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Thursday, January 23rd, 2025
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| 12:27a | [Herpetology • 2024] Cyrtodactylus borgattaorum • A New granite cave dwelling endemic species of the Cyrtodactylus intermedius group (Squamata: Gekkonidae) from Hon Son Island, Kien Giang Province, Vietnam
Abstract During field work on Hon Son Island, we discovered a new species of the genus Cyrtodactylus inferred from genetic and morphological evidence. Phylogenetic analyses based on the mitochondrial gene ND2, delimit Cyrtodactylus borgattaorum sp. nov. as a new species in the C. intermedius group and the strongly supported sister species of C. phuquocensis in both Bayesian inference and Maximum Likelihood analyses. The new species is distinguished from all other members of the intermedius group by having the combination of 12 supralabials; 10 or 11 infralabials; 22 or 23 small, rounded, smooth, paravertebral tubercles; 12 rows of small, rounded, smooth, longitudinally arranged body tubercles; 35–39 ventrals; 8–10 expanded subdigital lamellae, 12 or 13 unexpanded subdigital lamellae, and 21 or 22 total subdigital lamellae on the fourth toe; 21 or 22 enlarged femorals; 8 or 9 enlarged precloacals; 8 or 9 precloacal pores in males; three rows of enlarged post-precloacals; postcloacal tubercles; enlarged femorals and enlarged precloacals not continuous; proximal femorals nearly same size of distal femorals; body tubercles smooth, greatly reduced; no pocketing between digits on the hands and feet; two dark-colored pigmented blotches on top of head; four dark-colored dorsal bands lacking lightened centers, thinner than light-colored interspaces between bands, bordered by prominent white tubercles; no dark body markings in light-colored interspaces between bands; limbs bearing white tubercles; and six dark-colored and light-colored caudal bands. Cyrtodactylus borgattaorum sp. nov. lives in syntopy with Cyrtodactylus eisenmanae which is the first record of syntopy between granite cave dwelling Cyrtodactylus. Reptilia, integrative taxonomy, bent-toed gecko, Gulf of Thailand, phylogeny, insular endemism, Southeast Asia  Cyrtodactylus borgattaorum sp. nov. 
Thinh Gia TRAN, Ngon Quang LAM, Truong Minh Nhat NGUYEN, Nga Thi NGUYEN, Thao Thi Phuong NGUYEN, Jacob SMITH, Vu Dang Hoang NGUYEN, L Lee GRISMER. 2024. A New granite cave dwelling endemic species of the Cyrtodactylus intermedius group (Squamata: Gekkonidae) from Hon Son Island, Kien Giang Province, Vietnam. Zootaxa. 5543(4); 485-512. DOI: doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5541.4.4 L. Lee GRISMER and Jacob SMITH. 2023. Additions to the herpetofauna of Hon Son Island, Rach Gia Bay, Kien Giang Province, southern Vietnam with a discussion of syntopy between the granite cave-adapted Bent-toed Gecko Cyrtodactylus eisenmanae and a new Cyrtodactylus of uncertain taxonomic status. Zootaxa. 5346(3); 307-316. DOI: doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5346.3.4 [2023-09-19] https://zenodo.org/records/8390157 | ||||
| 2:25a | [Herpetology • 2025] Deep Cryptic Diversity in the Craugastor podiciferus Species Group (Anura: Craugastoridae) of Isthmian Central America revealed by mitochondrial and nuclear data
Abstract The Craugastor podiciferus Species Group contains eleven species of terraranan frogs distributed from eastern Honduras to eastern Panama. All species have remarkable color pattern polymorphisms, which may contribute to potential taxonomic problems. We performed exhaustive sampling throughout the geographic distribution of the group to evaluate the phylogenetic relationships and biogeographic history of all named species based on two mitochondrial markers and nuclear ddRAD loci. We also implemented various species delimitation methods to test for the presence of unconfirmed candidate species within the group. Molecular phylogenetic analyses showed that the group contains four major clades. All currently named species are supported by molecular data, yet species richness within the group is clearly underestimated. Species delimitation was discordant between the mitochondrial and nuclear datasets and among analytical methods. Adopting a conservative approach, we propose that the C. podiciferus species group contains at least 12 unconfirmed candidate species. Ancestral area reconstruction showed that the group originated and diversified in the highlands of the Talamancan montane forest ecoregion of Costa Rica and western Panama.
