scholarly journals Seven new species of Night Frogs (Anura, Nyctibatrachidae) from the Western Ghats Biodiversity Hotspot of India, with remarkably high diversity of diminutive forms

PeerJ ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
pp. e3007 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sonali Garg ◽  
Robin Suyesh ◽  
Sandeep Sukesan ◽  
SD Biju

The Night Frog genusNyctibatrachus(Family Nyctibatrachidae) represents an endemic anuran lineage of the Western Ghats Biodiversity Hotspot, India. Until now, it included 28 recognised species, of which more than half were described recently over the last five years. Our amphibian explorations have further revealed the presence of undescribed species of Nights Frogs in the southern Western Ghats. Based on integrated molecular, morphological and bioacoustic evidence, seven new species are formally described here asNyctibatrachus athirappillyensissp. nov.,Nyctibatrachus manalarisp. nov.,Nyctibatrachus pulivijayanisp. nov.,Nyctibatrachus radcliffeisp. nov.,Nyctibatrachus robinmooreisp. nov.,Nyctibatrachus sabarimalaisp. nov. andNyctibatrachus webillasp. nov., thereby bringing the total number of validNyctibatrachus species to 35 and increasing the former diversity estimates by a quarter. Detailed morphological descriptions, comparisons with other members of the genus, natural history notes, and genetic relationships inferred from phylogenetic analyses of a mitochondrial dataset are presented for all the new species. Additionally, characteristics of male advertisement calls are described for four new and three previously known species. Among the new species, six are currently known to be geographically restricted to low and mid elevation regions south of Palghat gap in the states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu, and one is probably endemic to high-elevation mountain streams slightly northward of the gap in Tamil Nadu. Interestingly, four new species are also among the smallest known Indian frogs. Hence, our discovery of several new species, particularly of easily overlooked miniaturized forms, reiterates that the known amphibian diversity of the Western Ghats of India still remains underestimated.

Zootaxa ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 4985 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
SHAHID ALI AKBAR ◽  
HIMENDER BHARTI ◽  
MARIUSZ KANTURSKI ◽  
AIJAZ AHMAD WACHKOO

Here we describe and illustrate Syllophopsis peetersi sp. nov. from Silent Valley National Park, a biodiversity hotspot region of the Western Ghats of India. The discovery also marks a first native report of the genus from the Indian subcontinent. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) analysis was carried out to elucidate the general morphology and sensilla of the new species. The new species is similar to congeners from Madagascar, but with larger differences from species that occur elsewhere.


Zootaxa ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 4459 (1) ◽  
pp. 85 ◽  
Author(s):  
VIVEK PHILIP CYRIAC ◽  
ALEX JOHNY ◽  
P. K. UMESH ◽  
MUHAMED JAFER PALOT

Two new species of geckos of the genus Cnemaspis Strauch, 1887 are described from the southern Western Ghats of Kerala. Both species are medium to large sized Cnemaspis and can be differentiated from all other Indian congeners by a suite of distinct morphological characters. Both species are found in the high elevation forests of the two major massifs—       Anaimalai Hills and Agasthyamalai Hills and are presently known to have very restricted distributional ranges. The discovery of these novel species highlights the understudied diversity of reptiles in the high mountain ranges of the Western Ghats. 


Zootaxa ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 4221 (4) ◽  
pp. 491
Author(s):  
R.R. RACHANA ◽  
R. VARATHARAJAN

Thrips laurencei sp.n. is described from specimens collected on flowers of Hydrangea macrophylla in Western Ghats range of Tamil Nadu, India. This new species shows sexual dimorphism in colour, with the females brownish yellow with brown shadings but the males uniformly yellow.  


Phytotaxa ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 212 (2) ◽  
pp. 163
Author(s):  
K. M. PRABHU KUMAR ◽  
M. OMALSREE ◽  
M. SABU ◽  
P. SUNOJKUMAR ◽  
BINU THOMAS ◽  
...  

A new species of Striga from Tamil Nadu parts of Western Ghats of India is described and illustrated as Striga kamalii sp. nov. The new species shows similarity with S. densiflora in having a densely hispid stem, linear leaves, bracts longer than calyx, and oblong fruit shorter than calyx lobes, but differs in the 10-ribbed calyx, the glandular hairs on calyx and corolla tube, and the obovate-rounded petals. A detailed description, with data on distribution and parasitism together with relevant taxonomic notes and colour photographs are provided.


