Molecular Phylogeny Supports the Validity of Polypedates impresus Yang 2008

The taxonomy of the Asian tree frogs of the Polypedates leucomystax complex, a group of widespread and morphologically similar species, is very controversial. To ascertain the taxonomic status of these species, we investi- gated the historical relationships among representative samples based on ～ 2 kb of nucleotide sequences from the mitochondrial 12S rRNA, tRNAvaline, and 16S rRNA genes. Our phylogeny resolved five well supported lineages(A, B, C, D and E) in the P. leucomystax complex. Polypedates impresus from Yunnan, China, Polypedates cf. mutus and Polypedates cf. megacephalus from Guangxi and Yunnan, China, and Laos constructed Clade C, which is monophyletic. In order to recognize the unique position of this clade, we considered P. impresus in Clade C as a valid species. Following our phylogeny, Chinese Polypedates, corresponding to the other four clades, should include four species: P. mutus(Clade A); P. braueri(Clade B); P. impresus(Clade C) and P. megacephalus(Clade D). P. leucomystax(Clade E) is mainly distributed in the Malaysia, Indonesia and Philippines.