxonomic reclassification. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 112, 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2017.04.008
  69. Tschudi, J.J. von. (1838) Classification der Batrachier mit Berücksichtigung der fossilen Thiere dieser Abtheilung der Reptilien. Petitpierre, Neuchâtel, 99 pp., 6 pls. https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.4883
  70. Tyler, M.J. (1963) A taxonomic study of amphibians and reptiles of the central highlands of New Guinea, with notes on their ecology and biology. 1. Anura: Microhylidae. Transactions of the Royal Society of South Australia, 86, 11–29.
  71. Van Kampen, P.N. (1913) Amphibien, gesammelt von der Niederländischen Süd Neu-Guinea-Expedition von 1909–10. Nova Guinea, 9, 453–465.
  72. Wandolleck, B. (1911) “1910” Die Amphibien und Reptilien der papuanischen Ausbeute Dr. Schlaginhaufens. Abhandlungen und Berichte des Zoologischen und Anthropologisch-Ethnographischen Museums zu Dresden, 13, 1–15.
  73. Werner, F. (1901) Ueber Reptilien und Batrachier aus Ecuador und Neu Guinea. Verhandlungen des Zoologisch-Botanischen Vereins in Wien, 51, 593–614. https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.part.4586
  74. Zweifel, R.G. (1956a) Results of the Archbold Expeditions. No. 72. Microhylid frogs from New Guinea with descriptions of new species. American Museum Novitates, 1766, 1–49. [http://digitallibrary.amnh.org/handle/2246/4684]
  75. Zweifel, R.G. (1956b) Notes on microhylid frogs, genus Cophixalus, from New Guinea. American Museum Novi­tates, 1785, 1–8. [http://digitallibrary.amnh.org/handle/2246/4848]
  76. Zweifel, R.G. (1962) Results of the Archbold Expeditions. No. 83. Frogs of the microhylid genus Cophixalus from the mountains of New Guinea. American Museum Novitates, 2087, 1–26. [http://digitallibrary.amnh.org/handle/2246/3455]
  77. Zweifel, R.G. (1963) Results of the Archbold Expeditions. No. 84. New microhylid frogs (Baryenys and Cophixalus) from the Louisiade Archipelago, New Guinea. American Museum Novitates, 2141, 1–10. [http://digitallibrary.amnh.org/handle/2246/3382]
  78. Zweifel, R.G. (1979) A new cryptic species of microhylid frog (genus Cophixalus) from Papua New Guinea, with notes on related forms. American Museum Novitates, 2678, 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1206/0003-0082(2003)419<0001:ANSOMF>2.0.CO;2
  79. Zweifel, R.G. (1980) Results of the Archbold Expeditions, No. 103. Frogs and lizards from the Huon Peninsula. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History, 165, 393–434. [http://digitallibrary.amnh.org/handle/2246/1047]
  80. Zweifel, R.G. (2000) Partition of the Australopapuan microhylid frog genus Sphenophryne with descriptions of new species. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History, 253, 1–130. https://doi.org/10.1206/0003-0090(2000)253%3C0001:POTAMF%3E2.0.CO;2
  81. Zweifel, R.G. (2003) A new species of microhylid frog, genus Oreophryne, from Papua New Guinea. American Museum Novitates, 3419, 1–8. [http://digitallibrary.amnh.org/handle/2246/2848] https://doi.org/10.1206/0003-0082(2003)419%3C0001:ANSOMF%3E2.0.CO;2
  82. Zweifel, R.G., Cogger, H.G. & Richards, S.J. (2005) Systematics of microhylid frogs, genus Oreophryne, living at high elevations in New Guinea. American Museum Novitates, 3495, 1–25. https://doi.org/10.1206/0003-0082(2005)495[0001:SOMFGO]2.0.CO;2
  83. Zweifel, R.G. & Parker, F. (1977) A new species of frog from Australia (Microhylidae, Cophixalus). American Museum Novitates, 2614, 1–10. [http://digitallibrary.amnh.org/handle/2246/2014]
  84. Zweifel, R.G. & Parker, F. (1989) New species of microhylid frogs from the Owen Stanley Mountains of Papua New Guin­ea and resurrection of the genus Aphantophryne. American Museum Novitates, 2954, 1–20. [http://digitallibrary.amnh.org/handle/2246/5109]