A New Species of the Genus Scincella Mittleman,1950(Squamata:Scincidae)from Sichuan Province,Southwest China

The genus Scincella Mittleman,1950,within the family Scincidae,is a diverse group comprising 39 described species.The taxonomy of the genus is complex due to morphological similarities among species,which often obscures the true extent of biodiversity,resulting in several undescribed species requiring further exploration.In China,particularly within the unique ecosystems of the Hengduan Mountains,the diversity of Scincella is notably underestimated,with only 12 species currently recognized.In the present study,we describe a new species of the genus Scincella,Scincella liangshanensis sp.nov.,from Sichuan Province,Southwest China.Morphological characteristics and phylogenetic analyses revealed that the putative new species is distinct from all other known congeners.This discovery not only expands the known diversity of Scincella but also emphasizes the inadequacies in our current understanding of herpetological diversity in China.The addition of this species to the scientific record highlights the necessity for ongoing biodiversity assessments to uncover hidden species and enhance our understanding of the intricate web of life in one of the world’s biodiversity hotspots.

Resurrection of the Genus Leptomantis, with Description of a New Genus to the Family Rhacophoridae(Amphibia:Anura)

Genus Rhacophorus Kuhl and Van Hasselt, 1 822 is one of the most diverse genera of the family Rhacophoridae, and its taxonomy of genus Rhacophorus faces major challenges because of rapidly described new species and complex interspecies relations. In this study, we investigate the generic taxonomy within the genus Rhacophorus based on 1 972 bp of mitochondrial genes(12S rRNA, tRNA-val and 16S rRNA), containing 102 sequences from 58 species. The results reveal three well-supported and highly diverged matrilines that correspond with morphological characteristics and geographic distribution. Accordingly, we consider these three lineages as distinct genera: Rhacophorus sensu stricto, resurrected genus Leptomantis Peters, 1867, and the genus Zhangixalus gen. nov.

On the Generic Taxonomy of Opisthotropis balteata(Cope, 1895)(Squamata: Colubridae: Natricinae): Taxonomic Revision of Two Natricine Genera

The single prefrontal configuration has historically been used as an important diagnostic character for many natricine taxa. For example, the genus Trimerodytes Cope, 1895 was long been regarded as a junior synonym of Opisthotropis Günther, 1872 for their similar prefrontal configurations and the type species, T. balteatus Cope, 1895, has been assigned to the genus Opisthotropis. However, as the number and arrangement of prefrontal vary frequently both at species and generic level, it is questionable whether the synonymization of Trimerodytes reflects their evolutionary relationships. On the basis of recently collected specimens of O. balteata, the generic status of the species was assessed using both molecular and morphological data. Opisthotropis was recovered as polyphyletic with reference to O. balteata, because O. balteata is nested within the genus Sinonatrix Rossman and Eberle, 1977 and is the sister species of the type species of Sinonatrix. Consequently, we herein resurrect the long-overlooked synonym Trimerodytes from Opisthotropis and synonymize the junior generic nomen Sinonatrix with Trimerodytes. In addition, based on morphological similarities between the monotypic genus Paratapinophis Angel, 1929 and Trimerodytes, we doubt about the validity of Paratapinophis. Following taxonomic changes in this work, the taxonomic account of the genus Trimerodytes, updated descriptions of its type species, and diagnostic key to Trimerodytes species are provided.

Taxonomic Revision of Raorchestes menglaensis(Kou,1990)(Amphibia:Anura),with Descriptions of Two New Species from Yunnan,China

