TWO NEW SPECIES OF BROODFROGS {PSEUDOPHRYNE) FROM QUEENSLAND
GJ. INGRAM AND CJ. CORBEN
Ingram, GJ. & Carben, CJ. 1994 12 01: Two new species of broodfrogs (Pseudophryne)
from Queensland. Memoirs of the Queensland Museum 37(1): 267-272. Brisbane. ISSN
0079-8835.
Pseudophryne raveni sp.nov. from southeast to mideast Queensland is most similar to P.
coriacea, with which it probably hybridises. However, it can be readily distinguished by its
different advertisement call and colouration. P. covacevichae sp.nov. from northeast
Queensland is most similar to P, major but differs in colour pattern and breeding season. □
Pseudophryne, raveni, covacevichae, coriacea, major hybrid, new spccies\ broodfwg,,
Myobauachidae. Queensland, Australia.
GJ. Ingram & CJ, Corben, Queensland Museum, PO Box J30Q, South Brisbane.
Queensland 4101, Australia; 10 February 1994.
For many years it has been known that there
were two sympatrie species of Pseudophryne in
southern Queensland: P. ma/0/* Parker, 1940 was
a winter breeder and P. coriacea Keferstcin,
1868, a summer breeder (Ingram, 1983). How-
ever, there is uncertainty in the literature about
the identity of the taxon P. major and how it
differs from P. bibronii Giinther, 1858 (e.g. In-
gram & Corben, 1975; Cogger, 1992; Tyler,
1992). Unfortunately, we do not have the infor-
mation to address this problem in this paper.
From our observations, however, there is little
doubt that the taxon presently called P. major in
southern and central Queensland is a valid
species but we are unsure of the southern extent
of its range and thus unsure of its correct name.
This is because what is called P. bibronii in New
South Wales is a complex of new and described
species. Until the taxonomy of that species is
elucidated in southern Australia, the names P.
major and P. bibronii will be doubtfully used. As
well, there is a formal, nomcnclatural problem
with the latter: Cogger ct al. (1983) noted that the
• •n)y surviving specimen of the four syntypes of
P. bibronii is a P. guentheri Boulengcr, 1882.
In Queensland, what has been called P. major
COnsUtS of more or less continuous populations
in central and southern Queensland and several
isolated populations in far northern Queensland
(Ingram & Raven, 1991: fig. 101). In this paper
we describe the Atherton Tableland population as
a new species (P. covacevichae ) and comment on
.i record from Cape York Peninsula. Since 1974,
we have been aware of two forms of P. coriacea
in southern Queensland that differ in mating call
and colour pattern, and which apparently
hybridise, We describe the northern coastal form
as a new species. P. raveni.
Abbreviations follow Ingram & Corben (1 990).
Specimens prefixed by *QMJ\ 'AMR' and
'BMNH' are housed in the Queensland.
Australian and Natural History Museums respec-
tively. Measurements are in millimetres and
ratios are expressed as percentages; those of the
holotypcs are given in square brackets.
Pseudophryne covacevichae sp.nov.
(Fig. n
Material Examined
HOLOTYPE: QMJ52286, Miilslream Falls NP, adjacent
to parV entrance, 5.2km W of Ravenshoe, NEQ
<!45*22'3U M E, 17 D 38'30"S), K.R. McDonald, M
Davies, G.F Watson, 27 January, 1991.
Paratypes: QMJ53870, QMJ53920-32 Ravenshoe.
5km W; AMR104460, AMR 104463 Ravenshoe?
Diagnosis
Distinguished from all othci Pseudophryne by
the bright rufous brown to yellow dorsal colour-
ing lhat forms a connected cap and vertebral
stripe, which terminates in a yellow line that
inserts into a yellow cloaca! patch. Further distin-
guished from P. major (Fig. 1) in breeding be-
haviour (P. covacevichae breeds in spring to
summer and P major in winter and autumn).
Description
SV 24-28 (N 17, mean 263) [25]; TUSV:
30-35 (N 17. mean 33.0) [30); HW/SV: 26-33 IN
17, mean 29.0) [29]; HW/TL: 82-100 (N 17,
mean 87.6) [87]; ED/HW: 35-45 (N 17, mean
41.3) [38]; IN/EN: 81-96(N17,mean 89.9) [91].
Dorsal ground colour bright rufous brown to
yellow with diffuse, black paravertebral lines;
thus the frog appears to have a bright cap and
vertebral stripe. Cloaca surrounded by a large
BioStor
