Guarocuyus, Landestoy & Schools & Hedges, 2022

Landestoy, Miguel A., Schools, Molly & Hedges, S. Blair, 2022, A new genus and species of Caribbean forest lizard (Diploglossidae; Celestinae) from southern Hispaniola, Zootaxa 5219 (3), pp. 201-226 : 207-208

Guarocuyus gen. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:1BA79AB3-AAB2-4F7C-BDC8-D449A622F228

Type species. Guarocuyus jaraguanus sp. nov., herein described ( Figs. 6–9 ).

Distribution. Cayo de las Iguanas and adjacent Cayo Pei, Laguna de Oviedo, in the Barahona Peninsula, Dominican Republic, the southernmost part of Hispaniola ( Fig. 5 ).

Etymology. The generic name is a latinized masculine patronym honoring the taíno Guarocuya (a.k.a Enriquillo), the last cacique of the Jaragua region and a hero of the last standing free community of this native Antillean people, who died around the first half of the 16 th century ( Altman 2007; Ozuna 2018).

Diagnosis. The new genus can be distinguished by the following combination of characters (see Schools & Hedges 2021): (1) claw sheath, absent or present, (2) contact between the nasal and rostral scales, absent, (3) scales in contact with the nasal scale, four or five (mode 5), (4) postnasal scales, one or two (mode 1), (5) position of the nostril in the nasal scale, central, (6) keels on dorsal body scales, present, (7) digits per limb, five, (8) longest toe lamellae, 21–25, (9) dorsal scale rows, 88–98, (10) relative head width, 12.0–13.9, (11) relative rostral height, 54.1–64.5, (12) relative frontonasal length, 3.07–4.48, (13) relative interparietal distance, 0.179 –0.755, (14) relative axilla-groin distance, 53.2–58.7, (15) relative axilla-cloaca distance, 62.5–67.7.

Within Celestinae , Guarocuyus gen. nov. is distinguished from Advenus Schools & Hedges by the presence of keels on the dorsal scales (vs. absent in Advenus ), longest toe lamellae count (21–25 vs. 17 in Advenus ), relative width of the ear opening (EW/SVL 2.33–2.90 vs. 0.99 in Advenus ), RH/RW (54.1–64.5 vs. 50.1 in Advenus ), relative frontonasal length (FN/SVL 3.07–4.48 vs. 2.46 in Advenus ), and by the AGD/SVL (53.2–58.7 vs. 60.0 in Advenus ). From Caribicus Schools & Hedges , Guarocuyus gen. nov. can be distinguished by the presence of an interdigital scaleless web between toes II–IV (vs. absent in Caribicus ), longest toe lamellae count (21–25 vs. 13–20 in Caribicus ), EW/SVL (2.33–2.90 vs. 1.17–1.88 in Caribicus ), and by the DTC, FSSS (vs. ES in Caribicus ). From Celestus Gray , Guarocuyus gen. nov. differs by the presence of an interdigital scaleless web between toes II–IV (vs. absent or vestigial scaly web only between toes III–IV in Celestus barbouri Grant ; Table 1 ), and by the EW/SVL (2.33–2.90 vs. 0.99–2.21 in Celestus ). From Comptus Schools & Hedges , Guarocuyus gen. nov. differs by the presence of an interdigital scaleless web between toes II–IV (vs. absent in Comptus , except for vestigial scaly web only between toes III–IV in some Comptus stenurus Cope ), and by the EW/SVL (2.33–2.90 vs. 0.76–2.07 in Comptus ). From Panolopus Cope , Guarocuyus gen. nov. differs by the presence of keels on the dorsal scales (vs. absent in adult Panolopus ), presence of an interdigital scaleless web between toes II–IV (vs. absent in Panolopus ), EW/SVL (2.33–2.90 vs. 0.57–2.24 in Panolopus ), and by the RH/RW (54.1–64.5 vs. 37.6–52.8 in Panolopus ). From Sauresia Gray , Guarocuyus gen. nov. differs by the presence of keels on the dorsal scales (vs. absent in Sauresia ), number of digits per limb (5 vs. 4 in Sauresia ), presence of an interdigital scaleless web between toes II–IV (vs. absent in Sauresia ), longest toe lamellae count (21–25 vs. 8–12 in Sauresia ), number of dorsal scales (88–98 vs. 101–127 in Sauresia ), EW/SVL (2.33–2.90 vs. 0.43–1.17 in Sauresia ), FN/SVL (3.07–4.48 vs. 1.70–2.56 in Sauresia ), and by both AGD/SVL and ACD/SVL (53.2–58.7 vs. 63.9–69.9 in Sauresia , and 62.5–67.7 vs. 69.2–76.3, respectively). From Wetmorena Cochran , Guarocuyus gen. nov. differs by the presence of keels on the dorsal scales (vs. absent in Wetmorena ), number of digits per limb (5 vs. 4 in Wetmorena ), presence of an interdigital scaleless web between toes II–IV (vs. absent in Wetmorena ), longest toe lamellae count (21–25 vs. 8–12 in Wetmorena ), EW/SVL (2.33–2.90 vs. 0–0.63 in Wetmorena ), FN/SVL (3.07–4.48 vs. 1.47–2.69 in Wetmorena ), and by the AGD/SVL (53.2–58.7 vs. 59.9–65.7).

Content. The new genus currently bears a single species, Guarocuyus jaraguanus sp. nov. (described below).

Figures

FIGURE 5. Map showing known locality for Guarocuyus jaraguanus sp. nov. marked with a red circle. Inset shows all of Hispaniola, with a red box indicating the mapped area.

FIGURE 6. Living individual (MNHNSD 23.3935) of Guarocuyus jaraguanus sp. nov.

FIGURE 7. Dorsal view of a series of Guarocuyus jaraguanus sp. nov. showing variation. Specimens: males, MNHNSD 23.3934 (A), MNHNSD 23.3936 (B), 1005 (C), MNHNSD 23.3937 (D), MNHNSD 23.3935 (E), and IIBZ-HER00006 (F), and females, IIBZ-HER00007–00008 (G–H).

FIGURE 8. Holotype MNHNSD 23.3937 (MALT1004) Guarocuyus jaraguanus sp. nov. in dorsal (A), lateral (B), and ventral (C) views. Scale bar = 10 mm.

FIGURE 9. Lateral view of the head of Guarocuyus jaraguanus sp. nov. (MNHNSD 23.3912) showing two (red shading) postnasal scales.