Raorchestes is a group of Bush frogs mainly distributed in South and Southeast Asia that are poorly recognized by morphological criteria.We recognize the true R.menglaensis(Kou) based on 10 specimens newly collected from the type locality.An expanded description is also provided,and we delist the recently reported record,R.parvulus(Boulenger) from China.Combing with morphological and molecular data,two new species are respectively described from Menghai and Lvchun,Yunnan,China.Raorchestes hillisi sp.nov.is distinguished from all other congeners by the following combination of morphological characters:(1) small body sized(males 15.9-17.7 mm,n=7;female 17.5 mm,n=1);(2) head longer than wide;(3) snout longer than eye diameter;(4) the tip of upper jaws slightly notched;(5) internasal space slightly less than interorbital space;(6) tympanum distinct;(7)fingers lacking lateral dermal fringe;(8) outside of toe Ⅰ and both sides of toe Ⅱ lacking lateral dermal fringe,other toes having weak lateral dermal fringes;(9) rudimentary web on toes;(10) lacking a series of tubercles along the outer sides of forearm and foot;(11) discs of fingers and toes not orange.Raorchestes huanglianshan sp.nov.is distinguished from all other congeners by the following combination of morphological characters:(1) small body size(males 17.0-19.6 mm,n=12;female 21.5 mm,n=1);(2) head slightly wider than long or equal;(3) snout longer than eye diameter;(4)the tip of upper jaws slightly notched;(5) internasal space distinctly less than interorbital space(6) tympanum distinct;(7) fingers lacking lateral dermal fringe;(8) toes lacking lateral dermal fringe;(9) rudimentary web on toes;(10)lacking a series of tubercles along the outer sides of forearm and foot;(11) discs of all fingers and toes orange or parts of them orange in life.

A New Species of the Genus Scincella Mittleman, 1950 (Squamata: Scincidae)from Sichuan Province, Southwest China, with a Diagnostic Key of Scincella Species in China

The genus Scincella Mittleman,1950 of the family Scincidae currently includes 38 species."To date,however,taxonomic assessment remains challenging.Here,phylogenetic analyses based on DNA sequences of four mitochondrial genes supported a putative new species from Sichuan Province,Southwest China,as an independent lineage.Uncorrected genetic distance of 16S rRNA between the new species and closest congener was 8%,and the population was morphologically distinguishable from all other known congeners.We herein describe the Scincella population as anew species based on both phylogeny and comparative morphology.The new species can be distinguished from its congeners by a combination of the following morphological characters:(1)body slender,mediumsized,snout-vent length 35.0-62.1 mm;(2)infralabials seven,rarely eight;(3)supraciliaries 5-7;(4)tympanum deeply sunk without lobules;(5)midbody scale-row counts 27-30;(6)dorsal scales smooth and enlarged,paravertebral scale-row counts 60-75,ventral scalerow counts 46-59,gulars 25-30;(7)upper edge of lateral longitudinal stripes relatively straight with six rows of dorsal scales in middle;(8)number of enlarged,undivided lamellae beneath fingerⅣ9-11,number of enlarged,undivided lamellae beneath toeⅣ13-16;(9)ventral side of tail densely ornamented with dark brown or black spots;and(10)grayish-brown discontinuous regular dorsal stripes 5-7,distinct black dorsolateral stripes,starting from posterior corner of eye and continuing to lateral side of tail.A diagnostic key to all Scincella members from China is also provided The new species is currently only known from Wenchuan and Lixian counties,Sichuan Province,China,and brings the number of Scincella species in China to 12.This study emphasizes the incompleteness of knowledge on herpetodiversity in China.

Morphology and Histochemistry of Infralabial Glands of Two Species in the Slug-Eating Family Pareidae(Reptilia:Serpentes)

Pareidae and Dipsadidae,two independently evolved taxa in the Serpentes lineage,both feed exclusively on terrestrial mollusks(snails and slugs).Dipsadid snakes developed hypertrophic infralabial glands in their lower jaw,which are thought to be associated with their specialized feeding behaviors.However,whether a similar gland exists in pareid snakes is unknown.In this study,we examined the morphological characteristics of the infralabial glands in Pareas berdmorei and Pareas chinensis based on comparative anatomical,histochemical,and histopathological analysis.Our results demonstrated that both Pareas species had similar hypertrophied infralabial glands in the lower jaw,which consisted of tubules with mucinous properties and seromucous acini.The secretory granules of the seromucous cells also showed high electron density.The cytoplasm was rich in rough endoplasmic reticulum,mitochondria,and Golgi apparatus,suggesting that these cells may secrete protein substances,and play an important role in digesting mollusks.This study provides evidence of morphological convergence between Pareidae and Dipsadidae due to specialized diet adaptation,which will be the foundation for prospective functional research.

