Morphological and molecular data reveal one new species of the genus Xenophrys Günther, 1864 (Anura, Megophryidae) from Yunnan, China

Tongbiguan Provincial Nature Reserve, located in the western part of China’s Yunnan Province adjoining northern Myanmar, harbors a striking diversity of species. Previous studies have indicated that herpetological diversity in this region remains underestimated. During herpetological surveys in 2024, five specimens of Xenophrys were collected from Tongbiguan Provincial Nature Reserve.

Subsequent morphological comparisons and phylogenetic reconstruction indicate the presence of a distinct and previously unknown lineage within the genus Xenophrys, which we herein describe as a new species, Xenophrys tongbiguanensis sp. nov. This discovery brings the total number of recognized species in the genus to 32, including 13 in China and five in Tongbiguan Provincial Nature Reserve. The identification of this species further underscores the underestimated amphibian diversity of the reserve.

Given its location along the China – Myanmar border, it is necessary to strengthen international cooperation in order to clarify the distribution of species within this transboundary region.