[Ornithology • 2024] Integrative Taxonomy reveals Unrecognised Species Diversity in African Corypha Larks (Passeriformes: Alaudidae)

African Corypha Larks (Aves: Alaudidae)

in Alström, Mohammadi, Donald, Nymark, Enbody, Irestedt, ... et Stervander, 2024. 

DOI: 10.1093/zoolinnean/zlad107 

 twitter.com/nesospiza

 

Abstract

The species complex comprising the rufous-naped lark Corypha africana, Sharpe’s lark Corypha sharpii, the red-winged lark Corypha hypermetra, the Somali long-billed lark Corypha somalica and Ash’s lark Corypha ashi encompasses 31 recognised taxa across sub-Saharan Africa, many of which are extremely poorly known and some not observed for decades. Only 17 taxa have been studied molecularly and none comprehensively for morphology, vocalisations or other behaviours. Here, we undertake comprehensive integrative taxonomic analyses based on plumage and morphometrics (for 97% of the taxa), mitochondrial and nuclear loci (77%), ≤ 1.3 million genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphisms (68%), song (many described for the first time; 52%) and additional behavioural data (45%). All polytypic species as presently circumscribed are paraphyletic, with eight primary clades separated by ≤ 6.3–6.8 Myr, broadly supported by plumage, morphometrics, song and other behaviours. The most recent divergences concern sympatric taxon pairs usually treated as separate species, whereas the divergence of all clades including C. africana subspecies is as old as sister species pairs in other lark genera. We propose the recognition of nine instead of five species, while C. ashi is synonymised with C. somalica rochei as C. s. ashi. The geographical distributions are incompletely known, and although the nine species are generally para-/allopatric, some might be sympatric.

Africa, behaviour, bird, morphometrics, new classification

Remaining species and name recommendations are:

Highland lark (C. kurrae)

Plains lark (C. kabalii)

Plateau lark (C. nigrescens)

Rufous-naped lark (C. africana s.s.)

Sentinel lark (C. athi)

Somali lark (C. somalica)

Red-winged lark (C. hypermetra s.s.)

Kidepo lark (C. kidepoensis)

Per Alström, Zeinolabedin Mohammadi, Paul F. Donald, Marianne Nymark, Erik D. Enbody, Martin Irestedt, Emmanuel Barde Elisha, Henry K. Ndithia, B. Irene Tieleman, Derek Engelbrecht, Urban Olsson, Loïs Rancilhac and Martin Stervander. 2024.  Integrative Taxonomy reveals Unrecognised Species Diversity in African Corypha Larks (Aves: Alaudidae). Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. zlad107. DOI: 10.1093/zoolinnean/zlad107

  twitter.com/nesospiza/status/1708435961779020040

[Mammalogy • 2021] Myotis nimbaensis • A New Dichromatic Species of Myotis (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae) from the Nimba Mountains, Guinea

Myotis nimbaensis

 Simmons, Flanders, Fils, Parker, Suter, Bamba, Douno, Keita, Morales & Frick, 2021

Nimba Myotis ||  digitallibrary.AMNH.org

Abstract
The genus Myotis is a diverse group of vespertilionid bats found on nearly every continent. One clade in this group, the subgenus Chrysopteron, is characterized by reddish to yellowish fur and, in some cases, visually striking dichromatic wing pigmentation. Here, we describe a new dichromatic species of Myotis (Chrysopteron) from the Nimba Mountains in Guinea. The new species is superficially similar to Myotis welwitschii, but phylogenetic analyses based on cytochrome b data indicated that it is actually more closely related to M. tricolor. Discovery of this new taxon increases the number of Myotis species known from mainland Africa to 11 species, although patterns of molecular divergence suggest that cryptic species in the Chrysopteron clade remain to be described. This discovery also highlights the critical importance of the Nimba Mountains as a center of bat diversity and endemism in sub-Saharan Africa.

