A new species of Leptobrachella (Anura: Megophryidae) from central Guangxi, China.
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Chen WC
PROVIDER: S-EPMC8645877 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Nov
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Publications
A new species of <i>Leptobrachella</i> (Anura: Megophryidae) from central Guangxi, China.
Chen Wei-Cai WC Yu Gui-Dong GD Cheng Zhi-Ying ZY Meng Tao T Wei Hai H Zhou Guang-Yong GY Lu Yan-Wu YW
Zoological research 20211101 6
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Project description:Based on morphological and phylogenetic analyses (16S rRNA mtDNA), two new species of the genus Leptobrachella are described from southern China, namely L.yunkaiensis Wang, Li, Lyu & Wang, sp. n. from Dawuling Forest Station of Guangdong Province and L.wuhuangmontis Wang, Yang & Wang, sp. n. from Mt. Wuhuang of Guangxi Province. To date, the genus Leptobrachella contains 68 species, among which 13 species are known from China. The descriptions of the two new species further emphasize that the species diversity of the genus Leptobrachella from China is still highly underestimated and requires further investigations.
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Project description:A new species of the Asian leaf litter toad genus Leptobrachella from Guizhou Province, China is described based on molecular phylogenetic analyses, morphological comparisons, and bioacoustics data. Phylogenetic analyses based on the mitochondrial 16S rRNA gene sequences supported the new species as an independent clade nested into the Leptobrachella clade and sister to L. bijie. The new species could be distinguished from its congeners by a combination of the following characters: small body size (SVL 30.8-33.4 mm in seven adult males, and 34.2 mm in one adult female); dorsal skin shagreened, some of the granules forming longitudinal short skin ridges; tympanum distinctly discernible, slightly concave; internasal distance longer than interorbital distance; supra-axillary, femoral, pectoral and ventrolateral glands distinctly visible; absence of webbing and lateral fringes on fingers; toes with rudimentary webbing and shallow lateral fringes, relative finger lengths II < IV < I < III; heels overlapped when thighs are positioned at right angles to the body; and tibia-tarsal articulation reaches the tympanum.
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