Amalosia queenslandia, Hoskin & Couper, 2023

Hoskin, Ad. J. & Couper, Patrick J., 2023, Revision of zigzag geckos (Diplodactylidae: Amalosia) in eastern Australia, with description of five new species, Zootaxa 5343 (4), pp. 301-337 : 326-329

Amalosia queenslandia sp. nov.

Queensland Zigzag Gecko

( Figures 21 , 22 )

Material examined. Holotype. Male, QM J91328 ( Fig. 21 ), Almaden area (17° 24’ 05” S, 144° 38’ 41” E) NE Qld, field collection code: conx5053, C. J. Hoskin & M. Higgie, 1/9/2011 . Paratypes. QMJ94226 , Killarney Stn (15° 15’ 34” S, 143° 25’ 33” E) NE Qld; J97587 Hopevale area, Cape Bedford (15° 15’ 35” S, 145° 16’ 58” E) NE Qld; QM J94056 , Killarney Stn (15° 16’ 29” S, 143° 22’ 57” E) NE Qld; J88566 , Bridge Creek NP , Battlecamp Road (15° 16’ 02” S, 144° 56’ 35” E) NE Qld; J91840 , Laura (15° 30’ 21” S, 144° 28’ 54” E) NE Qld; J91834 , J91835 , Laura (15° 47’ 16” S, 144° 16’ 20” E) NE Qld; J97600–01 , Palmerville Stn (16° 03’ 07” S, 144° 07’ 56” E) NE Qld; J97599 Mount Spurgeon (16° 27’ 41” S, 145°10’ 44” E) NE Qld; J92112 , Bustard Downs , Brooklyn Stn (16° 33’ 32” S, 145° 12’ 28” E) NE Qld; J92090 , Bustard Downs , Brooklyn Stn (16° 33’ 48” S, 145° 12’ 18” E) NE Qld; J92081 , Bustard Downs , Brooklyn Stn (16° 33’ 49” S, 145° 12’ 20” E) NE Qld; J92262 , Brooklyn (16° 39’ 27” S, 145° 16’ 10” E) NE Qld; J45372 , Mt Mulligan , summit (16° 52’ S, 144° 52’ E) NE Qld; J52980 , Watsonville (17° 23’ S, 145° 19’ E) NE Qld; J91330 , J91324 , Almaden area (17° 24’ 05” S, 144° 38’ 41” E) NE Qld; J91327 , Innot Springs area (17° 35’ 10” S, 145° 16’ 09” E) NE Qld; J97598 , Croydon area (18°12’ 55” S, 142° 14’ 32” E) NE Qld; J92272 , Mt Zero area (19° 03’ S, 146° 06’ E) NE Qld; J48405 , J48408 , Townsville , James Cook University (19° 20’ S, 146° 46’ E) NE Qld; J92260 , Alligator Ck , Mt Elliot (19° 25’ 48” S, 146° 56’ 34” E) NE Qld; J91367 , J91371 , Blackbraes NP (19° 32’ 52” S, 143° 53’ 55” E) NW Qld; J91351 , Blackbraes NP (19° 33’ 04” S, 144° 13’ 26” E) NW Qld; J91370 , Blackbraes NP (19° 33’ 13” S, 143° 58’ 38” E) NW Qld; J80716 , Blackbraes NP , Gorge Creek Road (19° 35’ 13” S, 144° 01’ 00” E) NW Qld; J44376 , Barrabas Stn (20° 06’ S, 146° 46’ E) central Qld ; J73404 , Rugged Gorge , White Mtns NP (20° 23’ S, 144° 48’ E) central Qld; J45642 , Dunraven Stn , ca 80 km NW Hughenden at Stewart Ck (20° 30’ S, 143° 55’ E) central Qld; J64591 , Stanwell Power Stn , via Rockhampton (23° 31’ S, 150° 20’ E) mid-east Qld; J69543 , Awoonga Dam and Calliope R . (24° 04’ 54” S, 151° 18’ 43” E) SE Qld; J96291 , Kroombit Forest Drive , Kroombit Tops NP (24° 20’ 15” S, 150° 56’ 47” E) SE Qld; J74007 , Reedy Ck SF (SF35) NW Taroom (25° 05’ 51” S, 149° 19’ 29” E) south-central Qld; J74008 , Presho SF (SF50) NW Taroom (25° 07’ 16” S, 149° 09’ 32” E) south-central Qld; J76443 , Yerilla Homestead , 2 km NE (25° 34’ 33” S, 150° 47’ 24” E) SE Qld; J92547 , Wild Cattle Creek , west, Tannum Sands (27° 48’ 17” S, 53° 16’ 02”) SE Qld .

