scholarly journals A fantastic new species of secretive forest frog discovered from forest fragments near Andasibe, Madagascar

2021 ◽  
Vol 97 (2) ◽  
pp. 483-495
Author(s):  
Carl R. Hutter ◽  
Zo F. Andriampenomanana ◽  
Ginah Tsiorisoa Andrianasolo ◽  
Kerry A. Cobb ◽  
Jary H. Razafindraibe ◽  
...  

We describe a fantastic new species of forest frog (Mantellidae: Gephyromantis: subgenus: Laurentomantis) from moderately high elevations in the vicinity of Andasibe, Madagascar. This region has been surveyed extensively and has a remarkably high anuran diversity with many undocumented species still being discovered. Surprisingly, by exploring areas around Andasibe that lacked biodiversity surveys, we discovered a spectacular and clearly morphologically distinct species, previously unknown to science, Gephyromantis marokorokosp. nov., documented for the first time in 2015. The new species is well characterised by a very rugose and granular dorsum, dark brown skin with bright red mottling, sparse light orange to white spots on the ventre, vibrant red eyes and femoral glands present only in males that consist of eight medium-sized granules. Bioacoustically, the new species has a quiet advertisement call that differs from related species by having a moderate call duration, 2–4 strongly pulsed notes and a slow note repetition rate. Furthermore, it has substantial differentiation in mitochondrial DNA, with pairwise distances of 7–9% to all other related species in sequences of the mitochondrial 16S rRNA marker. Additional evidence is given through a combined four mitochondrial markers and four nuclear exons concatenated species tree, strongly supporting G. striatus as the sister species of the new species in both analyses. The discovery of this new species highlights the need for continued inventory work in high elevation rainforests of Madagascar, even in relatively well-studied regions.

2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 278-283
Author(s):  
S.G. Ermilov

The oribatid mite subgenus Scheloribates (Topobates) Grandjean, 1958, is recorded from the Neotropical region for the first time. A new species of this subgenus is described from the leaf litter collected in Cayo Agua Island, Panama. Scheloribates (Topobates) panamaensis sp. nov. differs from its related species by the very large body size and presence of a strong ventrodistal process on the leg femora II–IV.


Phytotaxa ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 528 (2) ◽  
pp. 93-110
Author(s):  
JOSÉ SAID GUTIÉRREZ-ORTEGA ◽  
MIGUEL ANGEL PÉREZ-FARRERA ◽  
JEFFREY CHEMNICK ◽  
TIMOTHY J. GREGORY

The cycad genus Dioon comprises 17 species from Mexico and Honduras, all of them delimited based on their morphological variation and geographic distribution. A recent evaluation of the biological variation among Dioon populations from Oaxaca and Chiapas, Mexico, demonstrated that the concept of the species Dioon merolae actually consists of three lineages that should be recognized as different taxa. One lineage was already described as Dioon oaxacensis, leaving the concept of Dioon merolae comprising two lineages distributed on both sides of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. However, there are conspicuous morphological differences between these two lineages. Here, we tested whether such a differentiation within the concept of Dioon merolae merits the differentiation of two different taxa. We evaluated the qualitative and morphometric variation among populations belonging to the Dioon merolae lineages, and compared it with the closely related species Dioon oaxacensis. Morphological observations and statistical tests demonstrated that the populations of southeastern Oaxaca, traditionally considered as part of Dioon merolae, represent a distinct species that we described as Dioon salas-moralesae. Identifying the diagnostic characters of this new species helps enable an understanding of the criteria that should be considered to delineate the boundaries between other cycad species.


Zootaxa ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 5091 (2) ◽  
pp. 357-372
Author(s):  
MENG ZHANG ◽  
MUHAMMAD IRFAN ◽  
LU-YU WANG ◽  
ZHI-SHENG ZHANG

