Naja (Boulengerina) melanoleuca Hallowell, 1857

Sánchez-Vialas, Alberto, Calvo-Revuelta, Marta & Riva, Ignacio De La, 2022, Synopsis of the terrestrial Reptiles of Equatorial Guinea, Zootaxa 5202 (1), pp. 1-197 : 102

Naja (Boulengerina) melanoleuca Hallowell, 1857

Figure 26A

Naja haje var. melanoleuca Hallowell, 1857: 61 . Type locality: “Gaboon”, Gabon.

Naja haje var. leucosticta Fischer, 1885: 115 . Type locality: “von Cameroons, vom Gaboon und von Ogowé” Cameroon and Ogooué River , Gabon .

Naia melanoleuca ( Hallowell, 1857) : Boulenger 1896: 376.

Boulengerina melanoleuca ( Hallowell, 1857) : Wallach et al. 2014.

Distribution. This species ranges from southwestern Nigeria to the east of the Albertine Rift Valley, south to northern Angola. In Equatorial Guinea it has been recorded in Bioko at Musola ( Boulenger 1906; Capocaccia 1961a), Malabo ( Mertens 1941), Moka and Ureca ( Mertens 1964a), and in Río Muni at Cabo San Juan ( Boulenger 1905) and Monte Alén National Park ( Lasso et al. 2002) including Monte Mitra ( Gonwouo & Nsang 2005) ( Map 29C ).

Comments. Recent taxonomic works ( Ceríaco et al. 2017; Wüster et al. 2018) have unveiled an unexpected diversity within the former concept of N. melanoleuca , which currently includes N. subfulva Laurent, 1955 , N. peroescobari Ceríaco, Marques, Schmitz & Bauer, 2017 , N. guineensis Broadley, Trape, Chirio, Ineich & Wüster, 2018 , N. savannula Broadley, Trape, Chirio & Wüster, 2018 and N. melanoleuca . The specimens MNCN 22598, MNCN22693 and MNCN23187 were previously misidentified as Pseudohaje nigra Günther, 1858 (a species not present in Central Africa) (Pérez del Val 2001) and correspond to N. melanoleuca .

Specimens examined. Thirty-nine specimens. Equatorial Guinea: without specific locality, but likely Cabo San Juan as part of the material examined by Boulenger (1905) ( MNCN 22693 ) ; without specific locality, July 1891 ( MNCN 23187 ) . Island of Elobey ( MNCN 22705 ) . Río Muni: Bata ( MNCN 22598 ) ; Bata 09 May 1966 ( EBD 2867 ) ; Bata , road of Izagu (not found), 05 January 1967 ( EBD 2868–2869 ) ; Miboman (road from Bata to Niefang), August 1987 ( EBD 2752 ) ; Miboman , 17 June 1984 ( EBD 20278) , December 1987 [EBD 27730, EBD 27731 (for 2 specimens)], December 1987 ( EBD 32045) ; Miboman (Km 30, road from Bata to Movo) ( EBD 20783) ; Miboman (Km 27, road of Bata), 15 February 1986 ( EBD 20781) ; Miboman , 30 Km from Bata, 14 October 1985 ( EBD 20802) , 14 October 1985 ( EBD 20782) ; Miboman , 30 km from Niefang, 01 February 1987 ( EBD 24998) ; Miboman (road to Niefang), 07 July 1986 ( EBD 20779) ; San Joaquín de Ndyiacom , 01 August 1986 ( EBD 24997) ; San Joaquín de Ndyiacom (road from Bata to Ayamiken), 20 May 1987 ( EBD 25000) ; San Joaquín de Ndyiacom , December 1987 ( EBD 27735) ; Bata , road to the airport, 20 November 1985 ( EBD 20780) ; San Joaquín de Ndyiacom ( EBD 32044) , 16 February 1988 ( EBD 32042) , September 1987 ( EBD 27798) , April 1988 (EBD 27776, EBD 27778) ; 15 km from Bata , 20 July 1964 ( EBD 2866 ) ; Bata , 01 May 1986 ( EBD 20784) ; without specific locality ( EBD 02864–02865 ) ; Km 25, road from Bata to Ayamiken, 03 February 1987 ( EBD 32037) ; Km 32, road from Bata to Niefang ( EBD 27794) ; Asonga , 14 February 1988 ( EBD 32043) ; Camp at río Ntem, 01 August 1986 ( EBD 32038) . Bioko : without specific locality, 1876–1877 ( MNCN 22720–22723 ) ; November 1981 (without EBD number, R1796 ) .

Figures

FIGURE 26. From left to right: lateral, dorsal and ventral views of the head of: Naja (Boulengerina) melanoleuca (A) (MNCN 22693), Naja (Boulengerina) multifasciata (C) (EBD 25054), and Pseudohaje goldii (EBD 20803). Photos: AS-V.

MAPS 29 A–C. Distribution maps for Equatorial Guinean records of (A) Dendroaspis jamesoni; (B) Naja (Boulengerina) annulata; (C) Naja (Boulengerina) melanoleuca.