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| [A] Microhyla berdmorei (Blyth, 1856); [B] M. malcolmi Cochran, 1927, [C] Microhyla sundaica sp. nov.; [D] M. peninsularis sp. nov. Trofimets, Dufresnes, Pawangkhanant, Bragin, Gorin, Hasan, Lalremsanga, Muin, Le, Nguyen, Suwannapoom & Poyarkov, 2024 Photographs by: A. M. Bragin, N. A. Poyarkov, A. T. Aful, P. Pawangkhanant & M. A. Muin. |
Abstract
Berdmore’s narrow-mouthed frog, Microhyla berdmorei (Blyth, 1856), is the largest member of the genus Microhyla and is distributed all over Southeast Asia, from Northeast India and southern China to Sumatra and Borneo in Indonesia. Here we demonstrate that M. berdmorei represents a complex of four species that are morphologically, acoustically, and genetically distinct from each other, and we implement taxonomic revisions. Phylogenetic analyses of three mitochondrial DNA (hereafter mtDNA, including COI, 12S, and 16S rRNA; 3119 bp) and one nuclear (BDNF; 716 bp) gene sequences are corroborated by phylogenomic analyses of 2700 ddRAD-seq loci (387,270 bp). All support that the M. berdmorei complex, which originates from the early Miocene (ca. 19.7 mya), consists of two clades that we date to the late Miocene (ca. 7.5 mya). The first clade, which regroups populations of large-sized individuals, is distributed in Indo-Burma and includes a lineage from Northeast India, Bangladesh, and Myanmar (M. berdmorei sensu stricto) and a lineage from West Malaysia, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam (for which we propose to resurrect the species M. malcolmi Cochran, 1927). The second clade, which regroups populations of small-sized individuals, occurs in Sundaland and also includes two lineages for which we provide taxonomic descriptions on species rank. The first new species is widely distributed from Peninsular Malaysia to the islands of Borneo and Sumatra (described herein as M. sundaica sp. nov.), while the second one is restricted to the Malay Peninsula and occurs in extreme southern Thailand and adjacent Malaysia (M. peninsularis sp. nov.). We further provide evidence for the synonymy of Callula natatrix Cope, 1867 with M. berdmorei sensu stricto, and M. fowleri Taylor, 1934 with M. malcolmi. Our study illustrates the high diversity of Southeast Asian amphibians, especially in the genus Microhyla, which presently totals 54 species.
Keywords: Advertisement call, biodiversity, ddRAD-seq, Indochina, molecular phylogeny, morphology, mtDNA, narrow-mouthed frogs, new species, Sundaland
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| Members of the Microhyla berdmorei species complex in life. А M. berdmorei sensu stricto, MZMU A-8005 and MZMU A-8003 (a couple showing cephalic amplexus) from Aizawl, Mizoram State, India; B M. malcolmi, ZMMU A-7973 from Than To, Yala Province, Thailand; C M. sundaica sp. nov., ZMMU A-8011 (holotype) from environs of Sungai Tua Recreational Forest, Selangor State, Malaysia; D M. peninsularis sp. nov., ZMMU A-8016 (holotype) from Lam Plok Waterfall, Trang Province, Thailand. Photographs by: A. M. Bragin (A), N. A. Poyarkov (B), A. T. Aful (C), P. Pawangkhanant (D). |
Microhyla berdmorei species complex
Microhyla berdmorei (Blyth, 1856)
Common name: Berdmore’s narrow-mouthed frog
Etymology: The species name “berdmorei” was given in honor of Captain Major Thomas Matthew Berdmore (1811–1859), a British officer and naturalist who was stationed in Myanmar during the mid-19th century. M. T. M. Berdmore was famous for the collection of numerous animal specimens, including this particular species of frog.
Recommended common names: “Berdmore’s narrow-mouthed frog” (English); “Nhái bầu Béc-mơ” (Vietnamese); “uzkorot Berdmora” (узкорот Бердмора, Russian); “Changpîng” (Mizo; literally meaning “spindle frog”); “Eung mae nao Pama” (อึ่งแม่หนาวพม่า, Thai).
Microhyla malcolmi Cochran, 1927
Suggested common name: Malcolm’s narrow-mouthed frog.
Etymology: The species was named after Dr. Malcolm Arthur Smith (1875–1958), a famous British herpetologist and physician, who collected many specimens in the early 20th century across Thailand, Vietnam and Malaysia.
Recommended common names: “Malcolm’s narrow-mouthed frog” (English); “Nhái bầu Mao-com” (Vietnamese); “uzkorot Malkolma” (узкорот Малькольма, Russian); “Eung mae nao” (อึ่งแม่หนาว, Thai).
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| Natural habitat of Microhyla sundaica sp. nov. at the type locality in Sungai Tua, Selangor State, Peninsular Malaysia (A), and in Gunung Jerai Mt., Kedah State, Peninsular Malaysia (B); calling males of M. sundaica sp. nov. from Sedim, Kedah State, Peninsular Malaysia in situ (C, D) (not collected). Photographs by M. A. Muin. |
Microhyla sundaica sp. nov.
Suggested common name: Sundaic narrow-mouthed frog.
Etymology: The species epithet “sundaica” is a latinized adjective in nominative singular, adjusted to the feminine gender of the genus name “Microhyla”, and is given in reference to the distribution of the new species, which inhabits the three major landmasses of the Sundaland, or Sundaic Region, namely: Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra, and Borneo. “Sundaica” is the Latin name for Sundaland.
Recommended common names: “Sundaic narrow-mouthed frog” (English); “Nhái bầu Sunda” (Vietnamese); “Zondskiy uzkorot” (Зондский узкорот, Russian); “Eung mae nao Malayu” (อึ่งแม่หนาวมลายู, Thai); “Katak mulut sempit Sunda” (Malay).
Microhyla peninsularis sp. nov.
Suggested common name: Peninsular narrow-mouthed frog.
Etymology: The species epithet “peninsularis” is a Latin adjective in nominative singular, meaning “peninsular”, and is given in reference to the distribution of the new species, which is presently only known from the southern part of the Thai-Malay Peninsula in Trang Province of Thailand and Terengganu State of Malaysia.
Recommended common names: “Peninsular narrow-mouthed frog” (English); “Nhái bầu bán đảo Mã Lai” (Vietnamese); “Malayskiy uzkorot” (Малайский узкорот, Russian); “Eung mae nao pak sun” (อึ่งแม่หนาวปากสั้น, Thai); “Katak mulut sempit semenanjung” (Malay).
Alexei V. Trofimets, Christophe Dufresnes, Parinya Pawangkhanant, Andrey M. Bragin, Vladislav A. Gorin, Mahmudul Hasan, Hmar Tlawmte Lalremsanga, Mohd Abdul Muin, Dac Xuan Le, Tan Van Nguyen, Chatmongkon Suwannapoom and Nikolay A. Poyarkov. 2024. Four in One: An Integrative Taxonomic Revision of the Microhyla berdmorei complex (Amphibia: Anura: Microhylidae) illustrates the tremendous Amphibian Diversity of Southeast Asia. Vertebrate Zoology .74: 595-641. DOI: doi.org/10.3897/vz.74.e127937
