Description of the lucky Cophyla (Microhylidae, Cophylinae), a new arboreal frog from Marojejy National Park in north-eastern Madagascar

Zootaxa ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 4651 (2) ◽  
pp. 271-288 ◽  
Author(s):  
ANDOLALAO RAKOTOARISON ◽  
MARK D. SCHERZ ◽  
MOLLY C. BLETZ ◽  
JARY H. RAZAFINDRAIBE ◽  
FRANK GLAW ◽  
...  

We describe a new species of arboreal microhylid frog from northern Madagascar. The new species is assigned to the genus Cophyla based on molecular phylogeny and morphological similarities to other species of this genus. Molecular phylogenetic analysis resolved Cophyla fortuna sp. nov. as closely related to C. noromalalae. However, the two species were reciprocally monophyletic both in a tree reconstructed from a combination of mitochondrial genes, and in a tree based on the nuclear RAG-1 gene. The new species, previously identified as candidate species Cophyla sp. Ca4, occurs in lowland bamboo forests around the Marojejy Massif in northeastern Madagascar. It differs from the allopatric C. noromalalae, so far only known from the Montagne d’Ambre Massif in northern Madagascar, by slightly smaller body size and shorter duration and higher spectral frequency of advertisement calls. Several additional genetically divergent mitochondrial lineages of Cophyla, related to the C. fortuna/noromalalae complex and to C. phyllodactyla, occur in intervening areas between Montagne d’Ambre and Marojejy, and their status requires further study. 

Zootaxa ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 4545 (4) ◽  
pp. 563
Author(s):  
FANOMEZANA MIHAJA RATSOAVINA ◽  
ACHILLE P. RASELIMANANA ◽  
MARK D. SCHERZ ◽  
ANDOLALAO RAKOTOARISON ◽  
JARY H. RAZAFINDRAIBE ◽  
...  

The Marojejy Massif in northern Madagascar is a constant source of herpetological surprises. Herein we describe a new species of leaf-mimicking leaf-tailed gecko, Uroplatus finaritra sp. nov., based on morphological and molecular phylogenetic evidence. This new species inhabits the rainforests of Marojejy National Park at low elevations and is morphologically similar to Uroplatus phantasticus, but differs by having a larger body size, relatively shorter tail, and dark-red pigmentation of the oral mucosa. Molecular data reveals a distance of 14.0–14.7% in the 16S rRNA gene to U. phantasticus, and haplotype sharing in the c-mos nuclear gene only with species of much shorter tails (i.e., with U. kelirambo and two undescribed candidate species). Similar to other members of the leaf-mimicking Uroplatus species in northern Madagascar, Uroplatus finaritra sp. nov. likely has a small geographic distribution, and is currently known only from the lowland rainforests of Marojejy. We discuss the value of the buccal mucosa colouration and tail dimensions of Uroplatus as taxonomic characters, and the potential drivers of their evolution. In order to reduce the risk of international trade under incorrect species names we suggest that exported CITES species should be obligatorily accompanied by information about their precide geographic origin within Madagascar. 


Phytotaxa ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 218 (2) ◽  
pp. 156
Author(s):  
Shang Hui ◽  
Ma Qi-Xia ◽  
Yan Yue-Hong

Dryopteris shiakeana, a new species of Dryopteridaceae from Danxia landform in Danxiashan National Park, Guangdong, China, is described and illustrated. This species exhibits morphological characteristics similar to D. dehuaensis but differs in terms of dense scales on the rachis of laminae and pinnae, dissected pinnules, more prominent veinlets, reddish-brown scales on stipes, and toothed margin. Based on results of molecular phylogenetic analysis of the trnL-F sequence, our conclusion is that D. shiakeana is most closely related to D. dehuaensis.


2021 ◽  
Vol 95 ◽  
Author(s):  
M.M. Montes ◽  
J. Barneche ◽  
Y. Croci ◽  
D. Balcazar ◽  
A. Almirón ◽  
...  

Abstract During a parasitological survey of fishes at Iguazu National Park, Argentina, specimens belonging to the allocreadiid genus Auriculostoma were collected from the intestine of Characidium heirmostigmata. The erection of the new species is based on a unique combination of morphological traits as well as on phylogenetic analysis. Auriculostoma guacurarii n. sp. resembles four congeneric species – Auriculostoma diagonale, Auriculostoma platense, Auriculostoma tica and Auriculostoma totonacapanensis – in having smooth and oblique testes, but can be distinguished by a combination of several morphological features, hosts association and geographic distribution. Morphologically, the new species can be distinguished from both A. diagonale and A. platense by the egg size (bigger in the first and smaller in the last); from A. tica by a shorter body length, the genital pore position and the extension of the caeca; and from A. totonacapanensis by the size of the oral and ventral sucker and the post-testicular space. Additionally, one specimen of Auriculostoma cf. stenopteri from the characid Charax stenopterus (Characiformes) from La Plata River, Argentina, was sampled and the partial 28S rRNA gene was sequenced. The phylogenetic analysis revealed that A. guacurarii n. sp. clustered with A. tica and these two as sister taxa to A. cf. stenopteri. The new species described herein is the tenth species in the genus and the first one parasitizing a member of the family Crenuchidae.


