:Liuixalus

{{Short description|Genus of amphibians}}

{{Automatic taxobox

| image = Chirixalus romeri.jpg

| image_caption = Liuixalus romeri

| taxon = Liuixalus

| authority = Li, Che, Bain, Zhao, and Zhang, 2008

| type_species = Philautus romeri

| type_species_authority = Li, Che, Bain, Zhao, and Zhang, 2008{{Cite journal | last1 = Li | first1 = J. T. | last2 = Che | first2 = J. | last3 = Bain | first3 = R. H. | last4 = Zhao | first4 = E. M. | last5 = Zhang | first5 = Y. P. | title = Molecular phylogeny of Rhacophoridae (Anura): A framework of taxonomic reassignment of species within the genera Aquixalus, Chiromantis, Rhacophorus, and Philautus | doi = 10.1016/j.ympev.2008.03.023 | journal = Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution | volume = 48 | issue = 1 | pages = 302–312 | year = 2008 | pmid = 18442928}}

| synonyms = Romerus Dubois, Ohler & Pyron, 2021

}}

Liuixalus is a small genus of rhacophorid frogs that are distributed in southern China (Hong Kong, Hainan, Guangxi, Guangdong). Some species now in Liuixalus were originally placed in Philautus.{{Cite web |title=Liuixalus Li, Che, Bain, Zhao, and Zhang, 2008 {{!}} Amphibian Species of the World |url=https://amphibiansoftheworld.amnh.org/Amphibia/Anura/Rhacophoridae/Rhacophorinae/Liuixalus |access-date=2023-08-05 |website=amphibiansoftheworld.amnh.org}} It is thought to be the most basal genus in the Rhacophorinae.{{Cite journal |last1=Dubois |first1=Alain |last2=Ohler |first2=Annemarie |last3=Pyron |first3=R. Alexander |date=2021-02-26 |title=New concepts and methods for phylogenetic taxonomy and nomenclature in zoology, exemplified by a new ranked cladonomy of recent amphibians (Lissamphibia) |url=https://www.mapress.com/mt/article/view/megataxa.5.1.1 |journal=Megataxa |language=en |volume=5 |issue=1 |pages=1–738–1–738 |doi=10.11646/megataxa.5.1.1 |issn=2703-3090|doi-access=free }}

The genus was first erected as Liuixalus in 2008 based on molecular genetic evidence showing distinctness of Liuixalus romeri (then known as Chiromantis romeri) from the rest of Chiromantis.{{Cite journal| last = Li| first = Jiatang| author2 = Dingqi Rao| author3 = Robert W. Murphy| author4 = Yaping Zhang| year = 2011| title = The systematic status of rhacophorid frogs| journal = Asian Herpetological Research| volume = 2| pages = 1–11| doi = 10.3724/SP.J.1245.2011.00001| url = http://210.75.237.14/bitstream/351003/23370/1/2011e0121z.pdf| access-date = 2013-11-23| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20131203064057/http://210.75.237.14/bitstream/351003/23370/1/2011e0121z.pdf| archive-date = 2013-12-03| url-status = dead}} The genus name Liuixalus commemorates {{ill|Liu Chengzhao|zh|刘承钊}}, a Chinese herpetologist. In 2021, another phylogenetic study deemed the name Liuixalus as invalidly proposed due to a lack of a diagnosis for the genus in the original study, and thus redescribed the genus as Romerus, alongside morphological characteristics distinguishing it. The name Romerus commemorates British herpetologist John D. Romer. However, in 2023, the name was changed back to Liuixalus on the basis of Ren, Jiang & Li, who refuted the requirement for a genus name to have morphological characteristics associated with it.{{Cite journal |date=2023-03-27 |title=On the Validity of the Generic Nomen Liuixalus Li, Che, Bain, Zhao, and Zhang, 2008 (Anura: Rhacophoridae) |url=https://www.sciengine.com/10.16373/j.cnki.ahr.220073 |journal=Asian Herpetological Research |language=en-US |pages=121–122 |doi=10.16373/j.cnki.ahr.220073 |issn=2095-0357}}

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has assessed two species of the genus as vulnerable (Liuixalus ocellatus and L. hainanus), one as endangered (L. romeri), and one as least-concern (L. feii), while Liuixalus shiwandashan is considered data deficient.{{cite web |url=https://www.iucnredlist.org/search?query=Liuixalus&searchType=species |title=IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2021.1. |author=IUCN |year=2021 |access-date=27 June 2021}}