scholarly journals A new species of Gordius (Phylum Nematomorpha) from terrestrial habitats in North America

ZooKeys ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 892 ◽  
pp. 59-75 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christina Anaya ◽  
Andreas Schmidt-Rhaesa ◽  
Ben Hanelt ◽  
Matthew G. Bolek
Keyword(s):  
New Species ◽  
North America ◽  
Winter Season ◽  
Heavy Rain ◽  
Morphological Characters ◽  
Adult Males ◽  
Free Living ◽  
Circular Pattern ◽  
Terrestrial Habitats ◽  
A New Species

Freshwater hairworms (class Gordiida) are members of the phylum Nematomorpha that use terrestrial arthropods as definitive hosts but reside as free-living adult worms in rivers, lakes, or streams. The genus Gordius consists of 90 described species, of which three species were described from freshwater habitats in North America. In this paper we describe a new species of Gordius from terrestrial habitats in Oklahoma, Texas, and Louisiana, United States. Oddly, each year hundreds of adult free-living worms appear after bouts of heavy rain on streets, sidewalks, and lawns during the winter season, when terrestrial arthropod hosts are not active. The new species is described based on morphological characters of adults and non-adult stages including the egg strings, eggs, larvae, and cysts. Adult males have a unique row of bristles on the ventral inner side of each tail lobe and a circular pattern of bristles on the terminal end of each lobe, which distinguishes them from all other described North American species of Gordius. The egg string, larval, and cyst morphology of this new species conform to previous descriptions of non-adult hairworm stages for the genus Gordius. However, the eggs of this new species of hairworm are unique, as they contain an outer shell separated by distinct space from a thick inner membrane. The consistent occurrence of this gordiid in terrestrial habitats, along with its distinct egg morphology, suggests that this new species of hairworm has a terrestrial life cycle.

scholarly journals An elusive new species of gymnophthalmid lizard (Cercosaurinae, Selvasaura) from the Andes of northern Peru

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 177-187
Author(s):  
Lourdes Y. Echevarría ◽  
Pablo J. Venegas ◽  
Luis A. García-Ayachi ◽  
Pedro M. Sales Nunes
Keyword(s):  
New Species ◽  
Natural History ◽  
Phylogenetic Analyses ◽  
Morphological Characters ◽  
The Other ◽  
Adult Males ◽  
The Andes ◽  
New States ◽  
Northern Peru ◽  
A New Species

We describe a new species of Selvasaura from the montane forests of the eastern slopes of the Andes in northern Peru, based on external and hemipenial morphological characters and previous phylogenetic analyses. The new species can be differentiated from the other two Selvasaura species in having keeled dorsal scales usually flanked by longitudinal striations, in adults and juveniles; adult males with a yellow vertebral stripe bordered by broad dark brown stripes on each side and a unilobed hemipenis surrounded by the branches of the sulcus spermaticus. The description of the new species contributes information about new states of diagnostic characters of Selvasaura and natural history.

Two New Sorediate Taxa of Peltigera

1995 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 43-58 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. Goffinet ◽  
R. I. Hastings
Keyword(s):  
New Species ◽  
North America ◽  
East Africa ◽  
Morphological Characters ◽  
New Combination ◽  
Ecological Significance ◽  
Mesic Forest ◽  
A New Species ◽  
Forest Habitats ◽  
Gyrophoric Acid

AbstractExamination of specimens of Peltigera didactyla, from Africa, Asia, Europe and North America revealed that this sorediate species includes three entities that can be separated on morphological characters. A new species, P. lambinonii, is described from East Africa, and a new combination P. didactyla var. extenuata, is proposed to accommodate morphs from mesic forest habitats in Asia, Europe and North America. Despite this taxonomic reduction, P. didactyla var. didactyla remains a ubiquitous taxon. The former two taxa often produce methyl gyrophorate, which can co-occur with traces of gyrophoric acid. These tridepsides were only rarely detected in var. didactyla; their occasional presence seems to be best explained by hybridization. The taxonomic and ecological significance of these substances is discussed.