SYSTEMATICS 

Family Vespertilionidae Gray, 1821 

Subfamily Myotinae Tate 1942 

Genus Myotis Kaup, 1829 

Subgenus Chrysopteron Jentink, 1910 

Myotis nimbaensis, new species 

Nimba Myotis

Etymology: Myotis nimbaensis (“from Nimba”) is named in recognition of the mountain range in which it was discovered. As an epithet referring to a place, nimbaensis is spelled the same way whether applied in combination with either a masculine or a feminine genus name. Woodman (1993) argued that Myotis should be considered feminine in gender, but Pritchard (1994) disagreed. Both of these authors overlooked a 1958 ruling by the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature that fixed the gender of Myotis as masculine and placed the name as such on the Official List of Generic Names in Zoology (International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature, 1958). So in this case, nimbaensis is masculine. 

Distribution: Known only from the type locality and vicinity in the Guinean Nimba Mountains. 

 Nancy B. Simmons, Jon Flanders, Eric Moïse Bakwo Fils, Guy Parker, Jamison D. Suter, Seinan Bamba, Mory Douno, Mamady Kobele Keita, Ariadna E. Morales and Winifred F. Frick. 2021. A New Dichromatic Species of Myotis (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae) from the Nimba Mountains, Guinea. American Museum Novitates. 3963.  digitallibrary.AMNH.org/handle/2246/7249

 amnh.org/explore/news-blogs/research-posts/bat-west-africa

 phys.org/news/2021-01-scientists-spectacular-west-africa.html

 eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2021-01/amon-sdn011321.php

[Herpetology • 2020] Breviceps ombelanonga • A New Species of Rain Frog (Brevicipitidae, Breviceps) endemic to Angola

Breviceps ombelanonga 

 Nielsen, Conradie, Ceríaco, Bauer, Heinicke, Stanley & Blackburn, 2020

DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.979.56863 

 twitter.com/StuartVNielsen 

Abstract

Recent molecular phylogenetic work has found that Breviceps Merrem, 1820 comprises two major clades, one of which, the B. mossambicus group, is widely distributed across southern sub-Saharan Africa. This group is notable for harboring abundant cryptic diversity. Of the four most recently described Breviceps species, three are members of this group, and at least five additional lineages await formal description. Although Breviceps has long been known to occur in Angola, no contemporary material has been collected until recently. The three most widespread taxa, B. adspersus, B. mossambicus, and B. poweri, may all occur in Angola, but accurate species assignment remains challenging given the rampant morphological similarity between these taxa, and, until recently, the lack of genetic resources. Phylogenetic, morphological, and acoustic analyses of recently collected samples from disparate localities within Angola provide evidence for an undescribed species that is sister to B. poweri. The new species can be diagnosed from its sister taxon by lacking pale spots along the flanks, a pale patch above the vent, and a short, dark band below the nares (all present in B. poweri). Additionally, the male advertisement call differs from the three other Breviceps that might occur in Angola in having both a longer interval between consecutive calls and a higher average dominant frequency. We here describe this lineage as a distinct species, currently only known from Angola, and discuss the presence of other Breviceps taxa within Angola.

Keywords: Afrobatrachia, Anura, Breviceps ombelanonga sp. nov., cryptic species, multilocus, novel species, Sub-Saharan Africa

Figure 1. Geographic distribution and phylogenetic relationships of Breviceps spp. included in this study. 
A Map of Angola and surrounding countries with all known Breviceps spp. sampling localities indicated on legend. The proposed distributions of B. adspersus and B. poweri (blue and red polygons, respectively) are from IUCN (2013a, b), but should be considered tentative and worthy of reevaluation in light of recent studies. Furthermore, B. mossambicus is not mapped as no samples of certain identification occur west of Malawi (see Nielsen et al. 2018). 
B Multi-locus phylogeny of Breviceps, with select clades collapsed that are not relevant directly to the B. mossambicus group. The backbone is from the likelihood analysis, although Bayesian analyses produced a nearly identical topology (with any topological differences subtended by poor support). A black dot at each node indicates high support (e.g., Bayesian posterior probability > 0.95, Maximum Likelihood bootstrap > 90), while values below that cutoff are indicated for deep nodes only. Tapered bars to the right of voucher IDs indicate from which Angolan locality they were collected. 
C Median-joining networks for the two nuclear loci indicating a lack of shared haplotypes between candidate and recognized species. Hash marks indicate unique sequence differences between lineages, and black circles are hypothetical intermediate haplotypes.

