Parvoscincus agtorum, Linkem, Charles W. & Brown, Rafe M., 2013

Linkem, Charles W. & Brown, Rafe M., 2013, Systematic revision of the Parvoscincus decipiens (Boulenger, 1894) complex of Philippine forest skinks (Squamata: Scincidae: Lygosominae) with descriptions of seven new species, Zootaxa 3700 (4), pp. 501-533 : 514-516

Parvoscincus agtorum sp. nov.

Figs. 2 ; 4J, K, L; 5G, H

Sphenomorphus decipiens: Brown & Alcala, 1980: 186 (part)

Holotype. PNM 9782 (formerly KU 323310: RMB Field No. 10732); Female; Philippines, Luzon Island, Aurora Province, Municipality of San Luis, Barangay Lipimental, N: 15.65366º, E: 121.50734º, elevation 540 m above sea level, collected 23 June, 2009 by C. D. Siler.

Genetic Data. GenBank KF425343 .

Diagnosis. Parvoscincus agtorum sp. nov. can be identified by the following combination of characters: (1) A small body size (SVL at maturity 44.9 mm); (2) MBSR = 39; (3) PV = 71; (4) dorsal scales non-striated without apical pits; (5) apical pits on forelimbs and hind limbs; (6) four enlarged supraoculars; (7) anterior and posterior loreals undivided laterally; (8) two preoculars; (9) and 17 Toe IV SDL.

Parvoscincus agtorum sp. nov. is sister to P. arvindiesmosi sp. nov., and closely related to P. jimmymcguirei , sp. nov., P. abstrusus sp. nov., and P. decipiens sensu stricto ( Fig. 2 ). Parvoscincus agtorum sp. nov. can be distinguished from all these species by the lack of dorsal apical pits (vs. present); greater number of midbody scale rows (39 vs. <37); presence of two preoculars (vs. three). P. agtorum sp. nov. can be further diagnosed from P. jimmymcguirei sp. nov. by the presence of two preoculars (vs. three preoculars); slightly larger body size (44.91 vs. <44.12 mm); dorsal color of P. a g t o r u m sp. nov. is much darker than P. jimmymcguirei sp. nov. and lacks the series of bright spots along the dorsal edge of the dorsolateral band. Parvoscincus agtorum sp. nov. has a bright white line from the eye to ear (absent in P. jimmymcguirei sp. nov.) and an incomplete gular collar (vs. speckled gular region)

Parvoscincus agtorum sp. nov. can be distinguished from P. arvindiesmosi sp. nov. by the presence of a broad snout ( IND /RostL> 0.50 vs. <0.49); larger body size (SVL 44.91 vs. <43.14 mm); the presence of an incomplete gular collar and brown speckling on throat (vs. white throat); dorsal body color dark brown (vs. dorsal color lighttan with a broad dorsolateral band extending onto dorsum).

Parvoscincus agtorum sp. nov. can be distinguished from P. abstrusus sp. nov. by having a single anterior loreal (vs. laterally divided anterior loreal); the lack of dorsal apical pits (vs. apical pits weak to missing); higher number of paravertebral scales (71 vs. <69); by having a cream throat with brown speckles and a brown incomplete gular collar (vs. throat black in males and white in females); by having a white line from eye to ear that becomes spots posterior to the ear (vs. presence of a white line from eye to forelimb); and by the presence of strong vertebral spots (vs. weak vertebral spots).

Parvoscincus agtorum sp. nov. can be distinguished from P. decipiens by being larger (SVL 44.91 vs. <40.61 mm); having more paravertebral scales (71 vs. <63); more midbody scale rows (39 vs. 32–34); the presence of forelimb apical pores (vs. weak or missing apical pores); by having a cream colored throat with brown speckling and a brown incomplete collar (vs. throat white with a few brown streaks); by having brown labials (vs. white labials); and by having a dark brown dorsum (vs. light brown dorsum).

Description of holotype. A small-sized Parvoscincus , SVL 44.9 mm, with clawed, pentadactyl limbs. Snout pointed in lateral profile; rostral wide forming an oval dorsal margin with the nasals and frontonasal scale; frontonasal wider than long, in contact with nasals, rostral, anterior loreals, and prefrontal scales; prefrontals in broad medial contact left overlapping right, in contact with anterior and posterior loreals, frontal, frontonasal, and 1st supraciliary; frontal slightly longer than wide, in contact with two supraoculars, posterior apex rounded; four enlarged supraoculars, 1st largest, 2nd widest; frontoparietals fused, in contact with three supraoculars; interparietal arrowhead-shaped with parietal eye in posterior third; parietals in narrow overlap, right overlapping left, in contact with fourth supraocular, postsupraocular, primary and secondary temporal; nuchals same size as dorsals, not obliquely enlarged.

