Abstract
On a recent expedition to eastern Madagascar, we discovered a distinct new species of the genusCalummathat we describe here using an integrative approach combining morphology, coloration, osteology and molecular genetics.Calummaroalokosp. n.has a dermal rostral appendage and occipital lobes, and belongs to theC.boettgericomplex, within the Madagascar-endemic pheneticC.nasutumspecies group. It is readily distinguished from other species of theC.boettgericomplex by a characteristic two-toned body coloration and small body size with a snout-vent length of 45.6 mm in an adult male. The osteology of the skull, with a prominent maxilla and broad parietal, is similar to the closest related species,C.uetzi. Analysis of uncorrected genetic distances within theC.nasutumgroup using the mitochondrial gene ND2 shows a minimum pairwise distance of 11.98% toC.uetzifrom the Sorata massif and Marojejy National Park >500 km north of the type locality ofC.roalokosp. n.. Given an apparently small range (potentially <300 km2), located entirely outside of any nationally-protected areas, we recommend this new species be classified as Endangered under criterion B1ab(iii) of the IUCN Red List. The discovery of clearly distinct species likeC.roalokosp. n.in an area of Madagascar that is comparatively thoroughly surveyed highlights the critical role of continued field surveys for understanding the true extent of Madagascar’s spectacular biodiversity.
Highlights
The biota of Madagascar is recognized as exceptional, both in terms of endemism and density of species (Myers et al 2000)
In the COI sequences there is at least 12.20% distance between the collected specimens and all sequences available for the C. nasutum group, C. uetzi is not included in this dataset (Suppl. material 2)
According to the ND2 phylogeny (Fig. 2) C. uetzi is the sister taxon to the new species and together they form a clade which is sister to a clade including C. boettgeri, C. linotum and C. juliae
Summary
The biota of Madagascar is recognized as exceptional, both in terms of endemism and density of species (Myers et al 2000). In addition to the recognition of many morphologically ‘cryptic’ species (Bickford et al 2006), often identified by the application of integrative taxonomy (Dayrat 2005, Padial et al 2010), biodiversity field surveys in Madagascar continue to reveal morphologically distinct and often deeply divergent species, frequently characterized by restricted ranges and/or highly secretive habits (e.g., among herpetofauna, Nussbaum and Raxworthy 1994, Glaw et al 1998, 2006, Vieites et al 2010, Gehring et al 2011, Rosa et al 2014, Scherz et al 2015, 2017, Lambert et al 2017). As many as 33 potential species (OTUs) were identified by Gehring et al (2012) in the C. nasutum species group, but a higher taxonomic resolution awaits the completion of ongoing detailed morphological and genetic analyses (Prötzel et al 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018)
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