Diagnosis. A small (max. SVL ~ 50 mm), elongate (AG/SVL 0.44–0.55), long-tailed (oTL/SVL 0.90–1.01) member of the A. rhombifer group with a pale, dark-edged, zigzag dorsal pattern that is even and continuous (i.e., typically not broken by any narrow, transverse lines from the nape to the hips). Webbing absent, or minimal, between third and fourth toes. Males with 2–5 (typically, 3 or 4), pointed, postcloacal spurs (smaller and rounded in females) and 4–14 precloacal pores, with a 0–2 scale gap in the series. The first supralabial is usually taller than the second, and wider or of equal width to the second. Usually, 5 scales contacting margin of nostril.

Measurements and scale counts of holotype. SVL 44.1 mm, rTL 37.6 mm, oTW 4.9 mm, oTD 3.9 mm, HL 10.1 mm, HW 7.5 mm, HD 3.7 mm, S 4.1 mm, AG 19.4 mm, L1 12.6 mm, FL 4.4 mm, L2 14.0 mm, LHL 5.7 mm, BW 8.3, rostral crease 60%, scales contacting dorsal margin of the rostral 4, scales bordering nasal opening 5, scales contacting posterior margin of mental shield 5, supralabials 11, 1 st supralabial taller and wider than 2 nd supralabial, infralabials 10, postcloacal spurs 3, precloacal pores 9, pore gap 1, subdigital lamellae 4 th finger 5, subdigital lamellae 4 th toe 8, no webbing between 3 rd and 4 th toes.

