A new fanged frog of the genus Limnonectes Fitzinger, 1843 (Anura: Dicroglossidae) from Langbian Plateau, southern Vietnam.

We describe a new frog of the genus Limnonectes from the Langbian Plateau in southern Vietnam based on morphological and molecular analyses. Limnonectes splendissimus sp. nov. shares morphological characteristics similar to L. poilani from central Vietnam yet is distinguishable from its congeners based on the following combination of diagnostic characters: large body-size (SVL 104.1-107.0 mm in three adult males, 87.2-97.7 mm in two adult females); head length longer than wide (HW/HL = 0.91±0.01 in adult males, 0.87±0.08 in adult females); adult males having an enlarged head height and a nuptial pad on finger I; eye diameter about three-fifths of tympanum-eye distance in adult males (ED/TED = 0.62±0.13) and longer than tympanum-eye distance in adult females (ED/TED = 1.40±0.02); distinct tympanum; presence of vomerine teeth; a tendency for a more prominent odontoid height (OH 8.0 ± 0.6 mm in adult males, 4.5±0.9 mm in adult females); throat surface in juveniles very distinct with black and white pattern that covers both the throat and anterior half of venter, and latter half of venter yellow. Phylogenetic analyses place the new species as the sister species of L. poilani. The new species differs from its congeners by an uncorrected p-distances in 16S sequences ranging from 8.2% (vs. L. poilani) to 14.6% (vs. L. dabanus).