A new species of Sitana (Squamata: Agamidae) from the Deccan Peninsula Biogeographic Zone of India

Zootaxa ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 4948 (2) ◽  
pp. 261-274
Author(s):  
V. DEEPAK ◽  
FRANK TILLACK ◽  
NILADRI B. KAR ◽  
VIVEK SARKAR ◽  
PRATYUSH. P. MOHAPATRA
Keyword(s):  
New Species ◽  
Body Size ◽  
Small Body ◽  
Large Body ◽  
Morphological Characters ◽  
Adult Males ◽  
Blue Line ◽  
Dark Blue ◽  
A New Species ◽  
Bright Blue

We describe a new species of fan-throated lizard of the genus Sitana from the Deccan peninsula of India. The new species is from the Sitana sivalensis clade and can be readily diagnosed morphologically from S. sivalensis, S. fusca and S. schleichi by having the dewlap extending beyond forearm insertion. The new species differs from all other congeners in the combination of morphological characters such as a feebly serrated dewlap with a dark blue line on the throat in adult males (versus  a well serrated dewlap with a bright blue patch and orange spots in S. ponticeriana complex), small body size (versus a large body size in S. gokakensis and S. thondalu) and a relatively smaller dewlap size (relatively larger in S. laticeps, S. spinaecephalus, S. dharwarensis, S. gokakensis, S. thondalu, S. marudhamneydhal, S. ponticeriana and S. visiri). The new species was found to be commonly distributed in arid and open habitats as well as in farmlands and plantations in northern Andhra Pradesh, eastern Madhya Pradesh and most parts of Chhattisgarh and Odisha states. 

scholarly journals A new species of the genus Takydromus (Squamata, Lacertidae) from southwestern Guangdong, China

ZooKeys ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 871 ◽  
pp. 119-139 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jian Wang ◽  
Zhi-Tong Lyu ◽  
Chen-Yu Yang ◽  
Yu-Long Li ◽  
Ying-Yong Wang
Keyword(s):  
New Species ◽  
Nature Reserve ◽  
Mainland China ◽  
Guangdong Province ◽  
Ventral Surface ◽  
Morphological Characters ◽  
Adult Males ◽  
Fourth Finger ◽  
Mitochondrial Cytochrome B ◽  
A New Species

A new species, Takydromus yunkaiensis J. Wang, Lyu, & Y.Y. Wang, sp. nov. is described based on a series of specimens collected from the Yunkaishan Nature Reserve located in the southern Yunkai Mountains, western Guangdong Province, China. The new species is a sister taxon to T. intermedius with a genetic divergence of 8.0–8.5% in the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene, and differs from all known congeners by a combination of the following morphological characters: (1) body size moderate, SVL 37.8–56.0 mm in males, 42.6–60.8 mm in females; (2) dorsal ground color brown; ventral surface green to yellow-green, but light blue-green on chin and throat, posteriorly green in adult males; (3) dorsolateral lines paired, strikingly yellowish-white bordered by black above and below, invisible or indistinct in juveniles and adult females; (4) flanks of body blackish brown with light brown marks in adult males; (5) presence of four pairs of chin-shields; (6) four supraoculars on each side; (7) presence of a row of supracilary granules that separate supracilaries from supraoculars; (8) two postnasals; (9) enlarged dorsal scales in six longitudinal rows on trunk of body, with strong keel; (10) enlarged ventral scales in six longitudinal rows, strongly keeled in males, smooth but outermost rows weakly keeled in females; (11) enlarged and keeled lateral scales in a row above ventrals; (12) femoral pores 2–3 on each side; (13) subdigital lamellae 20–23 under the fourth finger, 23–30 under the fourth toe; and (14) the first 2–3 subdigital lamellae under the fourth toe divided. The discovery of Takydromus yunkaiensissp. nov. brings the total number of species of this genus to 24, of which nine occur in mainland China.

scholarly journals A new species of Microhyla (Anura: Microhylidae) from Sumatra, Indonesia

TREUBIA ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 45 ◽  
pp. 25-46
Author(s):  
Vestidhia Yunisya Atmaja ◽  
Amir Hamidy ◽  
Tuty Arisuryanti ◽  
Masafumi Matsui ◽  
Eric N. Smith
Keyword(s):  
New Species ◽  
Morphological Characters ◽  
The Body ◽  
Medium Size ◽  
Temporal Region ◽  
New Taxon ◽  
Adult Males ◽  
Rrna Sequence ◽  
16S Rrna Sequence ◽  
A New Species

A new species of frog in the genus Microhyla is described from Sumatra, Indonesia based on molecular and morphological characters. This new species was previously confused with M. achatina, a Javan endemic. This new species is diagnosable from its congeners by possessing a medium size (SVL in adult males 18.20–21.32 mm, in adult females 20.37–25.51 mm), a stout body, a nostril–eyelid length being about half of the snout length, having a single outer palmar tubercle, a tibiotarsal articulation reaching the center of the eye (when the hindlimbs are stretched and adpressed to the body), having finger and toe tips dilated, having the dorsum with medial longitudinal grooves, and excibiting a very thin and short dark stripe on the temporal region above a wider cream stripe, extending from the postorbital area to insertion of forelimb. Additionally, the new species is characterized by possessing relatively little foot webbing. Uncorrected 16S rRNA sequence divergences between the new taxon and sequences for other congeneric species available ranged from 4.8 to 15.0%.