Description of type series. Measurements ( Tables1 , 2). SVL (mm):38.9–50.4 (n = 27, mean =44.6).Proportions as % SVL: oTL = 90–101 (n = 6, mean = 95); HL = 20–23 (n = 27, mean = 22); HW = 15–18 (n = 27, mean = 16); HD = 6.9–10.5 (n = 27, mean = 8.8); S = 7.4–10.5 (n = 27, mean = 8.8); AG = 44–55 (n = 27, mean = 48); L1 = 24–31 (n = 27, mean = 27); L2 = 28–38 (n = 25, mean = 35); FL = 10–13 (n = 27, mean = 11); LHL = 12–15 (n = 27, mean = 13); BW = 12–19 (n = 27, mean = 16). Head. Narrow, elongate, distinct from neck; head width 68–88 % head length (n = 27, mean = 75); head depth 44–66% head width (n = 27, mean = 54); snout length 36%–46% head length (n = 27, mean = 40); covered in small granules with slightly larger granules on the dorsal and lateral surfaces of the snout; rostral approximately twice as wide as deep, partially divided vertically by a medial groove extending 40–80% rostral height; 2–4 scales contacting dorsal margin of the rostral, lying between the nostrils (n = 40, mode = 3, mean = 2.7); 5–6 scales bordering nasal opening (n = 40, mode = 5, mean = 5.1); supralabials 9–11 (n = 40, mode = 10, mean = 9.8), 1 st supralabial usually taller than 2 nd supralabial; 1 st supralabial wider than or subequal to 2 nd supralabial; infralabials 9–11 (n = 40, mode = 10, mean = 10.0; 3–7 scales contacting posterior margin of mental shield, between 1 st infralabials (n = 40, mode = 5, mean =5.2). Neck. Broad. Body. Slender, slightly depressed, covered in small granules; granules on ventral surface noticeably larger than those on dorsum; a row of enlarged postcloacal spurs (2–5, n = 40, mode = 3, mean = 3.2) behind the lower posterior margin of the thigh in both sexes (significantly larger in males and usually with a rounded margin). 4–14 (n = 28, mean = 8.5) precloacal pores present in mature males (and some females), in some specimens only just extending to the underside of thigh, and divided medially by 0–2 granular scales without pores (n = 28, mean = 0.93). Limbs. Moderate length; digits dorsoventrally compressed and expanded distally; an enlarged pair of apical lamellae followed by a transverse series, divided distally, single proximally; forelimb with 5–8 enlarged lamellae on 4 th finger (n = 40, mode = 6, mean = 6.1), 2–3 split or deeply grooved; hindlimb with 5–8 enlarged lamellae on 4 th toe (n = 40, mode = 6, mean = 6.5), 2–4 split or deeply grooved; basal webbing usually absent between 3 rd and 4 th toes, minimal when present. Original tail. Moderately long (90–101% SVL), narrow (oTW/oTL = 7–11%), tapered, and slightly to moderately flattened (oTW/oTD = 104–144%) ( Tables 1 , 2); scales arranged in concentric rings, slightly larger on ventral surface. Pattern in spirit. Dorsal view. Head and body grey to mid-brown with a pale vertebral zone and a darker, zigzag, dorsolateral pattern. A dark patch is present on the crown but is generally diffuse and tapers posteriorly to the nape. A dark, central stripe is present on the dorsal surface of the snout and a dark facial stripe, beginning on snout and continuing behind eye, joins the dark zigzag dorsolateral zone, which has a narrow, dark upper edge and extends to the tip of the tail (original). No dark band is present on the nape. The zigzag pattern consists of dark points extending into the pale vertebral zone (seven to 10 between and including, the pectoral and pelvic girdles). These may be either aligned or misaligned, so that the tip of each point aligns with the pale, point interspace on the opposite side. The pale vertebral zone is relatively clean or obscurely mottled, but lacks transverse lines bridging the point tips on either side. Flanks. Diffusely mottled or with a broad darker zone that contains both pale and dark flecks. Original Tail. Pattern as for dorsum. Limbs. Variegated. Ventral surface. Pale, unpatterned, off-white. Colour pattern in life ( Fig. 22 ). As described above but paler markings generally light grey or white (vs cream coloured in preservative) and darker markings generally shades of grey (vs more brownish in preservative). White flecks on the lateral surfaces more obvious in life. Iris copper coloured or brown.

Comparisons. Amalosia queenslandia sp. nov. is one of the smaller (max. SVL ~ 50 mm), more elongate (AG/ SVL mean 0.48) members of the A. rhombifer group, which separates it from the larger, more robust species ( A. saxicola sp. nov., A. nebula sp. nov., A. hinesi sp. nov., A. jacovae and A. lesueurii ; Tables 1 , 2). It is also separated from these species by its fairly uniform, continuous dorsal zigzag pattern (vs typically more irregular, and deeply notched or discontinuous in those species). For detailed comparisons to A. hinesi sp. nov., A. saxicola sp. nov. and A. nebula sp. nov., see species descriptions above. Further differs from A. jacovae in having 1 st supralabial taller than the 2 nd, and often wider (vs 2 nd taller or equal to 1 st, and 2 nd wider, in A. jacovae ), no or minimal webbing between toes 3 and 4 (vs obvious webbing in A. jacovae ), typically has 5 scales contacting the nasal (vs 6 in A. jacovae ), and a lower precloacal pore count in males (4–14 vs 13–22 in A. jacovae ). Further distinguished from A. lesueurii by longer, more rounded tail ( Table 1 ) and in having minimal spotting on flanks and limbs (vs obvious spotting in A. lesueurii ). Most similar to A. capensis sp. nov. and A. cf. rhombifer , which are also small and elongate species ( Table 2), and have a fairly even, continuous, dorsal zigzag pattern. Differs from A. capensis sp. nov. in having a relatively longer tail (oTL/SVL 0.90–1.01 vs capensis sp. nov. 0.87–0.91), fewer precloacal pores in males (4–14 vs 13–25), and in that the first supralabial is typically taller than the second (vs the second supralabial typically tallest and widest in A. capensis sp. nov.). Differs from A. cf. rhombifer in the number of postcloacal spurs (typically 3 or 4, rarely 2 or 5 vs 1 or 2 in A. cf. rhombifer ) and in having fewer precloacal pores in males (4–14 vs 10–24), with no, or minimal, break in the series (pore gap 0–2 scales vs 3–4 in A. cf. rhombifer ).