Six new species of the spider genus Tonsilla Wang & Yin, 1992 are described from southern China: T. jinyunensis sp. nov. (♂♀) from Chongqing, T. jiugongensis sp. nov. (♂♀) from Hubei, T. subtruculenta sp. nov. (♂♀), T. rutunda sp. nov. (♂♀) and T. yueliangensis sp. nov. (♂) from Guizhou and T. subrostrum sp. nov. (♂♀) from Hunan. In addition, T. yanlingensis (Zhang, Yin & Kim, 2000) is redescribed and its male is described here for the first time. Tonsilla subyanlingensis Liu & Xu, 2020 is transferred to Draconarius Ovtchinnikov, 1999, hence the new combination Draconarius subyanlingensis (Liu & Xu, 2020) comb. nov. is established. The female of T. subyanlingensis Liu & Xu, 2020 should be treated as T. yanlingensis (Zhang, Yin & Kim, 2000). Detailed descriptions, photographs of copulatory organs and somatic features, a distribution map and comparisons with closely related species are presented.  


2018 ◽  
Vol 87 (4) ◽  
pp. 287-303
Author(s):  
Neil Cumberlidge ◽  
Savel R. Daniels

Surveys of the freshwater crabs of two islands in the Gulf of Guinea, Central Africa, allowed a revision of the taxonomy of two little-known island endemic species, based for the first time on adult males: Potamonautes margaritarius (A. Milne-Edwards, 1869) from São Tomé, and of P. principe Cumberlidge, Clark and Baillie, 2002, from Príncipe (Brachyura; Potamonautidae). A new species of Potamonautes from southern São Tomé (Potamonautes saotome sp. nov.) is also described that is genetically distinct and has a clearly separate geographic distribution from P. margaritarius from northern São Tomé. The new species from southern São Tomé can be recognized by a suite of characters of the carapace, thoracic sternum, and gonopods. The taxonomy of P. margaritarius (A. Milne-Edwards, 1869) is stabilized by selecting a neotype from northern São Tomé. Potamonautes principe from Príncipe is the most distinct of the three taxa, with a more swollen carapace that has smooth anterolateral margins, and a shorter, straighter male first gonopod. All three taxa are morphologically distinct species that have also been clearly distinguished as evolutionarily separate lineages by mtDNA analysis and haplotyping in an earlier study. Previous phylogenetic evidence supports two separate island colonization events at different times in the past from different ancestral populations, one to São Tomé and another to Príncipe that resulted in the establishment of the endemic freshwater crab faunas of these two islands.


Zootaxa ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 1069 (1) ◽  
pp. 33
Author(s):  
NADINE DUPÉRRÉ ◽  
PIERRE PAQUIN

The identity of Tapinocyba minuta is clarified by examination of the type-series and the species is redescribed and illustrated. Tapinocyba prima new species, a distinct species previously confused with T. minuta, is also described and illustrated. Collection data, habitat and distribution are given for the two species. Tapinocyba prima new species has a widespread northern distribution with possible disjunct populations found at high elevations on the East Coast, while T. minuta has a more restricted distribution along a trans-continental boreal corridor.


Zootaxa ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 4607 (1) ◽  
pp. 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
YANG ZHONG ◽  
PETER JÄGER ◽  
JIAN CHEN ◽  
JIE LIU

The spider genus Sinopoda Jäger, 1999 in China is studied. Seventeen new species are described: S. abstrusa sp. nov. (♂♀, Xizang), S. aequalis sp. nov. (♂♀, Henan), S. apiculiformis sp. nov. (♂♀, Hunan), S. brevis sp. nov. (♂♀, Liaoning), S. changde sp. nov. (♂♀, Hunan, Shaanxi), S. columnaris sp. nov. (♀, Guizhou), S. curva sp. nov. (♂, Guangxi), S. dehiscens sp. nov. (♀, Hunan), S. erromena sp. nov. (♀, Hunan), S. improcera sp. nov. (♂♀, Yunnan), S. lata sp. nov. (♀, Yunnan), S. luyui sp. nov. (♂♀, Sichuan, Gansu), S. ovata sp. nov. (♂♀, Chongqing), S. pyramidalis sp. nov. (♂♀, Sichuan), S. tumefacta sp. nov. (♂♀, Yunnan), S. yaanensis sp. nov. (♂♀, Sichuan, Yunnan), S. yanlingensis sp. nov. (♂♀, Hunan). Five known species are redescribed or diagnosed and differentiated from related species: the males of S. liui Zhong, Cao & Liu, 2017 and S. longshan Yin, Peng, Yan & Bao, 2000 and the female of S. pengi Song & Zhu, 1999 are reported for the first time; the female of S. longiducta Zhang, Zhang & Zhang, 2015 is considered mismatched and transferred to S. yaanensis sp. nov.; photographs and new records are provided for S. globosa Zhang, Zhang & Zhang, 2015. 