Phytotaxa ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 329 (3) ◽  
pp. 277 ◽  
Author(s):  
ANDREW S. URQUHART ◽  
PAULINE M. L. COULON ◽  
ALEXANDER IDNURM

Pilaira australis, a new species of fungus in the coprophilous genus Pilaira, was isolated from emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae) faeces and is described. Morphologically, the species resembles other species in the genus, particularly P. moreaui, except differs in its unique combination of sporangiophore height and sporangiospore length. Molecular phylogenetic analysis indicates that P. australis is distinct from other species in the genus with two regions, the internal transcribed spacers (ITS) and a fragment of the pyrG gene, showing 91% and 90% identity to the nearest species, respectively. Ultrastructure features and carbon utilisation were determined for P. australis, and may provide characteristics for species identification in this genus.


Phytotaxa ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 512 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
YU-YANG ZHOU ◽  
YUN-HAO SI ◽  
ZHEN ZHANG ◽  
QIANG WANG ◽  
YAN YU

Codonopsis atriplicifolia (Campanulaceae) from western Sichuan, China, is described here as a new species, which is similar to C. subscaposa in a number of characters. The results of molecular phylogenetic analysis of 25 species of Codonopsis based on chloroplast DNA fragments (matK, petD with petB-petD, rbcL) show that C. atriplicifolia is closely related to C. farreri. In morphology, the new species is distinctly different from the allied species by its linear-lanceolate leaves with subentire to pinnatipartite margins.


Phytotaxa ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 350 (1) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
RUI-HONG WANG ◽  
MAO-QIN XIA ◽  
JIN-BO TAN ◽  
CHUAN CHEN ◽  
XIN-JIE JIN ◽  
...  

A new species, Scrophularia jinii (Scrophulariaceae), from Central China is described and illustrated. This new species was formerly misidentified as S. fargesii, from which it differs in many morphological characters. Moreover, it is distinct with all known Scrophularia species in its unique deeply double serrate leaf margin with 3–7 big teeth on each side. Molecular phylogenetic analysis further supports its species delimitation and suggests a close relationship with several Japanese and North American species.


ZooKeys ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 1038 ◽  
pp. 179-194
Author(s):  
Sota Komeda ◽  
Kenta Adachi ◽  
Susumu Ohtsuka

A new species of the continental shelf hyperbenthic genus Pilarella is described, the first from the Indo-Pacific. This is the second species of Pilarella known, and the first description of a male in the genus. The new species is easily distinguished from other species of Pilarella (P. longicornis) based on: (1) short caudal rami, approximately 1.5 times longer than wide; (2) 2 setae on the mandibular endopod; (3) 6 setae on the maxillular coxal epipodite; and (4) in the female, a short left antennule reaching the posterior border of the genital double-somite. The new diagnosis of Pilarella differs from Metacalanus in the separation of ancestral segments IX–XII and XIV–XV of the antennule, and the presence of 5–6 setae on the maxillular praecoxal arthrite. Pilarella is also separated from Metacalanalis based on the absence of a seta on the third ancestral segment of the antennary exopod, the symmetry of legs 1–3, the presence of a medial basal seta on the female leg 5, and 2 lateral exopodal spines on the female leg 5. A molecular phylogenetic analysis of some representative genera of the family Arietellidae, including the present new species, recovers two arietellid clades (Metacalanus- and Arietellus-clades) as in previous studies. Dichotomous keys for the genera of Arietellidae and the species of Pilarella are included.


PhytoKeys ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 156 ◽  
pp. 103-112
Author(s):  
Jiao Sun ◽  
Dai-Gui Zhang ◽  
Xian-Han Huang ◽  
Komiljon Tojibaev ◽  
Jing-Yuan Yang ◽  
...  

This report provides a description of Primula sunhangii from the Shennongjia Forestry District, Hubei Province in Central China, which is categorized as a new species of the primrose family. Primula sunhangii is morphologically similar to P. involucrata Wall. ex Duby in terms of its simple umbel, efarinose, and prolonged bracts. However, P. sunhangii is distinguished by its glabrous sepal, short petiole (compare with blade) and cylindrical calyx and capsule. Molecular phylogenetic analysis based on nuclear and cpDNA genes demonstrates that P. sunhangii and P. involucrata are closely related. Combining genetic and morphological data, the recognition of P. sunhangii as a unique new species is supported.


2019 ◽  
pp. 25-38
Author(s):  
Besma Dechir ◽  
Atef Chouikh ◽  
Tarek Hamel ◽  
Nawel Nadia Azizi ◽  
Nawel Ganaoui ◽  
...  

Treinta estaciones en el Parque Nacional El Kala (Noreste de Argelia) fueron objeto de un inventario florístico que se centró en el estudio de la ecología de geófitos bulbosos y tuberosos. La flora se caracteriza por una alta proporción de taxones raros y/o endémicos, entre ellos, 6 especies son endemismos algero-tunecinos pertenecientes a la familia Orchidaceae. En este trabajo, se da a conocer la presencia de una nueva especie para la flora argelina, Ophrys fusca subsp. lupercalis. Los análisis multivariantes revelaron, ciertas variables ambientales que determinan la distribución de los geófitos. Los lugares de interés son particularmente sensibles a las amenazas, particularmente las de origen antrópico. Thirty stations at the El Kala National Park (North Eastern Algeria) were the subject of a floristic focused on the study of the ecology of bulbous and tuberous geophytes. The floristic analysis was used to draw up a checklist of 67 species belonging to 36 genera and 14 families, among of which 19 species a high proportion of rare and/or endemic taxa; among them six signed taxa are endemic to algerian-tunisian mainly represented by family of Orchidaceae. In this work, we recorded the presence of a new species for the Algerian flora which is Ophrys fusca subsp. lupercalis. Multivariate analyses revealed certain environmental variables determining the distribution of geophytes. The visited sites show an alarming vulnerability and subject to threats, particularly anthropogenic ones.


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