scholarly journals A new species of the Asian leaf litter toad genus Leptobrachella Smith, 1925 (Anura, Megophryidae) from northwest Guizhou Province, China

ZooKeys ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 1021 ◽  
pp. 81-107
Author(s):  
Yan-Lin Cheng ◽  
Sheng-Chao Shi ◽  
Jiaqi Li ◽  
Jing Liu ◽  
Shi-Ze Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
New Species ◽  
Leaf Litter ◽  
Phylogenetic Analyses ◽  
Morphological Characters ◽  
The Body ◽  
Guizhou Province ◽  
Adult Males ◽  
Dorsal Skin ◽  
Molecular Phylogenetic ◽  
A New Species

A new species of the Asian leaf litter toad genus Leptobrachella is described from Guizhou Province, China. Molecular phylogenetic analyses support the new species as an independent lineage deeply nested in the Leptobrachella clade. The new species is distinguished from its congeners by a combination of the following morphological characters: body size medium (SVL 29.7–31.2 mm in five adult males); dorsal skin shagreened, some of the granules forming longitudinal short skin ridges; tympanum distinctly discernible, slightly concave; supra-axillary, femoral, pectoral and ventrolateral glands distinctly visible; absence of webbing and lateral fringes on fingers; toes with narrow lateral fringes but without webbing; heels overlapping when thighs are positioned at right angles to the body; tibia-tarsal articulation reaching the middle of eye when leg stretched forward. The discovery highlighted the underestimated species diversity in the Leptobrachella toads in southwestern China.

scholarly journals Sphagnum incundum a new species in Sphagnum subg. Acutifolia (Sphagnaceae) from boreal and arctic regions of North America

Phytotaxa ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 333 (1) ◽  
pp. 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
MAGNI OLSEN KYRKJEEIDE ◽  
KRISTIAN HASSEL ◽  
BLANKA SHAW ◽  
A. JONATHAN SHAW ◽  
EVA M. TEMSCH ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
New Species ◽  
North America ◽  
Dna Sequences ◽  
Related Species ◽  
Morphological Characters ◽  
Close Relative ◽  
Morphological Description ◽  
Western Coast ◽  
Closely Related Species ◽  
A New Species

We describe Sphagnum incundum in Sphagnum subgenus Acutifolia (Sphagnaceae, Bryophyta). We used both molecular and morphological methods to describe the new species. Molecular relationships with closely related species were explored based on microsatellites and nuclear and plastid DNA sequences. The morphological description is based on qualitative examination of morphological characters and measurements of leaves and hyalocysts. Morphological characters are compared between closely related species. The results from Feulgen densitometry and microsatellite analysis show that S. incundum is gametophytically haploid. Molecular analyses show that it is a close relative to S. flavicomans, S. subfulvum and S. subnitens, but differs both genetically and in morphological key characters, justifying the description of S. incundum as a new species. The new peatmoss is found in North America along the western coast of Greenland, in Canada from Quebec and Northwest Territories, and Alaska (United States). The new species has a boreal to arctic distribution.

scholarly journals Integrative taxonomy of the rock-dwelling gecko Cnemaspis siamensis complex (Squamata, Gekkonidae) reveals a new species from Nakhon Si Thammarat Province, southern Thailand

ZooKeys ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 932 ◽  
pp. 129-159
Author(s):  
Natee Ampai ◽  
Perry L. Wood Jr ◽  
Bryan L. Stuart ◽  
Anchalee Aowphol
Keyword(s):  
New Species ◽  
Morphological Characters ◽  
Integrative Taxonomy ◽  
Morphological Data ◽  
Mountain Range ◽  
Adult Males ◽  
Nadh Dehydrogenase Subunit 2 ◽  
Southern Thailand ◽  
Taxonomic Approach ◽  
A New Species