Breviceps ombelanonga sp. nov.

 Suggested common names: Angolan Rain Frog (English), 

Sapinho das Chuvas de Angola (Português).

 

Breviceps gibbosus: Bocage (1870: 68).

Breviceps gibbosus: Bocage (1873: 227).

Breviceps mossambicus: Bocage (1895: 182); Parker (1934: 194); Monard (1937: 29, 1938: 56); Laurent (1964: 156); Cei (1977: 17, 18); Ruas (1996: 23).

Rana mossambicus: Hellmich (1957: 30).

Breviceps “mossambicus-adspersus” complex: Poynton (1982: 67); Ruas (2002: 142).

Breviceps adspersus [part]: Poynton and Broadley (1985: 52).

Breviceps sp.: Marques et al. (2018: 81); Ceríaco et al. (2020: 63).

Breviceps cf. adspersus: Baptista et al. (2019: 270).

Diagnosis: A species referable to Breviceps due to the following characteristics (Poynton 1964; Minter et al. 2017): snout extremely abbreviated; mouth narrow and downturned near jaw joint; short limbs which, at rest in life, are held close to the body, not projecting beyond the body outline; digits I and V short or rudimentary; inner metatarsal tubercle well developed and notably longer than pedal digit III, narrowly separated from a prominent conical outer metatarsal tubercle. Additionally, the results of the molecular phylogenetic analyses support this species as embedded within the diversity of Breviceps, specifically within the B. mossambicus group (Fig. 1B). Breviceps ombelanonga can be diagnosed from other species of Breviceps and especially those in the B. mossambicus group by the combination of lacking a visible tympanum, males having a single, uniformly dark gular patch that is continuous with the mask extending from the eye, having generally smooth dorsal skin, lacking many small tubercles on the palmar surfaces (as in, e.g., B. branchi and B. sylvestris; FitzSimons 1930; Channing 2012), lacking pale spots along flanks and a pale patch above the vent (both present in B. poweri; Parker 1934; du Preez and Carruthers 2017), lacking short dark band below nares (as in B. poweri; du Preez and Carruthers 2017), lacking confluent inner and outer metatarsal tubercles, having a relatively narrower head, shorter thigh, and shorter manual digit III (Fig. 2; Table 4), and having an advertisement call with both a longer interval between consecutive calls and a higher average dominant frequency (Fig. 3).

Figure 4. Breviceps ombelanonga sp. nov. holotype male (UF Herp 187172): 
A in life photo B dorsal and ventral aspects C additional views of the holotype, including the left pes, frontal, right lateral, and left manus and mental.

Scale bar: 10 mm. 

Photographs by J. Cavagnaro (A) and SVN (B, C).

Figure 5. Variation in color and pattern within living paratypes of Breviceps ombelanonga sp. nov.: 
A, B sub-adult (of unknown sex) from Embala Seque (14 km N of Cassumbi village), Bié Province (MHNCUP_ANF 0320)
C juvenile male, Cuito River source lake, Moxico Province (PEM A12537) D adult female, Cuando River source, Moxico Province (PEM A12770)
E adult male, Quembo River source lake, Moxico Province (PEM A12787) F adult male, Cuanavale River source lake, Moxico Province (PEM A12800).

Photographs by LMPC (A, B) and WC (C–F).

Distribution: Based on our phylogenetic analysis, this species is currently confirmed from three widely separated localities and elevations ranging from near sea level to > 1400 m: i) Kissama National Park, on the outskirts of Angola’s capital city, Luanda, in coastal western Angola (Luanda Province); ii) central Angola (Bié Province); and iii) the source of the Cuanavale, Cuito, Cuando and Quembo rivers (Moxico Province). The identity of other known Angolan localities for Breviceps (black diamonds) remain uncertain without additional sampling and genetic data (Fig. 1, Appendix 1; see Marques et al. 2018).

