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| Leptobrachium aryatium Purkayastha, Dutts, Gogoi & Sengupta, 2025 |
Abstract
A new species of Leptobrachium (Anura: Megophryidae) is described from Garbhanga Reserve Forest, Assam, India, based on an integrative taxonomic approach. Leptobrachium aryatium sp. nov. is a medium-sized species, with adult SVL of 49.0–55.4 mm in males and 53.2–61.65 mm in females. It is morphologically distinct from its congeners by having an obscured tympanum, a bicoloured iris with the top quarter fiery orange forming an inverted "V" shape and the rest black, and a spade-shaped inner metatarsal tubercle. Additional distinguishing features include a distinct supratympanic fold extending from behind the eye to the arm insertion, toe webbing formula: I 0–1 II 0–2 III 0–3 IV 3–1/2 V, and prominent black blotches on the dorsum and tibia. The ventrum is creamy to white with varying amounts of dark infusion, and the gular region exhibits a prominent black reticulation pattern.
Phylogenetic analyses based on the mitochondrial 16S rRNA gene reveal that Leptobrachium aryatium sp. nov. forms a well-supported sister lineage to the clade comprising L. sylheticum and L. smithi, with genetic divergences of 2.0–2.3% and 3.7–4.3%, respectively. Acoustic analyses further distinguish Leptobrachium aryatium sp. nov. from its closest relatives, with differences in call duration, frequency range, and amplitude patterns.
Amphibia, Guwahati, Garbhanga, acoustic, 16S rRNA, endemic species
Leptobrachium aryatium sp. nov.
Jayaditya PURKAYASTHA, Dipankar DUTTA, Jayanta GOGOI and Saibal SENGUPTA. 2025. A New Species of Leptobrachium Tschudi, 1838 (Anura, Megophryidae) from Northeast India. Zootaxa. 5621(1); 91-110. DOI: doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5621.1.4 [2025-04-14]