Conclusions: The diversity within the Craugastor podiciferus Species Group is vastly underestimated, as revealed by the presence of several undescribed species recovered from the phylogenetic and species delimitation analyses. An exhaustive morphological review of the genetic lineages may show morphological characteristics that would allow for the differentiation of the molecular lineages. Comprehensive studies are needed on habitat use, acoustics, behavior, and other data to corroborate and better understand the taxonomy of all lineages revealed here. Based on our mitochondrial and nuclear analyses, morphological evidence, and previous information we recovered 23 lineages, 11 with names and 12 unconfirmed candidate species. Based on our results, we propose the following changes: • We restrict C. podiciferus to populations of Cordillera Volcánica Central from Costa Rica and the Cordillera de Talamanca of Costa Rica and western Panama. In the Cordillera de Talamanca, C. podiciferus is restricted to the Caribbean slopes. •Craugastor polyptychus is referred to as a junior synonym of C. bransfordii. • Craugastor rearki is resurrected to include wide-ranging populations from the Caribbean versant of Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Honduras. • Craugastor lauraster is referred to as a junior synonym of the older name, C. rearki. Finally, we want to highlight the need to continue exploring remote areas in the ICA, especially in the Talamanca Mountain Range. The fieldwork performed in this area has resulted in the discovery of several new species or new records for the region. Therefore, more fieldwork and laboratory work are necessary to improve the knowledge of biodiversity in this region to perform informed strategies of conservation. Erick Arias, Andrew J. Crawford, Andreas Hertz and Gabriela Parra Olea. 2025. Deep Cryptic Diversity in the Craugastor podiciferus Species Group (Anura: Craugastoridae) of Isthmian Central America revealed by mitochondrial and nuclear data. PeerJ. 13:e18212. DOI: doi.org/10.7717/peerj.18212 | ||||
| 2:25a | [Herpetology • 2025] A Roadmap for Harlequin Frog Systematics (Anura: Bufonidae: Atelopus), with a partial Revision of Amazonian Species related to Atelopus spumarius
Abstract Harlequin frogs, genus Atelopus, are a species-rich group of bufonid anurans from the Neotropics with more than 100 species. For nearly four decades now, this group has suffered from massive population declines. Almost all species are threatened with extinction, and many populations and several species are considered extinct or possibly extinct. This results in a limited sampling available for studies on harlequin frog systematics, especially in terms of molecular genetic information. However, efficient conservation of harlequin frogs requires an improved taxonomy. This is further complicated through the circumstance that many Atelopus species are relatively poor in external morphological characters combined with a high level of intra-specific character variation (e.g. coloration and body size). At the same time, cryptic diversity exists with well differentiated species (supported by osteology and molecular genetics) almost indistinguishable by external morphology. We compiled the largest dataset to date for mitochondrial (12S, 16S, cyt b) and nuclear (POMC, RAG1) markers and present a phylogeny (likelihood and Bayesian inference methods) including 152 samples from 104 populations scattered over the entire geographic range of the genus. Four allo- or parapatric main