SPHENOPHRYNE - American Museum of Natural History

56 BULLETIN AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY NO. 253
Fig. 30. Distribution of Austrochaperina novaebritanniae
on New Britain (circles) and A. yelaensis
(triangle) on Yela (Rossel) Island.
ger assigned to the new genus, L. rhododactyla
and L. brevipes. Parker (1934: 152) stated
‘‘Type species Liophryne rhododactyla,’’ which
constitutes a valid subsequent designation (International
Commission on Zoological Nomenclature,
1985: Art. 69(a)(iv)).
Sphenophryne: Parker, 1934: 152.
CONTENT: Six species: Liophryne allisoni,
new species; Liophryne dentata (Tyler and
Menzies); Liophryne similis, new species;
Liophryne rhododactyla Boulenger; Liophryne
rubra, new species; Liophryne schlaginhaufeni
(Wandolleck).
DIAGNOSIS: A genus of genyophrynine microhylid
frogs (sensu Zweifel, 1971 and
Burton, 1986) with the following combination
of morphological characters: clavicles
long and slender, reaching from scapula almost
to midline of pectoral girdle; fingers
and especially toes with relatively prominent
(rather than low), rounded subarticular elevations;
tips of fingers and toes expanded
into small discs with terminal grooves, those
of fingers narrower than of toes; span of Tshaped
tip of terminal phalanx of third finger
not or scarcely wider than base of phalanx;
legs long, minimum mean TL/SVL (0.488)
and minimum mean FT/SVL (0.488) greater
than means of any other genyophrynine species
with the primitive pectoral girdle.
MORPHOLOGY: The species of Liophryne
present a spectrum of sizes, from adult males
of allisoni as small as 20 mm SVL to a female
record size of 60 mm in rhododactyla,
the largest size attained by any genyophrynine
microhylid. Species of Liophryne are
rather broad-headed frogs, including the two
highest and six of the nine highest mean
HW/SVL ratios of all genyophrynines considered
herein. The vast majority of genyophrynine
frogs show scarcely any development
of subarticular elevations, being usually
low, rounded ones at best. The species I
assign to Liophryne agree in having discrete
subarticular structures and also share, on the
average, the relatively longest legs (as measured
by the TL/SVL and FT/SVL ratios) of
any of the species with the primitive pectoral
girdle. The finger and toe discs are small,
neither reduced or absent as in Oxydactyla
nor enlarged as in Sphenophryne and many
Austrochaperina. In three species, rhododactyla
(and probably also similis), dentata, and
schlaginhaufeni, the medial plate of the vomer
is large and the lateral arm relatively
thick (fig. 65F–H), possibly an indication of
close relationship, though the vomer of allisoni
is somewhat more delicately formed
(fig. 65E). Five species, excepting allisoni,
have a relatively large and distinct ear. For
body proportions, see table 6; regression statistics
are in table 7.
DISTRIBUTION: Found throughout much of
New Guinea, from near sea level to 2700 m
and from Timeka in western Irian Jaya to
Milne Bay at the eastern tip of Papua New
Guinea, but not known from any satellite islands.
REMARKS: Advertisement calls are diverse—single
and unpulsed in rhododactyla,
trains of unpulsed notes in allisoni and similis,
a train of pulsed notes in schlaginhaufeni,
and a long variable train of pulsed notes
in dentata. The call of one species, rubra, is
unknown.
KEY TO LIOPHRYNE
1. Adults 30 mm SVL, ear obscure . . allisoni
Adults 30 mm SVL, ear distinct ...... 2
2. Adults 45mmSVL ................ 3
Adults 45mmSVL ................ 5