Taxonomic clarifications on the floating frogs (Anura: Dicroglossidae: Occidozyga sensu lato) in southeastern China

Abstract

The recognition for the floating frogs’ genus Occidozyga is in controversy for decades, and the species diversity of these frogs has recently been considered to be underestimated. In southeastern China, two floating frog species are currently recorded, namely Occidozyga lima and Occidozyga martensii. However, their current taxonomic statuses are unresolved after a series of recent taxonomic revisions. In this work, we perform morphological examinations and phylogenetic analyses on these two recorded floating frogs from southeastern China, to clarify their current taxonomic placements. The population previously recorded as Occidozyga lima should be re-assigned to the nomenclature Occidozyga obscura comb. nov., and the population previously recorded as Occidozyga martensii should be an undescribed species which is erected as Occidozyga lingnanica sp. nov. in this work.

Generic classification of Asian horned toads (Anura: Megophryidae: Megophryinae) and monograph of Chinese species

“…Such classification is also corresponding to the geographic patterns of different genera. We consider this work will be an inspiration for the re-assessment of other groups of amphibians under generic controversy, such as Rana sensu lato , Nanorana sensu lato , and Occidozyga sensu lato ( Hofmann et al, 2019 ; Lyu et al, 2022 ; Wan et al, 2020 ). Asian horned toads have attracted much attention because of their dramatically underestimated diversity.…”

Integrative taxonomic analyses reveal first country records of Occidozyga shiwandashanensis Chen, Peng, Liu, Huang, Liao & Mo, 2022 and Hylarana latouchii (Boulenger, 1899) (Anura, Dicroglossidae, Ranidae) from Vietnam

“…The O. martensii group represents a species complex ( Lyu et al 2022 ) and O. lingnanica Lyu and Wang, 2022, currently described from south-eastern China, is one species of the O.…”

Contrasting nidification behaviors facilitate diversification and colonization of the Music frogs under a changing paleoclimate

“…All collected samples, except two of Babina species due to the quantity limitation, were amplified and sequenced for two mitochondrion segments (mtDNA), namely partial 16 S ribosomal RNA gene ( 16 S ) and partial cytochrome C oxidase 1 gene ( COI ). Primers, PCR amplification, and sequencing protocol followed our previous studies 55 – 57 . In addition, published sequences from 22 individuals (13 with both 16 S and COI data and nine with only 16 S ; Supplementary Table S1 ) of Nidirana and Babina species were downloaded from GenBank and incorporated into our dataset for mitochondrial phylogenetic analysis.…”