Description of two new species of the microhylid frog genus Oreophryne (Amphibia: Anura: Microhylidae) from southern Papua New Guinea

Abstract

Two new species of the microhylid genus Oreophryne are described on the basis of material collected from the Kikori River Basin in southern Papua New Guinea. Both species belong to the group of Oreophryne that have a ligamentous connection between the procoracoid and scapula. One of the new species is small (snout-urostyle length in males 19.7 - 23.3 mm and in females 23.8 - 27.4 mm), and males can be distinguished from congeners in this group by having one or a few conspicuous yellow spots in the inguinal region and an advertisement call consisting of a loud rattle lasting 1.4 - 2.3 seconds. The second species is larger (males 25.9 - 31.4 mm and females 30.1 - 34.7 mm) and in life has a uniform brownish-grey dorsum with numerous tiny white dots. Its advertisement call is a series of 9 - 15 'whistling' or 'peeping' notes. Both species are predominantly arboreal, normally calling from perches more than 2 m above the ground.