A new limestone-dwelling species ofMicryletta(Amphibia: Anura: Microhylidae) from northern Vietnam

Abstract

We report on a new species of the genus Micryletta from limestone karst areas in northern Vietnam, which is described on the basis of molecular and morphological evidence. Micryletta nigromaculata sp. nov. is restricted to narrow areas of subtropical forests covering karst massifs in Cat Ba National Park (Hai Phong Province) and Cuc Phuong National Park (Ninh Binh Province) at elevations of 90–150 m a.s.l. In the phylogenetic analyses, the new species is unambiguously positioned as a sister lineage to all remaining species of Micryletta. We also discuss genealogical relationships and taxonomic problems within the genus Micryletta, provide molecular evidence for the validity of M. erythropoda and discuss the taxonomic status of M. steinegeri. We suggest the new species should be considered as Endangered (B1ab(iii), EN) following the IUCN’s Red List categories. A discussion on herpetofaunal diversity and conservation in threatened limestone karst massifs in Southeast Asia is provided.

A little frog leaps a long way: compounded colonizations of the Indian Subcontinent discovered in the tiny Oriental frog genusMicrohyla(Amphibia: Microhylidae)

“…In miniaturized groups of amphibians, a high proportion of cryptic diversity and rampant homoplasies are often recorded, obscuring our estimates of diversity and evolutionary relationships ( Hanken & Wake, 1993 ; Rovito et al, 2013 ; Parra-Olea et al, 2016 ; Rakotoarison et al, 2017 ). Molecular phylogenetic analyses, optimally combined with behavioral and acoustic data, offer the best hope for clarifying diversity, species boundaries, and evolutionary relationships in many groups of Microhylidae, including the genus Microhyla ( Hasan et al, 2014a ; Garg et al, 2019 ; Poyarkov et al, 2018a , 2019 ).…”

A new species ofMicrylettafrog (Microhylidae) from Northeast India

“…This species was previously also reported from the Andaman Islands of India based on a subadult specimen (Pillai, 1977) that requires confirmation (Harikrishnan & Vasudevan, 2018). Hence, there are uncertainties about the identity of Micryletta species in India, and consequently the geographical distribution of the genus and its members (chiefly M. inornata ) outside of East (Mainland China and Taiwan) and Southeast Asia (Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam) (Poyarkov et al, 2018; Garg & Biju, 2019).…”

“…Originally described by Dubois (1987) to accommodate two previously known species, Microhyla inornata Boulenger, 1890 (= Micryletta inornata ) and Microhyla steinegeri Boulenger, 1909 (= Micryletta steinegeri ), genus Micryletta remained a taxonomic puzzle for long since its description (Poyarkov et al, 2018); initially the proposal received mixed acceptance with some morphological studies not recognizing the genus (Zhao & Adler, 1993; Fei, 1999) while others accepting it as valid (Orlov et al, 2002; Poyarkov et al, 2014). Eventually, Micryletta was shown to be phylogenetically distinct from Microhyla (Frost et al, 2006).…”

“…Although most recent works have shown the placement of the genus in the subfamily Microhylinae (e.g. Van der Meijden et al, 2007; Kurabayashi et al, 2011; Pyron & Wiens, 2011; De Sá et al, 2012; Blackburn et al, 2013; Peloso et al, 2016; Tu et al, 2018; Poyarkov et al, 2018; Garg & Biju, 2019), excepting few mitochondrial datasets (Matsui et al, 2011), its phylogenetic position within the subfamily remained largely debatable until recently (Poyarkov et al, 2018; Garg & Biju, 2019).…”

Peer Review #2 of "A little frog leaps a long way: compounded colonizations of the Indian Subcontinent discovered in the tiny Oriental frog genus Microhyla (Amphibia: Microhylidae) (v0.1)"

“…In miniaturized groups of amphibians, a high proportion of cryptic diversity and rampant homoplasies are often recorded, obscuring our estimates of diversity and evolutionary relationships (e.g., Hanken & Wake, 1993;Rovito et al, 2013;Parra-Olea et al, 2016;Rakotoarison et al, 2017). Molecular phylogenetic analyses, optimally combined with behavioral and acoustic data, offer the best hope for clarifying diversity, species boundaries, and evolutionary relationships in many groups of Microhylidae, including the genus Microhyla (Hasan et al, 2014a;Poyarkov et al, 2018aPoyarkov et al, , 2019.…”