Evolution of Phenotype and Mitochondrial Genome Reveals Limbless and Body-elongated Squamates may Change Their Energy Basis for Locomotion

Limb reduction in Squamata present the dramatic characteristic to focus and usually accompanied with particularly morphological modifications, impacting tremendous locomotion changing and might generate different energy requirement. Herein, we combined both morphological and mitochondrial genomic data to explore the evolution of phenotypic transformation and mitochondrial genome of limbless and body-elongated squamates. We collected phenotypic measurements of 503 individuals, representing limbed or limbless taxa across all major lineages in Squama ta to investiga te the morphological correla tions with limb-reduction. Furthermore, we provided the mitochondrial genome of the representative limbless and elongated species Dibamus bourreti(Angel, 1935) to detect selective constraints on limbless clades with published mitogenomes of other squa ma te reptiles. Our results evidenced tha t body elongation had certain negative relationship with limbreduction in Squamata lineage and Lacertilia lineage(R = –0.495, P < 2.2 e-16;R= –0.332, P = 1.1 e-13, respectively), while tail length showed slight correlation in both clades(R = 0.156, P = 4.3 e-04;R= 0.192, P = 2.1 e-05, respectively). Besides, detection demonstrated that ATP6 has experienced accelerated evolution among limbless lineages, suggesting selective pressure on mitogenomes may play an essential role in energy disparity for locomotion of limbed and limbless squamates.

On the Validity of the Generic Nomen Liuixalus Li, Che, Bain, Zhao, and Zhang, 2008 (Anura: Rhacophoridae)

Dear Editor,The genus Liuixalus Li,Che,Bain,Zhao,and Zhang,2008 is a group of small-bodied Asian rhacophorid tree frogs and currently includes six species distributed in southern China and northern Vietnam(AmphibiaChina,2022;Pham et al.,2018;Qin et al.,2015).The type species of Liuixalus,L.romeri(Smith,1953),was originally assigned to the genus Chiromantis by Smith(1953)based on morphology.However,using molecular phylogenetic analysis,Li et al.(2008)found that C.romeri formed its own clade with an unidentified tree frog species,which was a sister group of the remaining taxa of the subfamily Rhacophorinae.

中国两栖、爬行动物更新名录

本文在2015年发表的爬行动物名录及同年《中国两栖类信息系统》发布的两栖动物名录的基础上,通过整理新发表的分类学研究及先前名录遗漏的部分早期文献,更新了截至2019年底中国现生本土两栖、爬行动物物种名录。2015–2019年间,中国两栖动物新记录1科,新描述2属,恢复1属有效性,新记录1属,新描述或恢复有效种74种,新增国家纪录18种;另6属、8种的有效性未得到近年研究证据支持(在此视为次定同物异名而未做收录,后同)。同期,中国爬行动物新恢复5科,新描述1亚科,新描述1属,恢复3属有效性,新记录3属,新描述、恢复或提升有效种43个,新增国家纪录10种;另有5属、4种的有效性未得到近年研究证据支持,并移除1属、4种在我国的分布纪录。此外,通过整理2015年前文献,爬行动物增补3属,提升3亚种至种级地位,增补国家新纪录3种,另有3属、2种的有效性未得到近年研究证据支持,同时移除1种在我国的分布纪录。综上,截至2019年底,我国共记录现生本土两栖动物3目13科62属515种(蚓螈目1科1属1种,有尾目3科14属82种,无尾目9科47属431种),爬行动物3目35科135属511种(鳄形目1科1属1种,龟鳖目6科18属34种,有鳞目蛇亚目18科73属265种、蜥蜴亚目10科43属211种)。此外,本文还对先前名录中部分爬行动物的中文名提出了修改建议,建议恢复部分物种的惯用中文名。2015–2019年,新物种及新纪录已知物种数量占现两栖、爬行动物物种总数的17.1%和10.2%。近年来,我国发表的两栖、爬行动物新物种和已知物种的新纪录数量持续增加,分类体系也在研究中不断完善,建议今后及时地进行阶段性总结,同时对存在的问题提出讨论,以推动中国两栖、爬行动物分类学研究工作的进一步开展。

