Lerista vanderduysi, Couper, Patrick J., Amey, Andrew P. & Wilmer, Jessica Worthington, 2016

Couper, Patrick J., Amey, Andrew P. & Wilmer, Jessica Worthington, 2016, Cryptic diversity within the narrowly endemic Lerista wilkinsi group of north Queensland — two new species (Reptilia: Scincidae), Zootaxa 4162 (1), pp. 61-91 : 73-76

publication ID

https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.4162.1.3

publication LSID

lsid:zoobank.org:pub:E3527794-CFD4-457F-AC69-DFE6483FBC8A

DOI

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6081514

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/46306908-8667-499E-BA1F-18C298F31E7E

taxon LSID

lsid:zoobank.org:act:46306908-8667-499E-BA1F-18C298F31E7E

treatment provided by

Plazi

scientific name

Lerista vanderduysi
status

sp. nov.

Lerista vanderduysi sp. nov. Amey, Couper and Worthington Wilmer

Leaden-bellied Fine-line Slider

( Figs. 3–5 View FIGURE 3 View FIGURE 4 View FIGURE 5 , 6 View FIGURE 6 A)

Holotype. QMJ79057, Blackbraes National Park , 180 km NE Hughenden, MEQ (19° 33' 58" S, 143° 59' 28" E), 1 April, 2003. GoogleMaps

Paratypes. QMJ77459, Blackbraes National Park , between Hughenden and Mount Garnet, NWQ (19° 32' 54" S, 143° 56' 27" E), 23 April, 2002 GoogleMaps ; QMJ77548, Blackbraes National Park , between Hughenden and Mount Garnet, NWQ (19° 33' 07" S, 143° 58' 20" E), 23 April, 2002 GoogleMaps ; QMJ79058– J79060 View Materials GoogleMaps , Blackbraes National Park   GoogleMaps , 180 km NE Hughenden, NWQ (19° 35' 14" S, 144° 01' 00" E), 31 March, 2003; QMJ80715, Blackbraes National Park , Gorge Creek Rd, NWQ (19° 35' 13" S, 144° 01' 00" E), 22 October, 2003 GoogleMaps ; QMJ81773, Blackbraes National Park , NWQ (19° 35' 14" S, 144° 01' 00" E), 23 November, 2004 GoogleMaps ; QMJ82299, Kidston Dam , NWQ (19° 02' 08" S, 144° 07' 16" E), 14 August, 2014 GoogleMaps ; QMJ88148– J88150 View Materials GoogleMaps , Gilberton   GoogleMaps , NWQ (19° 12' 28" S, 143° 39' 58" E), 18 August, 2008; QMJ91705, Gilberton Station , NWQ (19° 12' 50" S, 143° 39' 47" E), 17 May, 2011 GoogleMaps ; QMJ91719, Gilberton Station , NWQ (19° 12' 50" S, 143° 39' 47" E), 18 May, 2011 GoogleMaps ; QMJ91729, Blackbraes National Park , NWQ (19° 33' 58" S, 143° 59' 28" E) GoogleMaps ; QMJ91730–91731, Blackbraes National Park , NWQ (19° 35' 14" S, 144° 01' 00" E). GoogleMaps

Diagnosis. Distinguished from all other Lerista by its enlarged first supraciliary, monodactyl hindlimb, single loreal scale, broad black lateral band enclosing at least one entire scale width, and ventrals dark brown to grey, heaviest posteriorly.

Comparisons. Lerista vanderduysi sp. nov. can only be confused with other Lerista spp. that also possess an enlarged first supraciliary (resulting from the fusion of the first two supraciliaries). These include members of the Queensland L. wilkinsi group ( L. ameles , L. cinerea , L. hobsoni sp. nov., L. storri , L. vittata and L. wilkinsi ) and also L. apoda and L. stylis (both of which are no longer considered members of this group). It is separated from all of these by possessing a broad, dark lateral band that encloses at least one full scale row and a darkly pigmented ventral surface. Note that one specimen of L. vittata , QMJ93634, has a band enclosing at least one full scale row but this anomalous specimen has an immaculate belly, as do all other L. vittata . Lerista vanderduysi sp. nov. is further separated from L. ameles and L. apoda by its hindlimbs (vs. totally limbless), from L. hobsoni sp. nov. by having a single loreal scale (vs. two loreal scales) and from L. storri and L. stylis by its monodactyl hindlimb (vs. stylar).

Description of holotype ( Fig. 4 View FIGURE 4 ). SVL = 57 mm; HL = 4.8 mm, 8.4% SVL; HW = 2.6 mm, 54% HL; SE = 1.8 mm, 38% HL; eyelid free (not fused into a spectacle); EE = 2.7 mm, 56% HL; RL = 0.65 mm, 14% HL; NL = 1.1 mm, 22% HL; IN = 1.1 mm, 22% HL; EN = 1.5 mm, 31% HL; RF = 1.5 mm, 32% HL; E = 0.71 mm, 15% HL; ear minute, smaller than the surrounding scales; MW = 3.6 mm, 6.3% SVL; forelimb absent; L2 = 3.3 mm, 5.9% SVL; TL = 50 mm (original, determined by X-ray) 88% SVL. Hindlimb with a single clawed digit.

