Stumbling upon a New Frog Species of Guibemantis (Anura: Mantellidae) on Top of the Marojejy Massif in Northern Madagascar
We describe a new frog species of the genus Guibemantis, subgenus Pandanusicola, from Marojejy National Park in northeastern Madagascar. Guibemantis milingilingy, the new species, exhibits high genetic divergence from all other described species of Guibemantis based on DNA sequences of a fragment of the mitochondrial 16S rRNA gene. This new species inhabits Pandanus plants like the majority of other members of this subgenus, but is found at much higher elevations (2026 m a.s.l.). It differs from its closest relative, G. punctatus, by the lack of speckled or spotted dorsal patterns and by the presence of a distinctly dark tympanum. As a high-elevation species, it is likely to be a species sensitive to climate change, similar to other montane endemics in Madagascar.
Phylogenetic tree of all described species of the genus Guibemantis, plus G. milingilingy, new species. The tree is a 50%-majority rule phylogram from a Bayesian analysis of a 512 bp alignment of DNA sequences of the mitochondrial 16S rRNA gene. Numbers at nodes are posterior probabilities (only shown if >0.9). The inset picture shows a specimen of the new species and one of G. punctatus in life. The tree was rooted with the clade of the subgenus Guibemantis, which according to comprehensive studies of mantellid phylogeny (Wollenberg et al., 2011) is sister to the subgenus Pandanusicola. FGMV, FGZC, RML, and ZCMV are field numbers. GenBank accession numbers are provided.
Guibemantis milingilingy, new species, in life from the type locality. (A, B) Dorsal and ventral views of the male holotype, ZSM 429/2016 (ZCMV 15237); (C, D) female paratype ZSM 430/2016 (ZCMV 15238); (E, F), female paratype UADBA-A63759 (ZCMV 15230) or 63760 (ZCMV 15248).
Preserved holotype of Guibemantis milingilingy, new species (ZSM 429/2016 = ZCMV 15237). Scale bar = 5 mm.
Map of northern Madagascar showing the distribution of Guibemantis milingilingy, new species, and its closest relative, G. punctatus.
Habitat of Guibemantis milingilingy, new species. (A) Dwarfed Pandanus forest; (B) Pandanus from collection habitat; (C) eggs within the leaf axils of a Pandanus plant.
Spectrogram and oscillogram of a call tentatively assigned to Guibemantis milingilingy, new species, recorded from Pandanus plants at the type locality. The frequency-modulated sound at ca. 7 kHz is the call of syntopic Stumpffia tridactyla.
Contributor Notes
Associate Editor: B. Stuart.