Cophixalus linnaeus Kraus & Allison, 2009, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Kraus, Fred
name: Allison, Allen
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2009
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Chordata
Amphibia
Anura
Microhylidae
Cophixalus
Cophixalus linnaeus

description: Cophixalus linnaeus, sp. nov.
Fig. 2 C
Holotype. BPBM 31836 (field tag AA 19175), adult male, collected by A. Allison at Kamiali Wildlife Management Area, 1.3 km N and 6.2 km W of Cape Dinga, 7.295997634ºS, 147.092878935ºE, 520 m, Morobe Province, Papua New Guinea, 9 July 2008.
Paratypes (n = 9). BPBM 26177–78, same data as holotype except collected 10 September 2004; BPBM 26180, same data as holotype except collected 11 September 2004; BPBM 26181, same data as holotype except collected 3 April 2005; BPBM 31337, same data as holotype except collected 31 August 2007; BPBM 31338, same data as holotype except collected 1 September 2007; BPBM 26179, Kamiali Wildlife Management Area, 1.5 km N and 6.6 km W of Cape Dinga, 7.2928888ºS, 147.091ºE, 605 m, 10 September 2004; BPBM 31834, same data as BPBM 26179 except collected 6 July 2008; BPBM 31835, same data as BPBM 26179 except collected 1 July 2008.
Diagnosis. A small species (male SV = 13.4–14.7 mm, female SV = 14.9–15.3 mm) with finger discs smaller than or subequal to toe discs (3rdF/4thT = 0.78–1.11); first finger of normal size, with disc bearing circum-marginal groove; moderately sized finger discs (3rdF/SV = 0.041–0.054); moderately long snout (EN/ SV = 0.082–0.099, EN/IN = 0.87–0.93); small eye (EY/SV = 0.13–0.14); narrow and short head (HW/SV = 0.37–0.39, HL/SV = 0.31–0.35); face with a dark subocular blotch but not uniformly black; dorsum and sides brown irregularly marked with darker brown and black; suprascapular region with an obscure dark X; and abdomen lighter than chin and throat.
Comparisons with other species. The new species differs from all Papuan congeners except C. cupricarenus, C. interruptus, C. melanops, C. misimae, and C. pulchellus in the combination of having finger discs distinctly smaller than or subequal to toe discs and a first finger of normal size, bearing a disc with a circum-marginal groove. It is readily separated from C. cupricarenus and C. pulchellus by the bold and unique color patterns of those two species. It differs from C. melanops and C. misimae in having only a dark subocular blotch instead of the entire face uniformly black. It further differs from C. misimae in having a broader head (HW/SV = 0.31–0.36 in C. misimae), and lacking a black lateral band. It further differs from C. melanops in its smaller eye (EY/SV = 0.14–0.17 in C. melanops) and narrower and shorter head (HW/SV = 0.41–0.44, HL/SV = 0.38–0.41 in C. melanops). The new species is most similar to C. interruptus, from which it differs in its smaller size (male SV = 16.6–18.7 mm in C. interruptus), longer snout (EN/SV = 0.075–0.083, EN/IN = 0.68–0.78 in C. interruptus), larger finger discs (3rdF/SV = 0.026–0.040 in C. interruptus), dorsum irregularly mottled with dark brown (uniformly light brown in C. interruptus), lacking a dark dorsolateral bar behind the forearm insertion, and in having a much shorter call note (a mean of 0.067 s vs. 0.1533 s in C. interruptus). To the extent it can be discerned, the obscure suprascapular X is a unique feature of this species.
Description of holotype. An adult male with left-lateral incision, vocal slits. Head rather narrow (HW/SV = 0.35), with steep but slightly oblique loreal region; canthus rostralis gently rounded, slightly convex when viewed from above; nostrils directed laterally, much closer to tip of snout than to eyes; internarial distance larger than distance from naris to eye (EN/IN = 0.85, IN/SV = 0.092, EN/SV = 0.077); snout rounded and slightly projecting when viewed from the side, truncate when viewed from above; eyes large (EY/SV = 0.14); eyelid 2/3 width of interorbital distance; tympanum small (TY/SV = 0.058), with a raised annulus. Dorsal surface weakly pustulose, lateral surfaces smooth; supratympanic fold absent. Ventral surfaces generally smooth but weakly granular on abdomen. Fingers unwebbed, bearing discs with terminal grooves; relative lengths 3>4>2>1; first finger and disc well-developed. Finger discs approximately 1.5 times widths of penultimate phalanges, except for the first finger disc, which is only slightly wider than penultimate phalanx. Subarticular tubercles not obvious; metacarpal tubercles poorly developed, inner narrow and elongate, outer round. Toes unwebbed, bearing discs with terminal grooves; relative lengths 4>3>5>2>1. Toe discs slightly smaller than those of fingers (3rd F/4thT = 1.05); discs of toes approximately 1.5 times width of penultimate phalanx; disc of first toe only slightly wider than penultimate phalanx. Subarticular tubercles not obvious; inner metatarsal tubercle narrow and elongate, outer lacking. Hind legs moderately long (TL/SV = 0.51).
Dorsum, sides, and face light silver-gray heavily and irregularly flecked and blotched with black and minutely stippled with brown. Light gray lumbar ocelli. Rear of thighs brown with few pale gray-white flecks; black around anus. Venter pale gray-white flecked with dark brown, very heavily on chin and throat and decreasing posteriorly. Palms and soles dark brown. Iris black heavily flecked with silver.