Nasal pierced in center by large naris, surrounded anteriorly by rostral, dorsally by frontonasal, posteriorly by anterior loreal, and ventrally by 1st supralabial; single anterior loreal, posterior loreal wider than anterior; preoculars two; seven supralabials, 5th widest and under center of eye; supraciliaries 12, anterior four and posterior two larger than rest of series; 15 ciliaries; lower eyelid scaly and transparent, lacking non-scaled “window;” suboculars nine, largest anteriorly; primary temporals three, secondary temporals two, lower overlapping upper; ear large (EarD [1.66]/EyeD [2.34] = 0.71), round, and moderately sunk.

Infralabials seven, decreasing in size posteriorly in series; mental large, forming a straight suture with a single large postmental and first infralabials; postmental contacts anterior two infralabials; chin scales increasing in number posteriorly (one, three, five) and then blending into size and shape of gular scales; gular scales slightly smaller than ventrals.

Body non-elongate (AGD [25.3]/SVL [44.9] = 0.56), cylindrical, with 39 equal-sized midbody scales, limbs overlapping when adpressed; lateral body scales with two or three rows of apical pits; paravertebral scales 71, imbricate, without apical pits. Regenerated tail short, shorter than body (TL [37.98]/SVL [44.9] = 0.84) triangular at base, thicker dorsally than ventrally; subcaudal scales nondifferentiated.

Forelimbs smaller than hind limbs (FLL [3.64]/HLL [5.07] = 0.72), pentadactyl; dorsal forelimb scales smaller than body scale, ventral forelimb scales much smaller than ventral scales, dorsal and ventral forelimb scales imbricate with multiple rows of apical pits; multiple rows of dorsal scales on digits. Relative digit length with lamellae (L/R) in parentheses IV(11/12)> III(10/11)> II(9/8)> V(7/7)> I(5/5). Palmar scales irregular, raised, forming ventral protrusions from palmar surface; large set of four scales on distolateral edge of Digit V to the wrist, largest scale at wrist.

Hind limbs small (HLL [5.07]/SVL [44.9] = 0.11), pentadactyl; dorsal and ventral hind limb scales smaller than body scales; dorsal scales bearing apical pits, ventral scales with single row of apical pits; multiple scale rows on dorsal side of digits. Lamellae slightly keeled. Relative digit length with lamellae (L/R) in parentheses: IV(17/ 17)> III(13/13)> V(10/10)> II(9/9)> I(6/6). Plantar scales irregular, slightly raised; four large, ventrally pointed scales along ankle/plantar margin; ventrally raised scales along distolateral edge of Digit V to ankle, increasing in size toward ankle.

Precloacal region with series of enlarged scales between pelvic region and cloaca, more elongate than ventral scales; medial precloacal scales larger, overlapping lateral scales.

Coloration of holotype ( Figs. 4 J, K, L; 5G, H). Dorsal ground color brown with dark brown square vertebral marks. Dorsolateral band dark brown, originating at posterior apex of eye; blending into flank coloration by midbody; becoming a dark set of blotches over hind limb to base of tail. Bordered ventrally by white line one scale wide from eye to ear, transitioning to white spots posterior to ear. Flanks brown with lots of dorsolateral streaking. Ventrum cream colored, mental region with a few brown flecks, gular region with brown incomplete collar. Brown flecks near vent and base of tail. Dorsal aspect of hind limbs and forelimbs dark brown with white spotting on posterior portion of limb. Ventral limbs same color as ventrum, hands and feet light brown.

Distribution ( Fig. 1 ). The new species is known only from one locality in Aurora Province, Municipality of San Luis, Barangay Lipimental.

Natural History. Found in leaf litter in secondary growth forest away from water. The one female specimen collected has two oviductal eggs.

Etymology. The specific epithet honors the Agta tribal group of Eastern Luzon that live in the Aurora region where this new species is found. These people are diminutive in stature, have an established cultural history of interaction with reptiles, including predation on humans by reticulated pythons ( Broghammerus reticulatus ; Headland & Greene 2011). The Agta people play a prominent role in helping to conserve the forests of the Sierra Madre Mountain Range and are increasingly threatened by mining and logging industries, which destructively extract resources from their ancestral tribal domains (van der Ploeg et al. 2011; Minter et al. 2012).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Map of Luzon Island showing the collection localities for the new species and P. decipiens.

FIGURE 2. Partitioned Bayesian majority rule consensus estimate of molecular phylogeny from the ND 2 data of Parvoscincus. Populations within the P. decipiens complex are genetically unique and are diagnosed as new species based on morphological differences. Black circles label nodes with posterior probabilities above 0.95.

FIGURE 4. Photographs of heads from ventral, lateral, and dorsal perspective to show color pattern variation among species. Images A, B, C Parvoscincus decipiens; D, E, F Parvoscincus jimmymcguirei sp. nov. holotype; G, H, I, Parvoscincus arvindiesmosi sp. nov. holotype; J, K, L Parvoscincus agtorum sp. nov. holotype; M, N, O, Parvoscincus abstrusus sp. nov. holotype (Male); P, Q, R, Parvoscincus abstrusus sp. nov. paratype (Female); S, T, U, Parvoscincus banahaoensis sp. nov. holotype; V, W, X, Parvoscincus palaliensis sp. nov. holotype; Y, Z, AA, Parvoscincus aurorus sp. nov. holotype.