Niane Sivongxay

National University of Laos · Department of Biology

The Lao torrent frog Amolops cremnobatus Inger & Kottelat, 1998 was recently hypothesized, based on mitochondrial DNA, to consist of more than a single species across its range in Laos and flanking regions of Vietnam and Thailand. We tested this hypothesis using mitochondrial DNA, nuclear DNA, and quantitative and qualitative morphological data fro...

An integrative taxonomic analysis of the Ptychozoon lionotum group across its range in Indochina and Sundaland recovers P. lionotum sensu lato Annandale, 1905 as paraphyletic with respect to P. popaense Grismer, Wood, Thura, Grismer, Brown, & Stuart, 2018a and composed of four allopatric, genetically divergent, ND2 mitochondrial lineages. Multivari...

A new species of the dicroglossid frog genus Limnonectes is described from recent and historical museum specimens collected in central and southern Laos and northeastern Thailand. Limnonectessavansp. nov. has males that bear a caruncle on top of the head, and most closely resembles L.dabanus from adjacent southern Vietnam and eastern Cambodia. Howe...

Two new species of the gekkonid lizard genus Hemiphyllodactylus are described based on specimens collected from Champasak Province in southern Laos and Houaphanh Province in northern Laos. Phylogenetic analyses recover H. indosobrinus sp. nov. from Champasak Province as the sister lineage to the Thai endemic H. flaviventris. Hemiphyllodactylus indo...

A new species of “fanged frog” in the genus Limnonectes resembling L. kohchangae (Smith, 1922) from southeastern Thailand and southwestern Cambodia is described from upper elevations of the Bolaven Plateau, southern Laos. However, the new species, L. coffeatus sp. nov., is not resolved to be the closest relative of L. kohchangae, and is further dis...

A new species of the rhacophorid frog genus Theloderma is described from the forested shoreline of the Nam Lik Reservoir, Vientiane Province, Laos. The new species differs from its congeners by having the combination of males with SVL 17.0-20.6; pearly asperities on dorsum; no vomerine teeth; disc diameter of finger III ca. 40% of tympanum diameter...

The Asian weaver ant Oecophylla smaragdina is of importance to Southeast Asian livelihoods as a source of human food and animal feed and as biological control agent in tree crops including mango and citrus. The introduction of weaver ants in plantations requires the inclusion of the reproductive queen. We report on locating the gravid queen in a ma...

Prevalence and distribution of chytridiomycosis throughout Asia News from the herpetological community September 2011 Vol. 98 FrogLog FrogLog Vol. 98 | September 2011 | 33 T he fungal disease, chytridiomycosis, caused by the chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) is the greatest known disease threat to vertebrate biodiversity (Skerrat e...

Of major importance in realizing the potential of edible insects as a core element in improving food security, sustainable food production, and biodiversity conservation, are developments in sustainable exploitation of wild edible insect populations and in (semi-)cultivating and farming edible insects. Such developments can draw on both western sci...

Of major importance in realizing the potential of edible insects as a core element in improving food security, sustainable food production, and biodiversity conservation, are developments in sustainable exploitation of wild edible insect populations and in (semi-)cultivating and farming edible insects. Such developments can draw on both western sci...

The Lao newt (Laotriton laoensis) is a recently described species currently known only from northern Laos. Little is known about the species, but it is threatened as a result of overharvesting. We integrated field survey results with climate and altitude data to predict the geographic distribution of this species using the niche modeling program Ma...

Almost nothing is known about the biology of the recently described, enigmatic Lao Newt (Laotriton laoensis). Using a combination of field surveys and village interviews, we determined that its geographic range is restricted to a small area in northern Laos. Aquatic adults occur in pools of small, cold, slightly acidic, flowing streams that travers...

Almost nothing is known about the biology of the recently described, enigmatic Lao Newt (Laotriton laoensis). Using a combination of field surveys and village interviews, we determined that its geographic range is restricted to a small area in northern Laos. Aquatic adults occur in pools of small, cold, slightly acidic, flowing streams that travers...

Twelve species of Leptobrachium are known from Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia, most of which have been described to science in the past twelve years. Our fieldwork on the Dakchung Plateau of southeastern Laos discovered a small Leptobrachium with a yellow upper iristhat resembled L. buchardi, a species known only by the female holotype from the Bolaven...

Infection status of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis by locality. Results of infection status for 298 localities shown with low infection and high infection positives grouped together here as “Bd Pos” and total number of sampled animals are provided. The 95% Bayesian credible intervals given in the last two columns. (DOC)

Taxonomic groups sampled. Families and genera of anura and caudata sampled in this study. The number of species in each genus is given as well as the sample size from each genus. The genera that tested positive for Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis in this study by qPCR or histology are indicated with an asterisk. (DOCX)

The disease chytridiomycosis, caused by the fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), has caused dramatic amphibian population declines and extinctions in Australia, Central and North America, and Europe. Bd is associated with >200 species extinctions of amphibians, but not all species that become infected are susceptible to the disease. Specific...

We describe a new species of megophryid frog in the genus Leptolalax from southern Laos. Leptolalax aereus sp. nov. is distinguished from its congeners by a combination of size (25.1-28.9 mm in 28 adult males, 27.1-38.6 mm in 12 adult females), absence of distinct black or dark brown dorsolateral markings on head, near immaculate white chest and be...

A new species in the morphologically conservative Tylototriton asperrimus group is described from Khammouan Province, Laos. Molecular phylogenetic analysis of mitochondrial DNA confirms its placement in the T. asperrimus group. Tylototriton notialis sp. nov. is diagnosable in mitochondrial DNA, nuclear DNA, and morphology from its congeners. The ne...

Eodiaptomus phuvongi n. sp. is described from 85 localities in Ubon Ratchathani Province, northeast Thailand and 17 localities in Savannakhet and Khammouane Provinces, central Laos. It belongs to the lumholtzi-group, and is most closely similar to E. phuphanensis Sanoamuang, 2001 and E. sanoamuangae Reddy E Dumont, 1998. The new species occurs only...