Bungarus wanghaotingi Pope, 1928 Figs 4E, F, 5E, F, 6E, F, 7E, F, 8D, 9G-I [English name: Wang’s Krait] [Chinese name: 云南环蛇]

Bungarus multicinctus wanghaotingi Pope 1928: 3.

Bungarus multicinctus wanghaotingi - Mell 1929; Zhao et al. 1998; Zhao 2006

Bungarus wanghaotingi - Leviton et al. 2003

Type locality.

Yuankiang, Yunnan, China. Holotype: AMNH 35230 .

The typical populations of this species possess the following characters based on 16 examined specimens from Yunnan and Guangxi, China (Appendix 1), squamation data and body measurements of ten specimens from Yunnan, China (Yang and Rao 2008) and the holotype (Pope 1928): (1) 25.1 ± 3.2 (18-33, n = 27) narrow white dorsal body bands, 1.5-2.5 (n = 16) vertebral scales long at midbody (Yunnan population, n = 7; wider on specimens from Thailand) (Figs 4E, 5E); (2) ventral surface immaculate (Figs 4F, 5F); (3) scales on neck and head uniform black in adults, light brown in juveniles (Fig. 6E, F); (4) moderately elongate black bands on body (3.5-6.0 vertebral scales long) intruding to ventrals for 0.5 to 1.5 times of length of outer dorsal scales (Fig. 7E, F); (5) ventral tail white with one row of small light brown dots in the middle of the subcaudals (Figs 4F, 5F); (6) posterior maxilla teeth four, slightly folding backwards (Fig. 8D and Table 3); (7) fangs distinctly curved (Fig. 8D); (8) prefrontals suture 1.2-2.5 (n = 10) times the length of internasals suture; (9) VEN = 209-259 (n = 23), NSC = 32-64 (n = 22).

The hemipenes (Fig. 9G-I) are described based on the sequenced adult male specimen CIB MLMY 20170801 (SVL 1170 mm) from Mengla, Yunnan Province and one subadult male CIB DL 2019051401 from, Yunnan Province, China; hemipenes reach 9th subcaudal, bilobed near apex, can be divided into three zones similar to B. multicinctus, the line of demarcation between the calyculate zone and the spinose zone is poorly defined; large spines thick, relatively short, mostly pointy, gradually thinning from the base to the tip; tips of large spines weakly keratinized, degree of keratinization highest at base, not in shape of short bars and not having a distinct boundary with main body of large spine.

B. wanghaotingi (typical populations from China) differs from B. multicinctus by having (1) fewer white bands on body; (2) ventral colouration of the body (immaculate vs. scattered with dense brown pigments in adults) (Fig. 5A, B); (3) coloration of the ventral surface of tail (immaculate or with dots vs. broad dark bands or patches); (4) the morphology of large spines on the hemipenes (large spines on hemipenes mostly pointy vs. papilla-like in shape and blunt); (5) the shape of the large spines on the hemipenes (without a distinct boundary with main body of large spines vs. with a distinct boundary); (6) fang shape (less distinctly curved vs. distinctly curved) (Fig. 7); and (7) posterior maxilla teeth less folding behind (Fig. 7).

B. wanghaotingi (typical populations from China) differs from B. candidus by having (1) narrower white bands in most specimens; (2) scales on neck and dorsal head uniform black in adults, light brown in juveniles vs. stained white, contrasting with neighbor scales on neck in adults, creamy white in juveniles; (3) ventral tail immaculate or with dots, rather than broad dark bands; (4) large spines on hemipenes relatively short, and weakly keratinized (vs. very elongated, and strongly keratinized).

Distribution. This species is known from the following localities based on specimens examined and/or DNA sequences data: Southern Yunnan, Southern Guangxi, China; Southern, Central and Northern Vietnam; Northern and Central Laos; Southern Thailand.