Litoria eungellaensis is not a valid species
Adam Britton / Wolfgang Wuster cohort member Con Man Conrad Hoskin has this week unlawfully attempted to rename the iconic tree frog from NE Qld Rawlinsonia ventrileuco Hoser, 2020 just this week as something else (The invalid name is "Litoria eungellaensis"), I have copied in the original 2020 scientific description that was published in a peer reviewed journal (unlike Zootoxic) below:
The full Hoser 2020 paper is available at the usual places.
From: Hoser, 2020
RAWLINSONIA VENTRILEUCO SP. NOV.
LSIDurn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:B00A719B-60AD-4BAB B092-0CE78100283F
Holotype: A preserved specimen in the Queensland Museum, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, specimen number J35087 collected at Mount William Road, 18 km from Dalrymple Heights, near Eungella, near Mackay, Queensland, Australia, Latitude -21.03 S., Longitude 148.6 E. This government-owned facility allows access to its holdings. Paratypes: Four preserved specimens at the Queensland Museum, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, specimen numbers J35105-6 and J35115-6 all collected at Mount William Road, 18 km from Dalrymple Heights, near Eungella, near Mackay, Queensland, Australia, Latitude -21.03 S., Longitude 148.6 E.
Diagnosis: R. ventrileuco sp. nov. has until now been treated as an isolated population of R. revelata (Ingram, Corben and Hosmer, 1982), with a type locality of “O’Reillys (28.14' S, 153.08' E), Lamington Plateau, SE. Queensland”, Australia, as has the species R. corbeni Wells and Wellington, 1985. All three would be identified as R. revelata, called “Litoria revelata” in either Anstis (2013) or Cogger (2014). All three have similar morphology and call, although all are widely disjunct in terms of distribution and clearly evolving as separate species. They are also morphologically divergent. While divergence between the three populations is relatively recent in geological terms, it still appropriate that each be recognized as separate species, as opposed to subspecies. I also note that while Anstis (2013) treats all populations as a single species, she also makes comments indicating in her view the likelihood that there is more than one species being called “Litoria revelata” and to that extent details obvious differences between forms. The three species are readily separated from one another as follows:
By distribution, Rawlinsonia revelata from coastal New South Wales, immediately adjacent ranges and nearby wetter parts of south-east Queensland is separated from R. corbeni from the southern wet tropics of far north Queensland and R. ventrileuco sp. nov. from the Eungella uplands region near Mackay in north eastern Queensland.
The three species are turn also separated from one another as follows:
R. revelata and R. ventrileuco sp. nov. have a few small black spots in the groin, versus prominent black blotches in the groin and red-orange on the back of the thighs as seen in R. corbeni. R. ventrileuco sp. nov. and R. corbeni are in turn both separated from R. revelata by having small pointed tubercles running in a distinct line down the upper surface of the forearm, versus mainly scattered tubercles on the upper surface of the forearm in R. corbeni. Scattered, raised tubercles on the upper surface of the hind limb are prominent in both R. revelata and R. corbeni but not in R. ventrileuco sp. nov.. The upper iris of both R. corbeni and R. ventrileuco sp. nov. is noticeably lighter than the lower, versus not so in R. revelata. The upper forearms of both R. corbeni and R. ventrileuco sp. nov. is dark brown, versus light brown or yellow in R. revelata. The transverse row of usually about four tubercles between the eyes is found in all three species.
The three species R. corbeni, R. ventrileuco sp. nov. and R. revelata are in turn separated from all other species within the genus Rawlinsonia Wells and Wellington, 1985 by having finger and toe discs that are conspicuously broader than the digits; conspicuous black spots or blotches on the groin and a mid-dorsal patch divided along at least part of its length, including between the eyes.
All species within the genus Rawlinsonia Wells and Wellington, 1985 are readily separated from all other Australasian Tree Frogs (Pelodryadidae) by the following unique suite of characters: smallish frogs usually about 35 mm in body length. Fingers are free or only webbed at the base. First finger is much shorter and smaller than the second, when pressed together the tip of the first finger reaches no further than the base of the disc of the second finger. Hind edge of vomerine teeth are between the choanae. Usually one or a pair of semidistinct mid dorsal patches, darker than the ground colour, extending from a line joining the centre of the eyes; white stripe below eye, if present does not extend beyond the anterior edge of the base of the forelimb.
Distribution: R. ventrileuco sp. nov. is known only from the vicinity of Eungella, near Mackay in north-east Queensland and is believed to be isolated to this relatively wet uplands region.
Etymology: The name “ventrileuco” refers to the whitish venter of this species of frog in the adult form.
From:
Hoser, R. T. 2020. For the first time ever! An overdue review and reclassification of Australasian Tree Frogs (Amphibia: Anura: Pelodryadidae), including formal descriptions of 12 tribes, 11 subtribes, 34 genera, 26 subgenera, 62 species and 12 subspecies new to science. AJH 44-46:1-192.
Full text available at https://www.smuggled.com/AJH-I44-Split.htm
The copyright infringing paper faking new discoveries is: Price, L. C., Hoskin, C. J., Mahony, M. and Donnellan, S. C. 2025. Systematic evaluation of molecular genetic, morphological and acoustic variation reveals three species in the Litoria revelata complex (Anura: Pelodryadidae). Zootoxic (PRINO) (Online only):5584(3):10 Feb 2025.
It is also placed behind as paywall in breach of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature, Article 8 and also breached the Australian Copyright Act, Moral Rights Provisions.
A fake news story (one of countless) falsely claiming discovery of R. ventrileuco as L. eungellaensis is posted on the web at: https://www.sci.news/biology/litoria-eungellensis-13689.html which says a lot about the quality of media reporting in 2025.
