Molecular phylogeny of treefrogs in the Rhacophorus dugritei species complex (Anura: Rhacophoridae), with descriptions of two new species

The taxonomy of the Asian treefrogs of the Rhacophorus dugritei complex, a group of widespread and morphologically similar species, is very controversial. To address many issues, we investigate the historical relationships among representative samples based on ∼3 kbp of nucleotide sequences from both the mitochondrial (12S rRNA, tRNAvaline, and 16S rRNA) and nuclear (tyrosinase and rhodopsin) genomes. Maximum parsimony, maximum likelihood, and partitioned Bayesian inference analyses resolve three well‐supported lineages. Lineage A, including Rhacophorus dugritei and Rhacophorus hui, is sister to lineage B, which contains Rhacophorus hungfuensis, Rhacophorus minimus, R. hui from Hubei, and R. dugritei from Chongqing. Together, these lineages are the sister group of lineage C, which is composed of Rhacophorus puerensis from China and Vietnam, and R. dugritei from Vietnam. The phylogeny validates the previously contested species R. puerensis, which is distributed northwards from northern Vietnam to north‐western Yunnan, China. Rhacophorus hui is also considered to be a valid species, the range of which is restricted to Zhaojue County, Sichuan, China. Specimens formerly identified as R. dugritei from Chongqing and R. hui from Lichuan, Hubei, are described as new species Rhacophorus hongchibaensis sp. nov. and Rhacophorus wui sp. nov., respectively. Diagnoses, detailed descriptions, illustrations, data on distribution and ecology are provided for the two new species. © 2012 The Linnean Society of London, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2012, 165, 143–162.