MORPHOLOGICAL, BEHAVIORAL, AND GENETIC-DIVERGENCE OF SYMPATRIC MORPHOTYPES OF THE TREEFROG POLYPEDATES LEUCOMYSTAX IN PENINSULAR MALAYSIA

We studied the vocal behaviors of two distinct morphs of the Old World treefrog Polypedates leucomystax (Rhacophoridae) in Peninsula Malaysi a in the animals' natural habitat. Morph A is the larger of the two fo rms, exhibits a series of dorsal stripes, produces three separate call types, and illustrates complex changes in its rate of individual call type production in response to acoustic playback of its calls at incr easingly higher broadcast levels. Morph B is the smaller of the two fo rms, has a plain or mottled coloration, also produces three call types although quite distinct from those of morph A, and exhibits a general ized reduction in production of all three call types in response to pl ayback of its calls at increasing broadcast levels. In addition, gel e lectrophoresis was used to compare the gene products of 14 enzyme loci from six striped (morph A) individuals and four non-striped (morph B) individuals of the Polypedates species complex. The gene products of nine enzyme systems encoded by 14 presumptive loci were examined for a llozyme variation. A contingency Chi-square analysis of the polymorphi c loci of the 10 specimens examined yielded chi(2) = 162.99, 14 df, P < 0.00001. Nei's (1978) unbiased genetic identity, I, and unbiased gen etic distance, D, between the morphs were 0.426 and 0.854, respectivel y, values that compare favorably with other findings on valid species. Thus, by coupling morphological and behavioral differences with genet ic divergence, we provide strong evidence on which to base the claim t hat the two morphs deserve taxonomic recognition as separate species.