Zootaxa ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 3388 (1) ◽  
pp. 56 ◽  
Author(s):  
ALESSANDRO CATENAZZI ◽  
RUDOLF VON MAY ◽  
EDGAR LEHR ◽  
GIUSSEPE GAGLIARDI-URRUTIA ◽  
JUAN M. GUAYASAMIN

We describe a new species of glassfrog from the cloud forest of Manu National Park, southern Peru, at elevations of 2750–2800m. The new species is similar in morphology to Centrolene lemniscatum, which occurs in northern Peru at elevations of2000–2280 m. Both species have white labial stripes, humeral spines, and lack vomerine teeth. The new species differs from C.lemniscatum by its larger size, labial stripe extending into a distinct lateral stripe instead of a discontinuous lateral stripe, snoutprofile inclined anteroventrally instead of bluntly rounded, greater depression in the internarial area, and by having stronglyprotruding nostrils. Males of the new species emit long calls with 8–14 peaked notes, instead of a short tonal note in C. lemnis-catum. Another morphologically similar species, C. buckleyi, has a short advertisement call composed of 1–5 notes, and isgenetically distinct from the new species. This new Centrolene extends the known distribution of Centrolene to the south by 600 km, and is the southernmost species of this genus.


Zootaxa ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 3151 (1) ◽  
pp. 28
Author(s):  
DONGJU BIAN ◽  
LANZHU JI

Two new species of the genus Allopachria Zimmermann, 1924: A. elongata sp. nov. and A. yanfengi sp. nov. fromGuangxi Autonomous Region, China are described, illustrated and compared with related species. Allopachria ernsti We-walka, 2002 is recorded from China (Guangxi) for the first time. In addition, a figure of the paramere of Allopachrialiselotteae Wewalka, 2000 is presented and corrected, and the identification of A. dieterlei Wewalka, 2000, recorded from Jiangxi province by Bian & Ji (2010), is changed to A. miaowangi Wewalka, 2010.


PeerJ ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. e4900 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elvis Almeida Pereira ◽  
Lucas Custódio Lomba Rocha ◽  
Henrique Folly ◽  
Hélio Ricardo da Silva ◽  
Diego José Santana

Based on concordant differences in male advertisement call, tadpole morphology, and absence of haplotype sharing in the barcoding 16S mitochondrial DNA, we describe here a new species of spotted leaf frog of the genusPhasmahylafrom Atlantic Forest, State of Rio de Janeiro, Southeast Brazil. The new species is most similar toP. cochranae(type locality) andP. spectabilis(type locality). It differs from these species by the size of the calcar, moderate-sized body (snout-vent length 30.4–34.4 mm in adult eight males), and in the advertisement call. The tadpoles ofPhasmahyla lisbellasp. nov. differ fromP. exilis,P. spectabilis,P. timbo,P. guttataandP. jandaiabecause they do not have row of teeth in the anterior part; differ fromP. cruziby the shape of the anterior end of the oral disc. Through genetic data (phylogenetic distance and haplotype genealogy) we diagnosed the new species where the genetic divergences among its congeners is about 3–6% in a fragment of the 16S rRNA gene, which is above the threshold typically characterizing distinct species of anurans. However, the new species can be distinguished from other congeneric species based on an integrative approach (molecular, bioacoustics, larval, and adult morphology).


Zootaxa ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 2121 (1) ◽  
pp. 44-56 ◽  
Author(s):  
MENG MAO ◽  
DING YANG

The subgenus Epiphragma (Epiphragma) Osten Sacken, 1860 is recorded from Yunnan (Southwest China) for the first time. The following five species with two dark rings on the femora are described as new to science: E. mediale sp. nov., E. yunnanense sp. nov., E. ancistrum sp. nov., E. breve sp. nov. and E. elongatum sp. nov. Their relationships with closely related species are discussed. A key to the species of the subgenus Epiphragma from China is presented for the first time.


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