Genetic data: Two ND4 sequences deposited on GenBank: OM523371 (specimen: QM J91328 ; holotype; genetic sample code: conx5053; Almaden ) and OM584194 (specimen: QM J91371 ; paratype; genetic sample code: conx5094; Blackbraes National Park ) .

Etymology. Named for its occurrence through much of Queensland.

Distribution. Widespread in Queensland from near Gympie in the south-east, through coastal and inland areas of eastern Queensland, north inland to Croydon, coastally to the Cooktown region and up Cape York Peninsula to the Yarraden area ( Figs. 3–5 ).

Natural history. Amalosia queenslandia sp. nov. occurs in many different habitats—typically open woodlands (e.g., Fig. 23 ), but also taller sclerophyll forests (including in some upland areas), and coastal heaths. It is typically found at night on shrubs and other low vegetation, but also on tree trunks, fallen logs and sticks, and on rock faces at some localities. A nocturnal, arthropod feeder (based on observations in the field and scat contents; CJH, observations). Also observed licking sap on Acacia shrubs on multiple occasions in the Townsville region (CJH, observations). Known to occur in micro-sympatry with A. jacovae at Kroombit Tops (i.e., on adjacent trees) and with A. saxicola sp. nov. in the Townsville region (but on trees and shrubs vs A. saxicola sp. nov. on rocks). Also occurs in close proximity to A. nebula sp. nov. on the western edge of the Wet Tropics Bioregion, but A. nebula sp. nov. occurs at higher elevations and is typically found on rock.

Figures

FIGURE 3. Map of occurrence records of Amalosia species in Queensland and north-east New South Wales. For each species, individuals included in the ND4 sequencing (Fig. 2) are shown as triangles whereas specimen and sighting records are shown as circles. Records of A. robusta are not shown because the copious records obscure presentation of the focal species.

FIGURE 4. Map of occurrence records of Amalosia species in south-east Queensland and north-east New South Wales. For each species, individuals included in the ND4 sequencing (Fig. 2) are shown as triangles whereas specimen and sighting records are shown as circles. Records of A. robusta are not shown because the copious records obscure presentation of the focal species.

FIGURE 5. Map of occurrence records of Amalosia species in north-east Queensland. For each species, individuals included in the ND4 sequencing (Fig. 2) are shown as triangles whereas specimen and sighting records are shown as circles.

FIGURE 21. Holotype of A. queenslandia sp. nov. (QM J91328), Almaden area. Photo: Conrad Hoskin.

FIGURE 22. Amalosia queenslandia sp. nov. in life: (A) Mt Spurgeon; (B) Arcadia Valley; (C) Wambiana, near Charters Towers; (D) Jowalbinna, near Laura. Photos: (A, C) Conrad Hoskin; (B, D) Stephen Zozaya.

FIGURE 23. Habitat of A. queenslandia sp. nov. in the Townsville area. Photo: Conrad Hoskin.