A new species of Micryletta frog (Microhylidae) from Northeast India

PeerJ

article

Abhijit Das¹  Sonali Garg²  Amir Hamidy³  Eric N. Smith⁴  S. D. Biju² 

[1] Wildlife Institute of India;Systematics Lab, Department of Environmental Studies, University of Delhi;Museum Zoologicum Bogoriense, Research Center for Biology, Indonesian Institute of Sciences;Amphibian and Reptile Diversity Research Center and Department of Biology, University of Texas at Arlington

关键词: Amphibia;    Phylogeny;    South and Southeast Asia;    Microhylinae;    Systematics;    Morphology;    Indo-Burma biodiversity hotspot;    Taxonomy;    Lectotype;    Mitochondrial DNA;   

DOI  :  10.7717/peerj.7012

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: Inra

【 摘 要 】

We describe a new species of frog in the microhylid genus Micryletta Dubois, 1987 from Northeast India based on molecular and morphological evidence. The new species, formally described as Micryletta aishani sp. nov., is phenotypically distinct from other congeners by a suite of morphological characters such as brown to reddish-brown dorsum; dorsal skin shagreened with minute spinules; snout shape nearly truncate in dorsal and ventral view; a prominent dark streak extending from tip of the snout up to the lower abdomen; ash-grey mottling along the margins of upper and lower lip extending up to the flanks, limb margins and dorsal surfaces of hand and foot; tibiotarsal articulation reaching up to the level of armpits; absence of outer metatarsal tubercles; and absence of webbing between toes. Phylogenetic relationships within the genus are inferred based on mitochondrial data and the new taxon is found to differ from all the recognised Micryletta species by 3.5–5.9% divergence in the mitochondrial 16S rRNA. The new species was found in the states of Assam, Manipur, and Tripura, from low to moderate elevation (30–800 m asl) regions lying south of River Brahmaputra and encompassing the Indo-Burma Biodiversity Hotspot. The discovery validates the presence of genus Micryletta in Northeast India based on genetic evidence, consequently confirming the extension of its geographical range, westwards from Southeast Asia up to Northeast India. Further, for nomenclatural stability of two previously known species, Microhyla inornata (= Micryletta inornata) and Microhyla steinegeri (= Micryletta steinegeri), lectotypes are designated along with detailed descriptions.

【 授权许可】

CC BY