Uperodon variegatus
Creators: name: Garg, Sonali
name: Senevirathne, Gayani
name: Wijayathilaka, Nayana
name: Phuge, Samadhan
name: Deuti, Kaushik
name: Manamendra-Arachchi, Kelum
name: Meegaskumbura, Madhava
name: Biju, Sd
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2018
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Chordata
Amphibia
Anura
Microhylidae
Uperodon
Uperodon variegatus

description: Uperodon variegatus (Stoliczka, 1872)
Variegated Globular Frog
(Figs. 1, 2A, 3K, 5J, 10M–P, 11L–P, 12A, 13, 14; Tables 1–4)
Original name and description. Callula variegata Stoliczka, 1872. Observations on Indian Batrachia. Proceedings of the Asiatic Society of Bengal, 1872: 101–113. Lectotype. By present designation, ZSI 2761, an adult female, SVL 29.8 mm. Type locality. “Ellore” (=Eluru, Andhra Pradesh) India. Current status of specific name. Valid name, as Uperodon variegatus (Stoliczka, 1872). Synonyms. Hylaedactylus carnaticus Jerdon, 1854 “1853” (by Parker 1934), Callula olivacea Günther, 1876 “1875” (by Boulenger 1890), and Ramanella symbioitca Rao and Ramanna, 1925 (by Parker 1934).
Lectotypification of Callula variegata Stoliczka, 1872. The original description of this species (Stoliczka 1872) mentions two syntypes from “Ellore”. ZSI 2761 was indicated as one of the syntypes (Sclater 1892), and for the second specimen NHMW 4019 and BMNH 74.11.12.2 have been suggested as possible candidates (Tiedemann et al. 1994; Dutta & Manamendra-Arachchi 1996; Dutta 1997; Chanda et al. 2000). In the present study, the available samples at ZSI, Kolkata (ZSI 2761) and Natural History Museum, London (BMNH 74.11.12.2) were examined. Both these specimens were found to be identical in species status and were in agreement with the original description. However, since this species was described based on two specimens, and there have been confusions related to the status of syntypes (Chanda et al. 2000) as well as species identification (e.g., Rao 1937; Günther 1876 “1875”), apart from the availability of several poorly-defined nominal taxa currently in the synonymy of Uperodon variegatus, in accordance with Article 74 of The Code, designation of a lectotype from syntypes is advisable for it “to become the unique bearer of the name of a nominal species-group taxon and the standard for its application” in order to clarify the taxonomic status of this species. Hence, based on diagnostic characters found useful for differentiating Uperodon variegatus from its congeners (as stated in the ‘comparison’ section below), we herein designate ZSI 2761 (an adult female, SVL 29.8 mm) from “Ellore”, as the lectotype of Callula variegata Stoliczka, 1872. The lectotype description provided subsequently is consistent with the original description.
Comparison. Uperodon variegatus cannot be confused with any of the known member of this genus, except Uperodon rohani sp. nov., because of its dorsal skin that has prominent spots or blotches, and ventral skin white to off-white without any spots, blotches or mottling. Uperodon variegatus differs from Uperodon rohani sp. nov. by a suite of morphological characters (including osteology) and considerable genetic divergence. For comparison with U. globulosus, U. systoma, U. taprobanicus, U. anamalaiensis, U. montanus, U. mormorata, U. nagaoi, U. obscurus, U. palmatus, U. triangularis and U. rohani sp. nov. see ‘comparison’ sections of those species.
Genetic divergence. For 16S mitochondrial gene sequences, the sampled populations of Uperodon variegatus showed an average intraspecific distance of 0.7% (range 0–1.2%, N = 4). The samples from Karnataka and Kerala (Western Ghats) showed a divergence of up to 1.2% with the populations from Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu (Eastern Ghats). Genetically, U. variegatus is closely related to U. rohani sp. nov., from which it was found to differ by an average uncorrected genetic distance of 2.8% (range 2.4–3.4%, N = 24). For interspecific genetic distances with all other members of the genus, see Table 3.
