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PeerJ, PeerJ, (7), p. e7012, 2019

DOI: 10.7717/peerj.7012

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A new species ofMicrylettafrog (Microhylidae) from Northeast India

Journal article published in 2019 by Abhijit Das, Sonali Garg, Amir Hamidy, Eric N. Smith ORCID, S. D. Biju
This paper is made freely available by the publisher.
This paper is made freely available by the publisher.

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Abstract

We describe a new species of frog in the microhylid genusMicrylettaDubois, 1987 from Northeast India based on molecular and morphological evidence. The new species, formally described asMicryletta aishanisp. nov., is phenotypically distinct from other congeners by a suite of morphological characters such as brown to reddish-brown dorsum; dorsal skin shagreened with minute spinules; snout shape nearly truncate in dorsal and ventral view; a prominent dark streak extending from tip of the snout up to the lower abdomen; ash-grey mottling along the margins of upper and lower lip extending up to the flanks, limb margins and dorsal surfaces of hand and foot; tibiotarsal articulation reaching up to the level of armpits; absence of outer metatarsal tubercles; and absence of webbing between toes. Phylogenetic relationships within the genus are inferred based on mitochondrial data and the new taxon is found to differ from all the recognisedMicrylettaspecies by 3.5–5.9% divergence in the mitochondrial 16S rRNA. The new species was found in the states of Assam, Manipur, and Tripura, from low to moderate elevation (30–800 m asl) regions lying south of River Brahmaputra and encompassing the Indo-Burma Biodiversity Hotspot. The discovery validates the presence of genusMicrylettain Northeast India based on genetic evidence, consequently confirming the extension of its geographical range, westwards from Southeast Asia up to Northeast India. Further, for nomenclatural stability of two previously known species,Microhyla inornata(=Micryletta inornata) andMicrohyla steinegeri(=Micryletta steinegeri), lectotypes are designated along with detailed descriptions.