Zootaxa ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 4881 (2) ◽  
pp. 383-392
Author(s):  
GURUSAMY RAMESH ◽  
RAJAPPA BABU ◽  
KUMARAPURAM A. SUBRAMANIAN

Soa papanasam sp. nov. is described and illustrated based on both sexes from Kalakkad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve and Meghamalai Wildlife Sanctuary, Tamil Nadu, India. It differs from all other known species of Soa, by hindwing vein R1 originating proximal to vein M1 and distal to M2. This is the first species of the genus Soa described from India.


Phytotaxa ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 387 (4) ◽  
pp. 295
Author(s):  
SUBBIAH KARUPPUSAMY ◽  
VELLINGIRI RAVICHANDRAN

A new species of Luisia megamalayana (Orchidaceae) is described and illustrated from Megamalai Wildlife Sanctuary of southern Western Ghats of India.


2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 196-200 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sainudeen Muhammed Shareef ◽  
Ettickal Sukumaran Santhosh Kumar ◽  
Thankappan Shaju ◽  
R Prakashkumar

A new species of Eugenia L. (Myrtcaeae), viz. E. kalamii, is described and illustrated from the Western Ghats of India. It is morphologically allied to E. mooniana Wight, (Indo-Sri Lankan species) and E. wynadensis Bedd., (endemic species of southern Western Ghats).


Zootaxa ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 4858 (2) ◽  
pp. 151-185
Author(s):  
SHANTANU JOSHI ◽  
K.A. SUBRAMANIAN ◽  
R. BABU ◽  
DATTAPRASAD SAWANT ◽  
KRUSHNAMEGH KUNTE

Three new species of Protosticta Selys, 1885 (Odonata: Zygoptera: Platystictidae) from the Western Ghats biodiversity hotspot in India: P. cyanofemora sp. nov. (wet evergreen forests in Shendurney Wildlife Sanctuary, Kollam, Kerala and Kalakkad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve, Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu), P. myristicaensis sp. nov. (Myristica swamp at Kathalekan, Shivamogga, Karnataka) and P. sholai sp. nov. (montane sholas of Upper Manalar, Meghamalai Wildlife Sanctuary, Theni, Tamil Nadu) are described and illustrated. We compare these three new species with other Protosticta spp. from the Western Ghats based on new material and provide comprehensive differential diagnoses with determination key for males of all species occurring in the Western Ghats. The taxonomic validity of P. mortoni Fraser, 1922 is established with fresh specimens from Hassan, Karnataka, and rediscovery of P. rufostigma Kimmins, 1958 is reported from Kanyakumari Wildlife Sanctuary, Tamil Nadu. 


Phytotaxa ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 188 (5) ◽  
pp. 282
Author(s):  
KONICKAL MAMBETTA PRABHU KUMAR ◽  
VADAKKOOT SANKARAN HAREESH ◽  
KOLLENCHERRI PUTHENVEETTIL VIMAL ◽  
INDIRA BALACHANDRAN ◽  
SHRIRANG RAMACHANDRA YADAV

The genus Chlorophytum Ker Gawler (1808: 1071) is one of the major genera of family Asparagaceae (APG 2009) with about 212 taxa (Kativu &a Nordal 1993, Govaerts et al. 2012). It is distributed in the Old World tropics especially in Africa and India (Mabberley 2005). It is represented by 17 species in India of which 15 occur in the Western Ghats (Malpure & Yadav 2009). Characters like anther filament ratio, anther filaments, number of tepal nerves, pedicel articulation and somatic chromosome number are taxonomically important (Adsul et al. 2014).


Zootaxa ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 4652 (1) ◽  
pp. 155-164 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. BABU ◽  
K.A. SUBRAMANIAN

A new species of Gomphidia Selys, 1854 is described from southern Western Ghats, India based on a male specimen. The new species is very distinct from all the known species of Gomphidia from Indian subcontinent. Revised keys to the males and known females of Gomphidia of India and Sri Lanka are provided.  


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