PHYLOGENETIC SYSTEMATICS OF THE AMOLOPS MONTICOLA GROUP (AMPHIBIA: RANIDAE), WITH DESCRIPTION OF A NEW SPECIES FROM NORTHWESTERN LAOS

The amolops monticola group contains approximately 12 morphologically similar species distributed across much of mainland Southeast Asia. Approximately half of the species in the group were described only during the past 6 yr, and several have been erroneously placed in the genus Odorrana. A molecular phylogenetic analysis is performed using three mitochondrial and two nuclear genes sequenced from eight of the 12 putative members of the group. The group is shown to be monophyletic within the genus Amolops. The Indochinese species A. daorum is removed from the synonymy of A. mengyangensis, is shown to be a member of the genus Amolops and not Odorrana, and is found to be paraphyletic with respect to A. iriodes. A newly discovered population in northwestern Laos is described as a new species on the basis of its morphological and molecular distinctiveness.