Paragehyra tsaranoro Belluardo, Piccoli, Lobón-Rovira, Alves, Rasoazanany, Andreone, Rosa & Crottini, 2025, sp. nov.

Paragehyra tsaranoro sp. nov. Figs 3, 5, 6, Tables 1, 4, Suppl. material 2 Note. The species has been reported as Paragehyra sp. aff. felicitae “ Tsaranoro ” CCS in Belluardo et al. (2021 a). Type material. Holotype. Madagascar • 1 adult ♂; south-eastern Madagascar, Haute Matsiatra Region, Fianarantsoa province, ca 32 km south of the town of Ambalavao, Tsaranoro, Forêt Sacrée; 22°04'57.65"S, 46°46'33.56"E; 927 m a. s. l.; 6 Dec. 2018; F. Belluardo, J. Lobón-Rovira, M. Rasoazanany leg.; boulder in semi-deciduous forest close to the forest edge; GenBank: MZ 285407; ZSM 11/2023: ACZCV 765. Figs 3 A, 5. Paratypes. Madagascar • 1 adult ♀; south-eastern Madagascar, Haute Matsiatra Region, Fianarantsoa province, western slopes of Andringitra National Park, Iantaranomby; 22°07'42.60"S, 46°50'52.90"E; 1,610 m a. s. l.; 19 Nov. 2018; F. Belluardo, J. Lobón-Rovira, G. M. Rosa leg.; boulder in open environment with scattered palm trees; GenBank: MZ 285406, PV 389999; ZSM 10/2023: ACZCV 600. Fig. 3. Madagascar • 1 juv.; south-eastern Madagascar, Haute Matsiatra Region, Fianarantsoa province, Ambatomainty, Tsiomba; 22°00'10.37"S, 46°47'16.08"E; 960 m a. s. l.; 8 Dec. 2018; F. Belluardo, J. Lobón-Rovira, M. Rasoazanany leg.; large boulders in open environment surrounded by scattered trees; GenBank: MZ 285516, PV 383222; ZSM 12/2023: ACZCV 809. Madagascar • 1 adult ♂; same data as preceding; 22°00'09.40"S, 46°47'16.22"E; 947 m a. s. l.; same data as preceding; same data as preceding; same data as preceding; GenBank: MZ 285517, PV 383221, PV 389997; UADBA uncatalogued: ACZCV 810. Madagascar • 1 unsexed adult; south-eastern Madagascar, Haute Matsiatra Region, Fianarantsoa province, Tsaranoro Forêt Sacrée; 22°04'51.71"S, 46°46'36.88"E; 909 m a. s. l.; 6 Dec. 2018; F. Belluardo, J. Lobón-Rovira, M. Rasoazanany leg.; large boulders within semi-deciduous forest; GenBank: MZ 285518, PV 383219, PV 389998; UADBA uncatalogued: ACZCV 771. Madagascar • 1 unsexed adult; same data as preceding; 22°05'05.03"S, 46°46'30.54"E; 933 m a. s. l.; same data as preceding; same data as preceding; same data as preceding; GenBank: MZ 285519, PV 383220, PV 390005; UADBA uncatalogued: ACZCV 770. Madagascar • 1 unsexed adult; same data as preceding; 22°05'07.58"S, 46°46'30.32"E; 983 m a. s. l.; same data as preceding; same data as preceding; same data as preceding; GenBank: MZ 285520, MZ 285408; UADBA uncatalogued: ACZCV 779. Type locality. Tsaranoro Forêt Sacrée (south-eastern Madagascar, Haute Matsiatra Region, Fianarantsoa province, ca 32 km south of the town of Ambalavao), 22°04'57.65"S, 46°46'33.56"E, 927 m a. s. l. A semi-deciduous forest fragment of ca 46 ha within Tsaranoro Valley Forest reserve (Figs 1, 2). Diagnosis. The species is assigned to the genus Paragehyra based on genetic distances at the COI and 16 S markers, the presence of two diagnostic morphological derived characters of the genus relative to the other gekkonids: the asymmetrical relationship of the claw and toe-pad on digit I and the uniscansorial distal pad on digit I separated from enlarged basal scales by a series of smaller scales (Nussbaum and Raxworthy 1994; Crottini et al. 2015). The inter-specific diagnosis is detailed in the following lines (Fig. 6; Tables 1, 4). Paragehyra tsaranoro sp. nov. has 12 distinct longitudinal rows of enlarged tubercles on the body dorsolateral surface (character BT), enlarged tubercles on the entire dorsal surface of hind limbs and on distal dorsal portions of forelimbs (character TDL), enlarged tubercles organised in transversal rows that encircle tail dorsolateral surface (character TT), 6-8 enlarged infralabial scales gradually decreasing in size in posterior direction (character I), lateral chin scales extending forward along each side, excluded from contact with first line of infralabials and first postmentals, in contact with second line of infralabials (character C), 3-6 ventral scales on the distal (tibial) segments of hind limbs enlarged into plates especially in the most distal part (character VET), five or six large scales on preaxial ventral portion of pes between end of tibia and base of digit I (character SPP), two or three small subdigital scales between enlarged basal scales and terminal distal pad on digit I of manus and pes (character SS), 4-6 subdigital scales on claw-bearing segment of digits II-V of manus and pes with the distalmost scale markedly larger than the others (character SSC), smooth dorsal scales on body surface smaller than ventral scales (character DO), smooth unpigmented or poorly pigmented ventral scales on body surface (character VE), smooth and pigmented subcaudal scales (character SC), triangle-shaped mental scale (character ME), large first postmental scales in contact for more than the 50 % of their length (character 1 PM). Among species of the genus Paragehyra, P. felicitae is the most similar to P. tsaranoro sp. nov., from which it differs