A New Species of Leptobrachella Smith 1925 (Amphibia: Anura: Megophryidae) from Quang Ninh Province, Vietnam

Abstract

A new species of the genus Leptobrachella is described from Quang Ninh Province, Vietnam based on genetic divergence and morphological differences. Leptobrachella quangninhensis sp. nov. is characterized by a combination of the following characters: size medium (SVL 28.1 – 28.7 mm (n = 4) in adult males and 36.0 mm in one adult female); head longer than wide; tympanum distinct; belly creamy white; toe webbing rudimentary and without lateral fringes; supratympanic fold edged by a distinct black line; iris bicolored, copper in upper part, fading to golden in lower part; interorbital region with distinct black triangle; dorsal skin smooth with fine scattered tubercles. In terms of genetic distance, the new species differs from other congeners for which comparable sequences are available by at least 6.15% (16S rRNA gene). This species description brings the total number of known species in the genus Leptobrachella from Vietnam to 38.