LOBULIA GREER, 1974 (CLADE I)

(FIGS 5–15; SUPPORTING INFORMATION, FIGS S6–S 7; TABLE 1)

Lobulia Greer, 1974 . Australian Journal of Zoology Supplementary Series (31): 1–67.

Type species: Lygosoma elegans Boulenger, 1897, by original designation.

Diagnosis: Medium-sized (adult SVL 41.9–63.9 mm) terrestrial or semi-arboreal skinks with long limbs (forelimbs 32.9–47.6% of SVL, hindlimbs 41.6– 54.8% of SVL); lobules present on anterior edge of ear opening; two pairs of chin shields in medial contact; two supralabials posterior to subocular supralabial; chin shields abutting infralabials; lower eyelid with semi-transparent window; standard three-scale temporal region; nasal scale undivided; frontoparietals either fused or unfused; viviparous; litter size 1–4.

Lobulia differs from all other genera by its much longer limbs (forelimbs 32.9–47.6% vs. 27.7–39.8% of SVL, hindlimbs 41.6–54.8% vs. 29.9–49.6% of SVL). It further differs from Prasinohaema by lacking green blood serum and tissues (Greer, 1974), a prehensile tail with a glandular tip and basally expanded subdigital lamellae. It differs from Papuascincus by having two pairs of chin shields in medial contact (vs. one), an undivided (vs. divided) nasal scale and a viviparous (vs. oviparous) reproductive mode.

Species included: Lobulia brongersmai Zweifel, 1972; Lobulia elegans (Boulenger, 1897); Lobulia lobulus (Loveridge, 1945); and new species described below.

Distribution: Members of Lobulia are widespread along most of the montane regions of New Guinea, ranging from the central Owen Stanley Mountains in the Papuan Peninsula in the east ( Lo. elegans) to the Arfak Mountains in the Vogelkop Peninsula in the west. Most species are montane, found at elevations up to 2700 m a.s.l.; however, Lo. brongersmai is found in the lowlands and hill regions of the northern versant of New Guinea (0–1340 m a.s.l.). Lobulia brongersmai is the only member of the genus to be found below elevations of 700 m, the lowest recorded locality for Lo. elegans (Kraus, 2020) .

Remarks: Molecular evidence suggests that at least two other species not already named or described herein occur in the genus: one in Woitape (BPBM 18689–90; WGS 84: 8.545°S, 147.251°E) and one on Mt Yakapi in the Muller Range (BPBM 34161; WGS 84: 5.666°S, 142.643°E). However, since both are only known from a few specimens each, and are not extremely morphologically distinct, we refrain from formally describing them until further material can be collected and examined.