in the following four morphological characters: TDL, enlarged tubercles present on the entire dorsal surface of hind limbs and only on distal dorsal segments of forelimbs (vs enlarged tubercles present on the entire dorsal surface of both hind limbs and forelimbs); C, lateral chin scales extend forward along each side, excluded from contact with first line of infralabials and first postmentals, in contact with second line of infralabials (vs lateral chin scales extend forward along each side, excluded from contact with first line of infralabials and first postmentals, in contact with second line of infralabials or lateral chin scales extend forward along each side, excluded from contact with first infralabials, in contact with first postmentals and second infralabials); SPP, five or six large scales on preaxial ventral portion of pes between end of tibia and base of digit I (vs generally 6-9 large scales on preaxial-ventral portion of pes between end of tibia and base of digit I); SSC, 4-6 subdigital scales on claw-bearing segment of digits II-V of manus and pes with the distalmost scale markedly larger than the others (vs 4-6 large and subequal subdigital scales on claw-bearing segment of digits II-V of manus and pes). Paragehyra tsaranoro sp. nov. differs from P. petiti in the following five characters: BT, 12 (vs 10) distinct longitudinal rows of enlarged tubercles on dorsolateral body surface; I, 6-8 enlarged infralabials that diminish gradually in size posteriorly (vs first 4-6 infralabials much larger than remainders); SSC, enlarged tubercles present on the entire dorsal surface of hind limbs and only on distal dorsal segments of forelimbs (vs 4-6 large and subequal subdigital scales on claw-bearing segment of digits II-V of manus and pes); SC, smooth and pigmented subcaudal scales (vs smooth and unpigmented subcaudal scales); ME, triangle-shaped mental scale (vs bell-shaped mental scale). Paragehyra tsaranoro sp. nov. differs from P. austini for the following eight characters: BT, 12 distinct longitudinal rows of enlarged tubercles on dorsolateral body surface (vs absence of any tubercle on dorsolateral body surface); TDL, enlarged tubercles present on the entire dorsal surface of hind limbs and only on distal dorsal segments of forelimbs (vs absence of enlarged tubercles on limbs dorsal surface); TT, transverse rows of enlarged tubercles that encircle tail dorsolateral surface (vs absence of tubercles on tail dorsolateral surface); VET, 3-6 ventral scales on the distal (tibial) segments of hind limbs enlarged into plates especially in the most distal part (vs ventral scales on distal (tibial) segment of hind limb slightly larger compared with scales on the proximal segments of hind limbs); SPP, five or six large scales on preaxial ventral portion of pes between end of tibia and base of digit I (vs generally 7 small scales on preaxial-ventral portion of pes between end of tibia and base of digit I); SS, two or three small subdigital scales between enlarged basal scales and terminal distal pad on digit I of manus and pes (vs 3 or 4 small subdigital scales between enlarged basal scales and terminal distal pad on digit I of manus and pes); DO, smooth dorsal scales on body surface smaller than ventral scales (vs smooth dorsal scales on body surface equal in size than ventrals); VE, smooth unpigmented or poorly pigmented ventral scales on body surface (vs smooth pigmented ventral scales on body surface). Paragehyra tsaranoro sp. nov. differs from P. gabriellae in the following 11 characters: BT, 12 distinct longitudinal rows of enlarged tubercles on dorsolateral body surface (vs presence of small tubercles not arranged in distinct rows); TDL, enlarged tubercles present on the entire dorsal surface of hind limbs and only on distal dorsal segments of forelimbs (vs absence of enlarged tubercles on limbs dorsal surface); TT, transverse rows of enlarged tubercles that encircle tail dorsolateral surface (vs presence of enlarged tubercles on tail not organised in transverse rows); C, lateral chin scales extend forward along each side, excluded from contact with first line of infralabials and first postmentals, in contact with second line of infralabials (vs lateral chin scales extend forward along each side in contact with first and second infralabials and with first postmentals or lateral chin scales excluded from contact with first infralabials, in contact with first postmentals and second infralabials); VET, 3-6 ventral scales on the distal (tibial) segments of hind limbs enlarged into plates especially in the most distal part (vs ventral scales on distal (tibial) segment of hind limb of normal size compared with scales on the proximal segments of hind limbs); SPP, five or six large scales on preaxial ventral portion of pes between end of tibia and base of digit I (vs 7-9 small scales along preaxial-ventral border of pes between end of tibia and base of digit I); SS, two or three small subdigital scales between enlarged basal scales and terminal distal pad on digit