A new species of leaf-toed gecko (Phyllodactylidae, Phyllodactylus ) from María Cleofas Island, Nayarit, Mexico

We describe a new species of leaf-toed gecko of the genus from María Cleofas Island, the smallest island of Tres Marías Archipelago, Nayarit, México. Genomic, phylogenomic, and morphological evidence support that the new species presents a unique combination of diagnostic characters. Morphologically, the new species has a high number of tubercles, head to tail (mean 47), longitudinal ventral scales (mean 61), and third labial-snout scales (mean 26). Gene flow tests revealed the genetic isolation of insular populations from mainland counterparts. In addition, we confirmed the non-monophyly of and , and we show that the taxon is a complex; therefore, we propose taxonomic changes within the clade. The discovery of this new insular endemic species highlights the urgency of continued exploration of the biological diversity of island faunas of Mexico.