Figure 7. Photos of typical habitat of Breviceps ombelanonga sp. nov.: 
A a view of the Kwanza River and bordering savannah, near the type locality, in Kissama National Park, Luanda Province
 B savannah near Embala Seque (14 km N of Cassumbi village), Bié Province 
C Cuanavale River source lake and associated miombo savannah woodland. 

Photographs by LMPC (A, B) and WC (C).

Habitat and natural history notes: 

The preferred habitat for B. ombelanonga ranges from typical western Angolan savannah, with sandy soils and vegetation dominated by Adansonia digitata, Euphorbia conspicua, Acacia welwitschii and Combretum sp., together with a good grass coverage (Grandvaux-Barbosa 1970), to dense Angolan wet miombo woodland in the east (Fig. 7). The type series was collected after gentle rains, either by hand or in traps. The holotype was first observed feeding on small, unidentified ants (family Formicidae). No information is available on egg deposit sites and clutch sizes. One of us (WC) has discovered remains of B. ombelanonga in the stomach contents of two snake species, Kladirostratus acutus (Psammophiidae; PEM R23450) and Causus bilineatus (Viperidae; PEM R23321) from the Cuando and Cuito River sources, respectively.

Etymology: The name ombelanonga is a derived combination of two words in Umbundu, a native Angolan language, for rain (ombela) and frog (anonga). The species epithet is used as an invariable noun in apposition to the generic name.

Conservation status: Given that it appears widely distributed, we suggest that B. ombelanonga be included in the IUCN category of Least Concern. The type locality lies within Kissama National Park, which grants some legal protection from major habitat degradation and loss, though the park has recently experienced significant wildfires. Additionally, the paratype localities in southeastern Angola (visited during field activities related to the National Geographic Okavango Wilderness Project 2017) are relatively pristine and ecologically intact miombo savannah that comprise an area recently proposed for formal protection.

 Stuart V. Nielsen, Werner Conradie, Luis M. P. Ceríaco, Aaron M. Bauer, Matthew P. Heinicke, Edward L. Stanley and David C. Blackburn. 2020. A New Species of Rain Frog (Brevicipitidae, Breviceps) endemic to Angola. ZooKeys. 979: 133-160. DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.979.56863

  twitter.com/StuartVNielsen/status/1321157913050660865

Resumo: Investigações moleculares recentes revelaram que o género Breviceps Merrem, 1820, é composto por duas linhagens principais, uma das quais, o grupo B. mossambicus, é amplamente distribuído na região sul da África subsaariana. Este grupo é notável por albergar uma abundante diversidade críptica. Das quatro espécies de Breviceps recentemente descritas, três pertencem a este grupo, e pelo menos outras cinco linhagens adicionais aguardam a sua descrição formal. Apesar de o género ser conhecido de Angola desde há muito tempo, só muito recentemente foram colhidos novos espécimes. Os três taxa mais amplamente distribuídos, B. adspersus, B. mossambicus e B. poweri podem todos, porventura, ocorrer em Angola, no entanto a correta identificação destas espécies têm sido problemática devido às semelhanças morfológicas extremas entre este taxa, e, até muito recente, a completa ausência de material genético. Análises filogenéticas, morfológicas e acústicas dos espécimes recentemente colhidos em diferentes locais de Angola apontam para a existência de uma espécie nova para a ciência, irmã de B. poweri. A nova espécie pode ser diferenciada do seu táxon irmão pela falta de marcas pálidas nos flancos, mancha pálida acima do ventre e pequena banda negra abaixo do nariz (presentes em B. poweri). Para além destas características, o chamamento dos machos difere das outras três espécies de Breviceps que podem ocorrer em Angola por ter um maior intervalo entre chamamentos consecutivos e uma maior frequência média dominante. Descrevemos aqui esta linhagem como uma espécie distinta, atualmente apenas conhecida de Angola, e discutimos a presença de outras espécies de Breviceps em Angola.

