Two more new species of Hemiphyllodactylus Bleeker, 1860 (Squamata: Gekkonidae) from Laos and Vietnam identified using an integrative taxonomic approach

An integrative taxonomic approach incorporating molecular (1,038 bp of the ND2 gene), morphometric, meristic, and color pattern data was employed to delimit and diagnose two new species of Hemiphyllodactylus from northern Laos and Vietnam. Hemiphyllodactylus xiengkhoangensis sp. nov. from Xiengkhouang Province, Laos, is recovered as the sister species to H. banaensis from central Vietnam, while H. yenchauensis sp. nov. from Son La Province, Vietnam, is sister to H. vanhoensis + H. bonkowskii.

Both new species are robustly supported and distinguishable from all congeners by unique combinations of morphometric, meristic, and color pattern characters, confirmed through univariate and multivariate analyses. These findings reveal previously unrecognized diversity within the genus in Indochina and underscore the urgent need to assess population status and implement targeted conservation strategies.