Thursday, January 16, 2020

[Herpetology • 2020] Megophrys caobangensis • A New Species of Megophrys (Anura: Megophryidae) from Vietnam


Megophrys caobangensis
Nguyen, Pham, Nguyen, Luong & Ziegler, 2020

Abstract
A new species of Megophrys is described from Cao Bang Province, northeastern Vietnam based on morphological and molecular data. Morphologically, the new species is distinguishable from its congeners by a combination of the following characters: Size small (SVL 34.9–38.9 mm in males); tympanum visible; vomerine teeth absent; tongue not notched posteriorly; male with a single vocal sac; toes with rudimentary webbing; subarticular tubercles and lateral fringes absent on all digits; nuptial pads present on fingers I and II in males, with spicules; dorsal skin with scattered granules and tubercles; flank with tubercles; dorsum with a X-shaped dorsal ridge; dorsolateral folds prominent; a small horn-like tubercle present at the outer edge of the eyelid; dorsal surface yellowish brown with a dark brown triangle between the eyes, and a dark brown marking along the X-shaped ridge on the back. In the phylogenetic analyses, the new species is unambiguously nested within the subgenus Panophrys with interspecific uncorrected genetic p-distances (16S rRNA gene) varying from 4.26% (compared with M. rubrimera) to 10.80% (compared with M. acuta).

Keywords: Megophrys caobangensis sp. nov., molecular phylogeny, taxonomy, Cao Bang Province, Amphibia



Megophrys caobangensis sp. nov.


Truong Quang Nguyen, Cuong The Pham, Tao Thien Nguyen, Anh Mai Luong and Thomas Ziegler. 2020. A New Species of Megophrys (Amphibia: Anura: Megophryidae) from Vietnam. Zootaxa.  4722(5); 401–422. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4722.5.1