Palavras Chave: África Subsahariana, Afrobatrachia, Anura, Breviceps ombelanonga sp. nov., espécies crípticas, espécies novas, multilocus

     

[Mammalogy • 2020] A Revision of Pipistrelle-like Bats (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae) in East Africa with the Description of New Genera and Species {Genera: Neoromicia, Laephotis, Pseudoromicia & Afronycteris}

Pseudoromicia nyanza Monadjem, Patterson, Webala & Demos  

in Monadjem, Demos, Dalton, Webala, ... et Patterson, 2020. 

DOI: 10.1093/zoolinnean/zlaa087 

 twitter.com/Paul_Webala

Abstract

Vespertilionidae (class Mammalia) constitutes the largest family of bats, with ~500 described species. Nonetheless, the systematic relationships within this family are poorly known, especially among the pipistrelle-like bats of the tribes Vespertilionini and Pipistrellini. Perhaps as a result of their drab pelage and lack of obvious morphological characters, the genus and species limits of pipistrelle-like bats remain poorly resolved, particularly in Africa, where more than one-fifth of all vesper bat species occur. Further exacerbating the problem is the accelerating description of new species within these groups. In this study, we attempt to resolve the systematic relationships among the pipistrelle-like bats of sub-Saharan Africa and Madagascar and provide a more stable framework for future systematic efforts. Our systematic inferences are based on extensive genetic and morphological sampling of > 400 individuals covering all named genera and the majority of described African pipistrelle-like bat species, focusing on previously unstudied samples of East African bats. Our study corroborates previous work by identifying three African genera in Pipistrellini (Pipistrellus, Scotoecus and Vansonia), none of which is endemic to Africa. However, the situation is more complex in Vespertilionini. With broad taxonomic sampling, we confirm that the genus Neoromicia is paraphyletic, a situation that we resolve by assigning the species of Neoromicia to four genera. Neoromicia is here restricted to Neoromicia zuluensis and allied taxa. Some erstwhile Neoromicia species are transferred into an expanded Laephotis, which now includes both long-eared and short-eared forms. We also erect two new genera, one comprising a group of mostly forest-associated species (many of which have white wings) and the other for the genetically and morphologically unique banana bat. All four of these genera, as recognized here, are genetically distinct, have distinctive bacular morphologies and can be grouped by cranial morphometrics. We also demonstrate that the genus Nycticeinops, until now considered monospecific, includes both Afropipistrellus and the recently named Parahypsugo, thus representing the fifth African genus in Vespertilionini. A sixth genus, Hypsugo, is mostly extra-limital to sub-Saharan Africa. Finally, we describe three new species of pipistrelle-like bats from Kenya and Uganda, uncovered during the course of systematic bat surveys in the region. Such surveys are greatly needed across tropical Africa to uncover further bat diversity.

Keywords: Africa, alpha taxonomy, genus revision, Mammalia, mitochondrial DNA, new genera, new species

Bacula of the four clades within formerly or traditionally recognized as Neoromicia:
 A, Laephotis kirinyaga (FMNH 234639); B, Neoromicia somalica (FMNH 215614); C, Pseudoromicia kityoi (FMNH 223211); and D, Afronycteris nana (DM 13013). Note the three-pronged tip in Neoromicia, the straight shaft with spatulate tip at an angle of 45° in Laephotis, the long, curved shaft with bilobed tip in Pseudoromicia and the deeply bilobed base and gently curved shaft in Afronycteris. Scale bars: 1 mm.

 

TAXONOMY 

Family Vespertilionidae Gray, 1821 

Tribe Vespertilionini Gray, 1821 

Neoromicia Roberts, 1926

Laephotis Thomas, 1901

Laephotis kirinyaga Monadjem, Patterson, Webala & Demos sp. nov. 

East African serotine 

Etymology: The specific epithet is a Kikuyu word for Mount Kenya and reflects the distribution of the species in the northern highlands of Kenya. It is a noun in apposition.

Pseudoromicia Monadjem, Patterson, Webala & Demos gen. nov.