clades are distinguished: I. Sierra Nevada; II. Venezuelan-Andean; III. Andean-Chocó-Central American (with the ignescens and the varius-longirostris clades); and IV Amazonian (containing the tricolor and the flavescens-spumarius clades). The phylogenetic relationships within these clades remain to be resolved. Taxonomic implications included both splitting and lumping, but taxonomic action is here only taken for populations related to A. spumarius from western Amazonia. Besides redescriptions of A. spumarius sensu stricto and A. colomai, we describe two new species based on morphology, skull osteology and bioacoustics. Additional yet understudied populations from Amazonia may be allocated to these species or may represent additional undescribed taxa. Amphibia, Anura, amphibian crisis, cryptic diversity, Neotropics, integrative taxonomy    Atelopus harlequin sp. nov.  Atelopus histrionicus sp. nov.  Stefan LÖTTERS, Philipp BÖNING, Salvador BAILON, Jose Daniel Barros CASTAÑEDA, Renaud BOISTEL, Alessandro CATENAZZI, Juan C. CHAPARRO, Germán CHÁVEZ, Angel CHUJUTALLI, LAURENT COEN, LUIS A. COLOMA, ANDREW J. CRAWFORD, Jaime CULEBRAS, JUAN CARLOS CUSI MARTÍNEZ, JUAN MANUEL DAZA, IGNACIO DE LA RIVA, DENISE J. ELLWEIN, RAFFAEL ERNST, SANDRA V. FLECHAS, ANTOINE FOUQUET, JUAN MANUEL GUAYASAMIN, CHRISTOPHER HEINE, RAFAEL F. JORGE, ALISHA JUNG, KARL-HEINZ JUNGFER, NATHALIE KAFFENBERGER, HENRIK KREHENWINKEL, ENRIQUE LA MARCA, MARGARITA LAMPO, GUIDO F. MEDINA RANGEL, LUDVIG ORSEN, DANIEL J. PALUH, JOSÉ LUIS PÉREZ GONZALEZ, JONATHAN PERRIN, AMANDA B. QUEZADA RIERA, JUAN PABLO REYES-PUIG, Bernardo Roca-Rey ROSS, DANIELA C. RÖSSLER, LUIS ALBERTO RUEDA SOLANO, DAVID SALAZAR-VALENZUELA, JOSEFA CELSA SEÑARIS VAZQUEZ, MORGANE SOWINSKI, ANDREA TERÁN-VALDEZ, ANGIE TOVAR-ORTIZ, MICHAEL VEITH, PABLO VENEGAS, RUDOLF VON MAY, TIMM WEITKAMP and AMADEUS PLEWNIA. 2025. A Roadmap for Harlequin Frog Systematics, with a partial Revision of Amazonian Species related to Atelopus spumarius. Zootaxa. 5571(1); 1-76. DOI: doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5571.1.1  | ||||
| 8:22a | [Entomology • 2024] Pseumenes siangensis • A New Species of Potter Wasp (Hymenoptera: Vespidae: Eumeninae) from Northeast India
Abstract Pseumenes Giordani Soika, 1935 is a small genus of potter wasps occurring in Oriental, Australian and Palearctic Regions. Only one species, Pseumenes depressus (de Saussure, 1855) is known so far from India. A new species, Pseumenes siangensis sp. nov. from Arunachal Pradesh, is described. The morphological affinities of the new species are discussed. The new species is compared with the closely related P. depressus as well as P. laboriosus. Since P. depressus is similar to P. laboriosus, comparisons were made between P. laboriosus and P. siangensis sp. nov. The apical teeth of the propodeum are medium sized and blunt in P. siangensis sp. nov. (long and sharp in P. laboriosus); the posterior part of the first tergite is densely punctate in the middle P. siangensis sp. nov. (almost impunctate in P. laboriosus). The clypeus without a median black spot in P. siangensis sp. nov. (with median black spot in P. laboriosus). Eastern Himalayas, new description, taxonomy, morphological affinities
Pseumenes siangensis sp. nov.  E. Benny Femi, A.P. Ranjith and D.R. Priyadarsanan. 2024. Description of A New Species of Potter Wasp (Hymenoptera, Vespidae, Eumeninae) from Northeast India. ENTOMON. 49(3); 465–470. DOI: doi.org/10.33307/entomon.v49i3.1268 |
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