The rock-dwelling gecko genus Cnemaspis is one of the most species-diverse genera of gekkonid in Thailand. Earlier studies relied on morphological data to identify species, but cryptic morphology often obscured species diversity in Cnemaspis. In this study, an integrative taxonomic approach based on morphological characters and sequences of the mitochondrial NADH dehydrogenase subunit 2 (ND2) gene were used to clarify current taxonomy of the Cnemaspis siamensis complex and delimit a new species from Lan Saka District, Nakhon Si Thammarat Province, southern Thailand. Cnemaspis lineatubercularissp. nov. is distinguished from other congeneric species by the combination of morphological characters: (1) maximum snout-vent length (SVL) of 40.6 mm (mean 38.8 ± SD 1.4, N = 12) in adult males and maximum SVL of 41.8 mm (mean 39.5 ± SD 1.9, N = 7) in adult females; (2) 8–9 supralabial and infralabial scales; (3) gular, pectoral, abdominal, and subcaudal scales keeled; (4) rostral, interorbitals, supercilium, palmar scales, and ventral scales of brachia smooth; (5) 5–6 small, subconical spine-like tubercles present on flanks; (6) 19–21 paravertebral tubercles linearly arranged; (7) 27–29 subdigital lamellae under the fourth toe; (8) 4–7 pore-bearing precloacal scales, pores rounded arranged in chevron shape and separated only in males; (9) one postcloacal tubercles each side in males; (10) ventrolateral caudal tubercles present anteriorly; (11) caudal tubercles restricted to a single paravertebral row on each side; (12) single median row of subcaudal scales keeled and lacking enlarged median row; and (13) gular region, abdomen, limbs and subcaudal region yellowish only in males. Genetically, the uncorrected pairwise divergences between the new species and their congeners in the C. siamensis group were between 15.53–28.09%. The new species is currently known only from granitic rocky streams at Wang Mai Pak Waterfall in the Nakhon Si Thammarat mountain range. Its discovery suggests that additional unrecognized species of Cnemaspis may still occur in unexplored areas of southern Thailand.

scholarly journals On the genus Polypedilum, subgenus Collartomyia, with description of P. (Col.) baishanzuensis sp. nov. from Baishanzu Nature Reserve, China (Diptera, Chironomidae)

ZooKeys ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 1065 ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
Chao Song ◽  
Binqing Zhu ◽  
Wei Liu ◽  
Xin Qi
Keyword(s):  
Phylogenetic Analysis ◽  
New Species ◽  
Nature Reserve ◽  
Morphological Characters ◽  
Morphological Data ◽  
Adult Males ◽  
Large Spot ◽  
Brown Band ◽  
Molecular Phylogenetic ◽  
A New Species

A new species of the genus Polypedilum Kieffer, 1912 is described from Baishanzu Nature Reserve, China, based on molecular and morphological data. Molecular phylogenetic analysis based on standard barcode sequences confirmed a new clade of Polypedilum (Collartomyia) species. The new species is easily distinguished from its congeners by a combination of the following morphological characters: membrane of wing with a large spot occupying 70% of the proximal area; tergite without dark brown band pigmentation; tarsi I–V dark brown; superior volsella with three outer lateral setae and six long setae along inner base; inferior volsella with setose tubercules. An updated key to adult males of the subgenus Collartomyia is also provided.

A new species of the genus Megophrys (Amphibia: Anura: Megophryidae) from Hunan, China

Zootaxa ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 4695 (4) ◽  
pp. 301-330 ◽  
Author(s):  
LU WANG ◽  
XUEJIAN DENG ◽  
YONG LIU ◽  
QIANQIAN WU ◽  
ZHAO LIU
Keyword(s):  
New Species ◽  
Southern China ◽  
Phylogenetic Analyses ◽  
Small Body ◽  
Morphological Characters ◽  
Hunan Province ◽  
Rrna Gene ◽  
Adult Males ◽  
Molecular Phylogenetic ◽  
A New Species

We describe a new species of Megophryidae frog, Megophrys shunhuangensis sp. nov., from Hunan Province, Southern China. It can be distinguished from other known species in the subgenus Panophrys by morphological characters, bioacoustic data and a molecular divergence in the mitochondrial 16S rRNA gene similar to that found among other species of Panophrys. M. shunhuangensis sp. nov. is characterized by a relatively small body size, with adult females measuring 37.6 mm and adult males measuring 30.3–33.6 mm in snout to vent length; maxillary teeth present, vomerine teeth absent; tongue smooth, not notched behind; hindlimb slender, heels overlapping, tibio-tarsal articulation reaches forward between the nasal and tip of snout. Molecular phylogenetic analyses also show that M. sp. 6 from (Mao’er Shan, China) from Chen et al. (2017) and M. sp. 24 (Anjiangping and Mao’er Shan, China) from Liu et al. (2018) may be the same species as M. shunhuangensis sp. nov., we consequently speculate that the new species also distributed in Anjiangping and Mao’er Shan, China. At present, the genus Megophrys contains 85 species of which 48 species are distributed in China, and 30 belong to the subgenus Panophrys. 

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