Description of lectotype (measurements in mm) (Figs. 3K, 10M). Small-sized (SVL 29.8), slender adult female; head small (HW 8.7, HL 7.1, IFE 4.3, IBE 8.3), less than one-fourth (23.8%) of body length, wider than long (HW/HL ratio 1.2); snout rounded to nearly truncate in dorsal and ventral view, acute in lateral view, its length (SL 3.2) longer than horizontal diameter of eye (EL 2.7); loreal region obtuse with rounded canthus rostralis; interorbital space more than twice as wide (IUE 3.6) as upper eyelid (UEW 1.4); nostril closer to tip of snout (NS 0.9) than to eye (EN 1.9); supratympanic fold distinct, extending from posterior corner of upper eyelid to insertion of forelimb at axilla; eye diameter (EL 2.7); vomerine odontophores present on the palate, without teeth; presence of two weakly-developed neopalatinal ridges on posterior side of each choana, fused with the vomerine odontophores; tongue emarginate. Forearm (FAL 5.0) shorter than hand length (HAL 7.8); finger length formula I<II<IV<III, tips of all fingers with truncate discs, discs moderately wide compared to finger width; subarticular tubercles prominent, oval, all present; two well-developed palmar tubercles (inner, oval, 1.1 mm long; outer, shallowly lobed, 1.0 mm long). Hind limbs relatively long, thigh length (TL 11.3) longer than shank (SHL 9.9) and shorter than foot (FOL 12.7); tips of all toes with small truncate to rounded discs; webbing absent between toes; dermal fringes absent on all toes; subarticular tubercles prominent, oval; two smooth metatarsal tubercles, oval, outer one longer (1.3 mm long) than the inner (0.7 mm long).
Skin of snout, between eyes, sides of head, anterior part of dorsum, posterior parts of back, and upper and lower parts of flank, shagreened (Fig. 3K); dorsal surfaces of forelimb, thigh, tibia and tarsus, shagreened to sparsely granular; ventral surfaces shagreened.
Colouration. In preservation: Dorsum uniformly light greyish-brown; flanks greyish-brown; lateral sides of head light brown; ventral surface uniformly light grey (Figs. 3K). Colour in life (SDBDU 2007.4994, male). Dorsal surfaces (including limbs) dark brown with scattered olive yellow spots throughout; lateral sides of head dark greyish-brown with scattered olive coloured spots; throat dark grey with calling patch; chest, belly and thigh, fleshwhite without markings; ventral surfaces of forelimb, tibia and foot, light grey (Fig. 11L–M).
Variations. Morphometric measurements for 12 males and seven females, including the lectotype, are given in Table 4. Dorsal colouration and markings were highly variable among the examined specimens. SDBDU 2007.6347: dorsum brown with yellowish-grey blotches in life (that turns light brown with grey blotches in preservation); SDBDU 2005.4726: light brown with olive grey blotches in life. Albino (or possibly leucistic) forms of this species are known from Mamallapuram in Tamil Nadu (Fig. 11O).
Secondary sexual characters. Male: vocal sac externally visible on the lower jaw; females (SDBDU 2005.4726): ova white, pigmented on pole (diameter 0.7–1.0 mm, N = 20).
Geographical distribution and habitat. Uperodon variegatus is a widely distributed species in India. It is known to occur right from Tamil Nadu and Kerala in the south, northwards up to Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Odisha, Jharkhand and West Bengal (Fig. 12A; Tables 1, S1). In the present study, genetically identified individuals of this species were largely collected from urban landscapes and disturbed secondary forests (Tamil Nadu: Chengalpattu and Mamallapuram; Kerala: Karamana, Meladoor and Palakkad; Karnataka: Bangalore; and Andhra Pradesh: Srikakulam), from sea level up to 900 m elevations. This species is predominantly found in drier regions towards the eastern coast. At Mamallapuram, it was found in brackish waters, just a few metres away from the seacoast.
description: Published as part of Garg, Sonali, Senevirathne, Gayani, Wijayathilaka, Nayana, Phuge, Samadhan, Deuti, Kaushik, Manamendra-Arachchi, Kelum, Meegaskumbura, Madhava & Biju, Sd, 2018, An integrative taxonomic review of the South Asian microhylid genus Uperodon, pp. 1-88 in Zootaxa 4384 (1) on pages 39-41, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4384.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/1183455