Manciola, Hedges & Conn, 2012

Hedges, S. Blair & Conn, Caitlin E., 2012, A new skink fauna from Caribbean islands (Squamata, Mabuyidae, Mabuyinae) 3288, Zootaxa 3288 (1), pp. 1-244 : 117-118

Genus Manciola gen. nov.

South American Small-handed Skinks

Type species. Mabuya guaporicola Dunn, 1936:549 .

Diagnosis. The species in this genus is characterized by (1) frontoparietals, two, (2) supraciliaries, four, (3) supraoculars, four, (4) prefrontal contact, absent or rare, (5) parietal contact, present, (6) rows of nuchals, one, (7) dorsals + ventrals, 136–141, (8) total lamellae, 147–154, (9) a dark middorsal stripe, present, (10) dark dorsolateral stripes, present, (11) a dark lateral stripe, present, and (12) dark ventral striping, absent. The maximum body size in the single included species is 98 mm SVL ( Dunn 1936; Table 2).

from all other genera (> 157 total lamellae), although this character was not scored in Exila , Maracaiba , and Orosaura . However, Manciola differs from those three genera and Capitellum , Copeoglossum (except C. arajara ), Mabuya , and Psychosaura in having pale (versus dark) palms and soles. From Exila , Notomabuya , and Panopa , Manciola differs in having two frontoparietals (versus one fused frontoparietal in those other genera). In having four supraoculars, Manciola is separated from two genera with three supraoculars: Aspronema (rarely four) and Mabuya (rarely two or four). The presence of a single nuchal row separates this genus from Exila and Panopa (2–5 nuchal rows) and from most Spondylurus (usually 2–3 rows, rarely one). The presence of contact between the parietals separates this genus from Copeoglossum . It differs from Alinea by having fewer finger-IV + toe-IV lamellae (21–22 versus 28–36), having dark lateral stripes, and lacking ventral striping.

Content. One species is placed in this genus: Manciola guaporicola ( Table 1).

Distribution. This genus is distributed in eastern and southern Brazil and in Bolivia ( Avila-Pires 1995; Fig. 8b ).

Etymology. The generic name ( Manciola ) is a feminine, Latin, noun meaning small hand, in reference to the relatively small hands and feet in these skinks.

Remarks. The molecular phylogeny ( Fig. 5 ) does not clearly establish the relationship of this genus to others. The relationship to Brasiliscincus in the tree is not significant, although Rodrigues (2000) allied Manciola guaporicola with species placed here in Brasiliscincus based on some pattern similarities. The two genera also have relatively small hands and feet as reflected in low numbers of total digital lamellae: 157–194 in Brasiliscincus and 147–154 in Manciola . No molecular data were available for Capitellum (the three included species are likely extinct) but that genus also is characterized by relatively low numbers of lamellae (167–190) and, considering other characters (see below), probably also is a close relative of Brasiliscincus and Manciola . The molecular phylogenies ( Figs. 5–7 ) show relatively deep divergences (4–5%, cyt b) among specimens of M. guaporicola from different localities suggesting that there are likely additional species of Manciola not yet recognized.

Figures

FIGURE 5 (continued on the next page)

FIGURE 8. Distribution of the 16 genera of Neotropical skinks, Family Mabuyidae, Subfamily Mabuyinae. (A) Genera occurring in the greater Caribbean region. (B) Genera occurring exclusively in South America. (C) Additional genera occurring in South America, including one with representatives on Caribbean islands.