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SPHENOPHRYNE - American Museum of Natural History

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10 BULLETIN AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY NO. 253<br />

chaperina robusta Fry, 1912, revived combination.<br />

Fry (1912) described Austrochaperina and<br />

three included species, robusta, ornata, and<br />

gracilipes, specifying the first <strong>of</strong> these as the<br />

type species. The second is now in the genus<br />

Cophixalus, and gracilipes (the only microhylid<br />

common to Australia and New Guinea)<br />

here reverts to its original genus. In the original<br />

description, Fry (1912: 91) recognized<br />

two ‘‘colour varieties’’ <strong>of</strong> robusta: A, to<br />

which the type specimen belonged, and B,<br />

including a single specimen. Later he reconsidered<br />

and (1915) made specimen B the<br />

type <strong>of</strong> a new species, A. brevipes. Parker<br />

(1934) synonymized this species under<br />

Sphenophryne polysticta (Méhely¨), but<br />

Zweifel (1962) revived brevipes under the<br />

new name fryi, the change necessitated by<br />

the preoccupation <strong>of</strong> brevipes by Sphenophryne<br />

brevipes (Boulenger, 1897). Here<br />

Boulenger’s brevipes and Zweifel’s fryi are<br />

assigned to Austrochaperina, Fry’s brevipes<br />

remaining preoccupied.<br />

KEY TO AUSTROCHAPERINA 3<br />

Inasmuch as four species <strong>of</strong> Austrochaperina<br />

are known from only one specimen<br />

each and another from just two, the distinctions<br />

in this key may be blurred by additional<br />

specimens. Geographic considerations may<br />

help in puzzling cases. Species are sometimes<br />

most readily identified by combinations<br />

<strong>of</strong> ratios; I provide graphs to facilitate<br />

keying in these instances. This key is intended<br />

to identify adult specimens. Austrochaperina<br />

polysticta, known only from a single<br />

specimen now destroyed, is not keyed (but<br />

see species account).<br />

1. Tips <strong>of</strong> 2nd–4th fingers flattened, disclike, with<br />

faint indications <strong>of</strong> terminal grooves, but only<br />

that <strong>of</strong> the 3rd expanded ........ kosarek<br />

Tips <strong>of</strong> fingers in addition to the 3rd with<br />

grooved, expanded terminal discs ..... 2<br />

2. Third finger disc equal in width to or scarcely<br />

broader than penultimate phalanx ..... 3<br />

Third finger disc slightly to much broader<br />

than penultimate phalanx ............ 5<br />

3. TL/SVL 0.35–0.44 and EN/SVL 0.071–0.087<br />

(fig.2) .................... brevipes<br />

3 New Guinean species only; see Zweifel (1985b) for<br />

a key to the Australian species.<br />

Fig. 1. Comparison <strong>of</strong> relative tibia length<br />

and eye diameter in Austrochaperina gracilipes<br />

(solid squares) and A. novaebritanniae.<br />

TL/SVL 0.41–0.48 and EN/SVL 0.067–0.077<br />

(fig.2) .......................... 4<br />

4. Size smaller, adults 17–21mmSVL ......<br />

........................... mehelyi<br />

Size larger, SVL 23–31 mm (two specimens<br />

only) ..................... aquilonia<br />

5. Maximum adult SVL about 26 mm ..... 6<br />

Adults typically larger than 26 mm SVL . . .<br />

................................. 9<br />

6. Adults 22–26 mm SVL, finger discs larger<br />

(FD/SVL 0.031) ............ blumi<br />

Adults usually 22 mm SVL, finger discs<br />

smaller (FD/SVL 0.030) .......... 7<br />

7. EY/SVL 0.115 and TL/SVL 0.400 (fig.<br />

1) ....................... gracilipes<br />

EY/SVL 0.105 and TL/SVL 0.460 . . 8<br />

8. All dorsal surfaces with tiny pale spots, ventral<br />

surfaces similar but with larger spots<br />

.................... novaebritanniae<br />

Spotting absent middorsally, abdomen mottled<br />

....................... yelaensis<br />

9. Toes without webbing ............... 10<br />

Toes with basal or greater webbing .... 17<br />

10. FD/SVL 0.035 ................... 11<br />

FD/SVL 0.035 ................... 14<br />

11. Adult at 28 mm SVL (1 female only) .....<br />

....................... adamantina<br />

Minimum size <strong>of</strong> adult females 30 mm SVL,<br />

usually much larger ............... 12<br />

12. Dorsum gray-brown with small irregular dark<br />

brown spots (fig.18) .......... guttata<br />

Pattern not as described—obscure, or with

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