Bioacoustics of Rawlinsonia corbeni

Ecology and reproductive biology. Known to breed in both disturbed and natural situations where still or slow-moving water is within, or adjacent to, forest. Breeding sites are ponds (including farms dams; e.g., Fig. 11A ) and other stationary water bodies (e.g., Mt Hypipamee crater), and slow-flowing pools in streams (e.g., Fig. 11B ). Breeding occurs in rainforest and wet sclerophyll forest, and in habitats comprising mosaics of grazing land and rainforest, or wet sclerophyll forest. Most known breeding sites are in agricultural land where the frogs reproduce in farm dams or slow pools along disturbed creeklines, but all breeding sites have some forest in close proximity. Prior to extensive clearing of the southern Atherton Tablelands, breeding sites would have been natural ponds and pools along slow flowing streams through rainforest and wet sclerophyll forest. Males call from riparian vegetation including reeds, sedges, tall grass, and adjacent bushes and trees. Calling has been heard through most of the year except for May and June (FrogID, CJH observations). Males are bright yellow when calling in the breeding season, whereas the few females encountered in the wild in the breeding season have been a more tan-brownish colour (CJH observations). Other aspects of reproductive biology are not known.

Diagnosis . Litoria corbeni can be diagnosed from L. littlejohni and L. watsoni by its smaller size ( 23–33 mm vs 43–61 mm and 42–64 mm , respectively, sexes combined). Diagnosed from L. ewingii , L. paraewingi and L. verreauxii by expanded terminal discs on fingers and toes ( vs terminal discs similar width, or only slightly wider than, terminal phalanges). Diagnosed from L. jervisiensis by termination of lateral head stripe near forearm ( vs terminating along flank), dark patches in groin ( vs absent), and smaller size ( 23–33 mm vs 37–44 mm , sexes combined). Litoria corbeni can be diagnosed further from the following species by its greater mean number of notes in the advertisement call (27.5, range 18–33 vs 2.3, range 1–4 in L. jervisiensis ; 8.8, range 5–16 in L. littlejohni ; 4, range 3–8 in L. paraewingi ; 9, range 8–11 in L. sibilus ; and 6.5, range 3–14 in L. watsoni ). Litoria corbeni can be diagnosed from L . revelata by a higher pulse repetition rate (130.2 pps ± 4.5, range 127.3–136.7 vs 105.3 ± 10.10, range 86.9–127.3) ( Table 6 ). It can be diagnosed from L. eungellensis sp. nov. by the absence of well-demarked, black spots or blotches along the margins of the lower hindlegs, and by a higher mean pulse repetition rate (130.2 pps ± 4.5, range 127.3–136.7 vs 78.1 ± 10.7, range 66.9–86.2) ( Table 6 ). Litoria corbeni can also be diagnosed from L. revelata and L. eungellensis sp. nov. by apomorphic states at 30 and 34 nucleotide sites respectively in the ND4 gene alignment ( Table 3 ).