Measurements (in mm). SV = 14.2, TL= 7.3, HW = 5.0, HL = 4.5, IN = 1.3, EN = 1.1, SN = 1.6, EY = 2.0, TY = 0.7, 3rd F = 0.69, 4th T = 0.66.
Variation. Mensural variation for the type series is shown in Table 10. The dorsa of most specimens are light or medium brown; ocelli vary from absent to well-defined but are usually obscure. Many specimens have a vague chevron of dark brown in the scapular region; one specimen has a narrow light vertebral stripe. Light heel patches are present on two specimens. The abdomen is usually well flecked, as in the holotype, but two specimens have reduced flecking and are almost clear. There is a pair of light pectoral spots evident in four specimens.
Color in life. Holotype (BPBM 31836): “Dorsum light tan with large patches of brown stippled with black, especially on lumbar area and rump; lumbar ocelli; snout mostly tan with small, irregular brown markings with black stippling; flanks similar to dorsum, mostly tan, with an oblique black line from insertion of front leg nearly to shoulder and with irregular small black blotches gathered mostly towards venter; legs similar to flanks but with black banding in distal portions, these extending to fingers and toes. Chin and throat mostly black with flecks of gold; rest of venter gray with flecks of gold; iris bronze-copper.”
Paratype (BPBM 31337): “Dorsum golden brown, neck light brown, snout similar but with yellowish tinge; distinct lumbar ocelli (black blotch lined anteriorly with yellow). Venter: chin and throat black with specks of gold, rest of venter more or less gray with flecks of yellow gold; iris bronze-copper.” Similarly, BPBM 31338 is similar to BPBM 31337 except that “Dorsum dull gold with brown blotches in scapular area and with slight rust area along neck; head dark yellow-brown.”
Call. This species is crepuscular. It begins calling about an hour before daybreak and calls until dawn. In the evening it begins calling just before dusk and regularly calls for about an hour. It occasionally calls during the day, particularly during wet weather, always from seclusion. The call consists of a series of peeps.
We recorded 48 calls from five individuals (Table 11). The calls ranged 21–48 notes (mean 39), and duration ranged 7.13– 15.1 s (mean 11.51 s). The call note is brief, with a mean duration of 0.0676 s (range 0.0373–0.1428). The internote interval was nearly four times longer that the note, with a mean of 0.2379 (range 0.2097–0.4570). There was relatively little variation between individuals in the duration of the call note, but considerable difference in the duration of the internote interval. This is reflected in the repetition rate which averaged 3.6 notes/s for the two uncaptured individuals and the holotype (BPBM 31836) compared to a rate of 2.6 notes/s for BPBM 18969 and 18979. The call note is similar in shape to that of C. interruptus, increasing abruptly to maximum amplitude and decreasing abruptly at termination (Fig. 13 A). The mean dominant frequency was 4815 Hz (range 3920–5650) (Fig. 13 B). There is no frequency modulation (Fig. 13 C).
Etymology. The name is a latinized proper noun in apposition named for Carl Linné, founder of modern taxonomy and the binomial system of nomenclature.
Range. Known only from lower elevations (500–600 m) at Kamiali, Bowutu Mts., Morobe Province, Papua New Guinea (Fig. 7). We have heard calls that appear to be from this species at elevations down to about 50 m, suggesting that the species inhabits a wide altitudinal band of lowland forest.
Ecological notes. This species is common and occurs in the interior and at the edge of lowland wet forest. It is often found on the ground, sometimes calling from within the leaf litter but is more commonly found in the open perched at the base of trees or on logs generally within 20–30 cm of the ground. In a couple of instances we found it up to 1 m above the forest floor within tangles of fallen branches. It appears to rapidly invade forest clearings and appears to be most common at the edge of clearings. It is difficult to estimate abundance but it probably occurs at densities of 1 per 50m 2.
520 m, Kamiali Wildlife Management Area, Morobe Province, Papua New Guinea. Uncaptured-1 was recorded on 9
April 2004; BPBM 31337 on 31 August 2007; BPBM 31338 on 1 September 2007; Uncaptured-2 on 3 September 2007;
and BPBM 31836 on 9 July 2008.
Mean Mean
Call Note Internote Repetition Dominant Temp Total Duration Duration Duration Rate Frequency to be continued.
Mean Mean
Call Note Internote Repetition Dominant Temp Total Duration Duration Duration Rate Frequency
Specimen Call No. Time °C Notes s s s notes/s Hz
" M " " 38 10.46 0.0772 0.2033 3.6 4600
" N " " 37 10.05 0.0701 0.2070 3.6 4750
" O " " 38 10.44 0.0751 0.2049 3.6 4850
" P " " 38 10.39 0.0666 0.2124 3.6 4970
" Q " " 38 10.44 0.0854 0.1941 3.6 4660
BPBM 19175 A 1820 23.5 34 9.02 0.0621 0.2095 3.7 4990
" B " " 46 12.20 0.0613 0.2086 3.7 4700
" C " " 46 12.17 0.0616 0.2075 3.7 4950
" D " " 45 11.84 0.0617 0.2060 3.7 4800
" E " " 45 12.00 0.0622 0.2093 3.7 4920
" F " " 46 12.29 0.0624 0.2094 3.7 4780
" G " " 48 13.03 0.0621 0.2137 3.6 4960
" H " " 45 12.02 0.0626 0.2093 3.7 4900
description: Published as part of Kraus, Fred & Allison, Allen, 2009, New species of Cophixalus (Anura: Microhylidae) from Papua New Guinea, pp. 1-38 in Zootaxa 2128 on pages 25-29, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.188300