Type species: Pseudoromicia tenuipinnis (Peters, 1872)

Included species: Pseudoromicia brunnea (Thomas, 1880); Pseudoromicia isabella (Decher, Hutterer & Monadjem, 2015); Pseudoromicia rendalli (Thomas, 1889); Pseudoromicia roseveari (Monadjem et al., 2013); Pseudoromicia tenuipinnis (Peters, 1872); and two newly described species (see below). 

Etymology: This feminine name is derived from the Greek prefix ψευδο-, false, and the genus Romicia Gray, 1838, in turn derived from the Ancient Greek word ρóμιξα, meaning a ‘kind of javelin or huntingspear’. It also hints at the genus Neoromicia, to which members of Pseudoromicia were previously assigned. Members of this new genus resemble and have in the past been confused with Neoromicia species.

Distribution: This genus is widely distributed across sub-Saharan Africa. However, all but one of the species is associated with equatorial tropical forest and woodland belt. One species, Pse. rendalli, extends far into savanna habitats, ranging from 13°N to 28°S

Pseudoromicia kityoi Monadjem, Kerbis Peterhans, Nalikka, Waswa, Demos & Patterson sp. nov. 

Kityo’s serotine

Etymology: This species is named in honour of Dr. Robert M. Kityo, mammalogist, mentor and longserving curator at the Museum of Zoology, Makerere University, in recognition of his valuable contributions to bats and small mammal research in the region. His welcoming nature, curiosity, hospitality and support have facilitated numerous and diverse research agendas over the decades for both national and international researchers. 

Pseudoromicia nyanza (FMNH 215626), showing the distinctive white wings and under parts of this species.

Pseudoromicia nyanza Monadjem, Patterson, Webala & Demos sp. nov. 

Nyanza serotine

Etymology: This species is named after the region where it was found, Nyanza, which derives from the Bantu word for ‘large body of water’. Covering nearly 60 000 km2 , Lake Victoria surely qualifies. The name is used as a noun in apposition.

Afronycteris Monadjem, Patterson & Demos gen. nov.

Type species: Afronycteris nana (Peters, 1852).

 Included species: Afronycteris helios (Heller, 1912).

Etymology: From the Greek word νυχτερίδα, bat, and the prefix Afro- referring to the African continent, referring to the wide distribution of the type species A. nana. This species ranges, without obvious breaks in distribution, from Senegal in the west, east to Ethiopia and south to South Africa, being absent only from the more arid desert and semi-desert environments associated with the Sahara, Sahel and Chalbi Desert in the north and the Namib and Kalahari deserts in the south-west (Happold, 2013a).

Distribution: This genus is endemic to sub-Saharan Africa, probably occurring in suitable habitats across its wide range. It occurs throughout the Upper Guinea rainforest zone, extending northward into Sudanian savanna, possibly extending into the Sahel along major rivers and wetlands (Happold, 2013a). It occurs throughout mesic portions of Central and East Africa, but records are sparser in the Horn of Africa (Lanza et al., 2015). It is widespread in the wetter parts of southern Africa, avoiding the dry southwestern region of South Africa, much of Botswana and Namibia (Monadjem et al., 2010).

Ara Monadjem, Terrence C. Demos, Desire L. Dalton, Paul W. Webala, Simon Musila, Julian C. Kerbis Peterhans and Bruce D. Patterson. 2020. A Revision of Pipistrelle-like Bats (Mammalia: Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae) in East Africa with the Description of New Genera and Species. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. zlaa087. DOI: 10.1093/zoolinnean/zlaa087

Penis bones, echolocation calls, and genes reveal new kinds of bats

 phys.org/news/2020-08-penis-bones-echolocation-genes-reveal.html

 twitter.com/Paul_Webala/status/1304658073018130433

 facebook.com/PaulWebala/posts/3538828889513903 

Researchgate.net/publication/337913923_White_and_clear_wings_in_bats_Chiroptera

[Mammalogy • 2019] Parahypsugo happoldorum • A New Genus and Species of Vesper Bat (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae) from West Africa, with Notes on Hypsugo, Neoromicia, and Pipistrellus

