Mochlus, GUNTHER, 1864

Freitas, Elyse S., Datta-Roy, Aniruddha, Karanth, Praveen, Grismer, L. Lee & Siler, Cameron D., 2019, Multilocus phylogeny and a new classification for African, Asian and Indian supple and writhing skinks (Scincidae: Lygosominae), Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 186, pp. 1067-1096 : 1086

GENUS MOCHLUS GÜNTHER, 1864 A: 308

Ty p e s p e c i e s: M o ch l u s p u n c t u l a t u s G ü n t h e r, 1864a = Eumeces afer Peters, 1854 ( Barboza du Bocage,

1867) = Eumeces sundevallii ( Eumices [sic] sunderallii [sic]) Smith, 1849 ( Freitas et al., 2018) by monotypy.

Tiliqua Burton, 1836: 62 . Not Tiliqua Gray, 1825 .

Sepacontias Günther, 1880: 235 . Type species Sepacontias modestus Günther, 1880 = Mochlus sundevallii ( Freitas et al., 2018) by monotypy.

Euprepes [sic]: Vaillant, 1884: 169. Part, not Euprepis Wagler, 1830 .

Lygosoma Boulenger, 1887: 209 . Part, not Lygosoma Hardwick & Gray, 1827 .

Lepidothyris Cope, 1892: 233 . Type species Tiliqua fernandi Burton, 1836 by subsequent designation ( Cope, 1900).

Riopa Smith, 1935: 312 . Part, not Riopa Gray, 1839 .

Diagnosis

Mochlus can be identified by the following combination of characters: (1) body size medium to large (SVL 55–166 mm); (2) trunk moderately elongate to elongate (AGD 44–83% SVL); (3) digits short to long (FinIIILam 6–10, ToeIVLam 9–17); (4) MBSRC 24–38; (5) PVSRC 60–78; (6) lower eyelid scaly or with a transparent disc; (7) supranasal scales in contact medially, occasionally fused or partially fused with nasals; (8) prefrontals not in contact medially, occasionally fused with frontonasal; (9) frontoparietal paired; (10) parietals in contact medially posterior to interparietal; (11) enlarged nuchal scales present or absent; and (12) palatine bones with posteriomedially projecting processes, pterygoids rounded along posterior edge.