A striking new subgenus and species of Asian horned toads (Anura, Megophryidae, Megophryinae) from Xizang, China

Motuo County, located in the eastern Himalayas and within the lower section of the Yarlung Tsangpo Grand Canyon, is characterized by steep elevational gradients and complex topography, supporting high levels of biodiversity and endemism that remain insufficiently explored. Based on integrated evidence from morphological comparisons and molecular phylogenetic analyses, a new subgenus and a new species of Asian horned toads from Motuo County, Xizang, China, are described. The new subgenus, Viridophrys subgen. nov ., with its type species Megophrys (Viridophrys) motuoensis sp. nov ., represents an independent evolutionary lineage within the broadly defined Megophrys , as supported by mitochondrial and nuclear DNA analyses. Although its exact sister-group relationship is not consistently resolved among different datasets, the new lineage is phylogenetically close to the subgenera Brachytarsophrys and Atympanophrys. Morphologically, the new subgenus can be distinguished from other major megophryine lineages by a combination of morphological characters. The discovery of Viridophrys subgen. nov . and M. (Viridophrys) motuoensis sp. nov . highlights the underestimated diversity of megophryids in the Yarlung Tsangpo Grand Canyon region and emphasizes the need for continued biodiversity surveys and conservation efforts in the eastern Himalayas.