Parahypsugo happoldorum

Hutterer, Decher, Monadjem & Astrin, 2019

 DOI: 10.3161/15081109ACC2019.21.1.001 

 twitter.com/MuseumKoenig ZFMK.de

Abstract
We describe a new species of vespertilionid bat from Guinea and Liberia, West Africa. In this context we evaluate previously described taxa from West Africa assigned to Pipistrellus, Neoromicia, and Hypsugo. Based on genetics, morphology and ecology we conclude that the taxon Pipistrellus eisentrauti bellieri should be elevated to species level, and that the taxa bellieri, crassulus, eisentrauti plus the new species form a monophyletic clade for which a new genus name is proposed. The new genus occurs in forested regions south of the Sahara from Senegal to Ethiopia and Somalia, from where further taxa remain to be described.

Parahypsugo happoldorum


Rainer Hutterer, Jan Decher, Ara Monadjem and Jonas Astrin. 2019. A New Genus and Species of Vesper Bat from West Africa, with Notes on Hypsugo, Neoromicia, and Pipistrellus (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae). Acta Chiropterologica. 21(1); 1-22. DOI: 10.3161/15081109ACC2019.21.1.001  

twitter.com/MuseumKoenig/status/1184014396475035648

Neue Fledermausgattung aus Westafrika

zfmk.de/de/zfmk/presse/neue-fledermausgattung-aus-westafrika

[Herpetology • 2017] Hyperolius ruvuensis • A New, Narrowly Distributed, and Critically Endangered Species of Spiny-throated Reed Frog (Anura: Hyperoliidae) from A Highly Threatened Coastal Forest Reserve in Tanzania

Hyperolius ruvuensis 

Barratt, Lawson & Loader, 2017 

 thebhs.org

Abstract

 Amphibians are in decline globally due to increasing anthropogenic changes, and many species are at risk of extinction even before they are formally recognised. The Coastal Forests of Eastern Africa is a hotspot of amphibian diversity but is threatened by recent land use changes. Based on specimens collected in 2001 we identify a new species from the coastal forests of Tanzania. The new species belongs to the spiny-throated reed frog complex that comprises a number of morphologically similar species with highly fragmented populations across the Eastern Afromontane Region, an adjacent biodiversity hotspot comprising of numerous isolated montane forests. The new species is the first coastal forest member of this otherwise montane clade. We formally describe this species, assess its distribution and conservation threat, and provide a revised key to species of the spiny throated reed frog complex. We highlight the most important characters distinguishing the new species from the other similar reed frog species. Recent surveys at the type locality and also more broadly across the region failed to find this new species. The conservation threat of this species is critical as the only known locality (Ruvu South Forest Reserve) is currently subjected to devastating land use changes.

Key words: Coastal Forests of Eastern Africa, conservation, habitat destruction, Hyperolius ruvuensis sp. n., Hyperolius spinigularis, Tanzania Ruvu South Forest Reserve

Fig. 3. Dorsal (A) and ventral (B) views of the holotype of Hyperolius ruvuensis sp. n. BMNH 2002.410.

Scale bar = 1 cm. 

Hyperolius ruvuensis sp. n. Barratt, Lawson and Loader 

Ruvu Spiny Reed Frog

Etymology.— The species is named after Ruvu South Forest Reserve where the specimens were collected and is the current extent of the species occurrence.

  Christopher D. Barratt, Lucinda P. Lawson, Gabriela B. Bittencourt-Silva, Nike Doggart, Theron Morgan-Brown, Peter Nagel and Simon P. Loader. 2017. A New, Narrowly Distributed, and Critically Endangered Species of Spiny-throated Reed Frog (Anura: Hyperoliidae) from A Highly Threatened Coastal Forest Reserve in Tanzania. Herpetological Journal.  27; 13-24.

Newly discovered Tanzanian frog already facing extinction
https://news.mongabay.com/2017/03/newly-discovered-tanzanian-frog-already-facing-extinction/ via @mongabay