Midbody scale rows 18; NC = 46%; NaL = 23%; FN = 67%; FW = 104%; IW = 105%; PL = 56%; MV = 69%; supraocular two; supraciliaries four ( Figs. 5 View FIGURE 5 A, 5B and 6A); first supraciliary contacts preocular, loreal, frontonasal, frontal, first supraocular and second supraciliary; frontal contacts interparietal, frontoparietal, first supraocular, first supraciliary and frontonasal; interparietal free (not fused to frontoparietals); single loreal; prefrontal absent; single preocular; single presubocular; four palpebrals; single postocular; single postsubocular; five supralabials; third supralabial bordering eye; two postsupralabials; five infralabials, two infralabials contacting postmental; four scales between last infralabial and ear; single pretemporal; temporal contacts fourth and fifth supralabials, postocular, pretemporal, second temporal and postsupralabial; three rows of enlarged chin shields; primary chin shields very narrowly separated; secondary chin shields separated by one scale; tertiary chin shields separated by three scales ( Fig. 5 View FIGURE 5 C); four enlarged nuchal scales; 112 paravertebrals; two enlarged preanals; L2B = 9; six subdigital lamellae under single digit; five supradigitals; 93 subcaudals. Presacral vertebrae 50; caudal vertebrae 51.

Variation. Sample size is 17 unless otherwise noted: SVL = 38–67 mm (55 ± 10 mm); HL = 7.5–11% SVL (8.7 ± 1%); HW = 49–72% HL (62 ± 6%); SE = 18–38% HL (28 ± 5%); EE = 46–57% HL (51 ± 3%); RL = 13–21 % HL (17 ± 2%); NL = 16–23% HL (20 ± 2%); IN = 19–25% HL (22 ± 1%); EN = 27–36% HL (32 ± 2%); RF = 23–33 % HL (28 ± 2%); E = 12–20% HL (15 ± 2%); MW = 5–8% SVL (6 ± 1%); L2 = 4–8% SVL (5 ± 1%); TL = 82–111% SVL (92 ± 11%, n = 5 original tails, all others regrown).

Midbody scale rows 18–20 (mode = 18); NC = 29–64% (41 ± 9%); NaL = 13–25% (18 ± 3%); FN = 49–67% (57 ± 5%); FW = 84–109% (96 ± 7%); IW = 77–117% (95 ± 10%); PL = 50–80% (61 ± 8%); MV = 64–89% (76 ± 8%); supraoculars usually two (n = 16), rarely three (n = 1); 3–5 palpebrals (mode = 5); five infralabials, usually first two infralabials contacting postmental (n = 12), sometimes one (n = 5); 4–5 scales between last infralabial and ear (mode = 4); temporal contacts fourth and fifth supralabials, postocular, pretemporal, second temporal and postsupralabial (sometimes fails to contact postocular, n = 4); primary chin shields narrowly separated or in point contact (broadly contacting in one only); enlarged nuchal scales present or absent (mode = 4), 89–115 paravertebrals (mode = 104); L2B = 6–10 (mode = 7); 4–7 subdigital lamellae under single digit (mode = 5); 3–11 supradigitals (mode = 3); 77–99 subcaudals (n = 5). Presacral vertebrae 47–50 (mode = 49, n = 8); 3 phalanges (n = 4); 46–51 caudal vertebrae (mode = 51, n = 3).

Colouration in preservative ( Fig 4 View FIGURE 4 ). The dorsal surfaces of the head, body and tail are beige to greyishbrown. Body with a series of chocolate brown streaks that form broken longitudinal lines along scale rows one (paravertebrals) and two (latero-dorsals) with the paravertebral streaks being more pronounced than those on the adjacent rows. These lines continue along the dorsal surface of the tail where there is no discernible difference in the intensity of the streaks between the two scale rows. The flanks are boldly marked by a broad, chocolate brown lateral stripe that begins behind the eye and extends along the side of the tail. On the body, this stripe encompasses the lower half of scale row three, all of scale row four and some, or all, of scale row five. Along its lower edge, this stripe merges with a zone of less intense brown or the pattern breaks to one or two poorly defined additional stripes on the lower flanks. The lateral stripe is present on the proximal portion of the tail but progressively narrows and becomes confined to the third scale row before breaking into a series of streaks on the distal portion. It is bordered below by another line of streaks on scale row four. The head shields have a narrow opaque edge, which forms a straw-coloured margin, and are marked with scattered dark flecks. A dark zone is present on the loreal region, commencing at the naris, extending to the eye and incorporating the supralabials. The ventral surfaces are diffused with grey to brown, which extends beyond the vent to the proximal portion of the tail. Beyond this, the diffusion fades and the tail becomes off-white with varying degrees of dark speckling. Regrown tails are more heavily pigmented both above and below and are without well-defined broken lines on the dorsal and lateral surfaces.

Colouration in life (as different from colouration in preservative, Fig. 3 View FIGURE 3 ). As for spirit specimens but the colours tend to be richer.

Etymology. Named for Eric Vanderduys, CSIRO, for his contributions to Queensland herpetology. Eric has had a long-standing interest in this species and helped to collect the type series. Pronounced Vander – dice – i.

Distribution and habitat. Lerista vanderduysi sp. nov. occurs in the region of Blackbraes National Park, within the Western Cape and Gulf Drainage ( Fig. 1 View FIGURE 1 ). It is largely restricted to patches of semi-evergreen vine thickets.

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Chordata

Class

Reptilia

Order

Squamata

Family

Scincidae

Genus

Lerista

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