Flexoelectricity Driven Fano Resonance in Slotted Carbon Nanotubes for Decoupled Multifunctional Sensing

Multifunctionality,interference-free signal readout,and quantum effect are important considerations for flexible sensors equipped within a single unit towards further miniaturization.To address these criteria,we present the slotted carbon nanotube(CNT)junction features tunable Fano resonance driven by flexoelectricity,which could serve as an ideal multimodal sensory receptor.Based on extensive ab initio calculations,we find that the effective Fano factor can be used as a temperature-insensitive extrinsic variable for sensing the bending strain,and the Seebeck coefficient can be used as a strain-insensitive intrinsic variable for detecting temperature.Thus,this dual-parameter permits simultaneous sensing of temperature and strain without signal interference.We further demonstrate the applicability of this slotted junction to ultrasensitive chemical sensing which enables precise determination of donor-type,acceptor-type,and inert molecules.This is due to the enhancement or counterbalance between flexoelectric and chemical gating.Flexoelectric gating would preserve the electron–hole symmetry of the slotted junction whereas chemical gating would break it.As a proof-of-concept demonstration,the slotted CNT junction provides an excellent quantum platform for the development of multistimuli sensation in artificial intelligence at the molecular scale.

DNA barcoding for the identification of Limonia crane flies(Diptera:Limoniidae)from China,including a new species and a newly recorded species

The genus Limonia Meigen,1803 is globally distributed with 216 known species/subspecies,of which 30 are recorded from China.In this study,we firstly use DNA barcodes(mt COI)to identify specimens of Limonia from China,result in a discovery of three species.Considering the morphological data,these species were identified as L.albiterminalis Lü,Ren&Zhang,sp.nov.,L.juvenca Alexander,1935(new record in China),and L.macrostigma(Schummel,1829),respectively.Six COI sequences of the three species were provided,analyzed with other 24 COI sequences from Limonia species.The result indicates that intraspecific distances in the genus are generally less than 2.2%,interspecific distances range from 7.9%to 17.2%,and there is no overlap between intra-and interspecific distances.Redescription and illustrations of L.juvenca and illustration of male hypopygium of L.macrostigma,as well as the key to the Chinese Limonia crane flies,are all provided.

Flexoelectricity Driven Fano Resonance in Slotted Carbon Nanotubes for Decoupled Multifunctional Sensing

Mulifunctionality,interference fre signal readout,and quantum eft are important considerations for flexible sensors equipped within a single unit towards further miniaturization.To address these criteria,we present the slotted carbon nanotube(CNT)junction features lunable Fano resonance driven by flexoelectricity,which could serve as an ideal multimodal sensory receptor.Based on extensive ab initio calculations,we find that the efective Fano factor can be used as a temperature insensitive extrinsic variable for sensing the bending strain,and the Seebeck cefficient can be used as a strain-insensitive intrinsic variable for detecting temperalure.Thus,this dual parameter permits simultaneous sensing of temperature and strain without signal interference.We further demonstrale the applcability of this slotted junction to ultrasensitive chemical sensing which enables precise determination of donor type.acceptor type.and inert molecules.This is due to the enhancement or counterbalance between flexoelectric and chemical gating.Flexoelectric gating would preserve the electron-hole symmetry of the slotted junction whereas chemical gating would break it.As a proof-of-concept demonstration,the slotted CNT junction provides an excellent quantum platform for the development of mulistimuli sensation in artificial itelligence at the molecular scale.