Arthroleptis aff. poecilonotus Peters, 1863 complex

Figure 4C

Material. ANGOLA – Cabinda Province • Nganzi; –5.5304, 12.3236; 78 m. a.s.l.; EI 1129; GenBank: PQ455668 • Cacata; –5.3242, 12.4980; 25 m. a.s.l.; P1.294, FKH-0697; GenBank: PQ455669–70 • between Dinge and Chindende; –5.1208, 12.3667; 15 m a.s.l.; P9.050, FKH 0155–56; GenBank: PQ455671–73. • Mayombe NP, Sanga Mongo; –4.6661, 12.4407; 146 m a.s.l.; FKH 0959, FKH 0969; GenBank: PQ455674–75. • Mayombe NP, Mbundu; –4.6875, 12.4981; 127 m a.s.l.; P3.128, P3.217, P4.099−100, P3.539−40; GenBank: PQ455676–81. • Mayombe NP, Sanga Wanda; –4.6253, 12.4583; 221 m a.s.l.; P3.119−20, FKH 1262; GenBank: PQ455682–84. • Mayombe NP, Bata Lunhuca; –4.5981, 12.4597; 215 m a.s.l.; P4.087−89; GenBank: PQ455685–87. • Mayombe NP, Miconge; – 4.4860, 12.8780; 377 m a.s.l.; FKH 1040−44, FKH 1051, P2.221, P2.230; GenBank: PQ455693–700. • Mayombe NP, Quissoki; –4.6028, 12.8736; 336 m a.s.l.; P3.156; GenBank: PQ455701. • Mayombe NP, Vaku; –4.6323, 12.8937; 319 m a.s.l.; FKH 0921 −24; GenBank: PQ455688–91. • Mayombe NP, Lombe River, Vaku; –4.6403, 12.935; 269 m a.s.l.; P3.160; GenBank: PQ455692.

Identification. Arthroleptis poecilonotus represents a species complex. Material from Cabinda Province is identical to material reported from Mount Kupe, Cameroon (GenBank: KX671725), Mayongongo, Republic of the Congo (GenBank: KY080058) and other material from Angola (Baptista 2024). However, this material differs by 3.2% (16S p -distance) from topotypic material of the species in Ghana (Rockney et al. 2015; GenBank: KU166807). Therefore, it is better to regard material from Cabinda Province and northern Angola as Arthroleptis aff. poecilonotus .

Biology and distribution. Members of the A. poecilonotus complex are widely distributed from Guinea Bissau eastwards to Uganda and southwards to Angola (Sánchez-Vialas et al. 2020; Baptista 2024). In Angola, the species is widely distributed in the northwestern forest regions (Ernst et al. 2020; Baptista 2024). In Cabinda Province, the taxon was recorded in all the four main ecological zones, from the Coastal Drier Belt to Upper Mayombe. It proved to be one of the most common amphibians in Mayombe NP, often found moving among the leaf litter or crossing dirt roads mostly at night, but sometimes during the day.