Lerista vanderduysi, Couper, Patrick J., Amey, Andrew P. & Wilmer, Jessica Worthington, 2016

Couper, Patrick J., Amey, Andrew P. & Wilmer, Jessica Worthington, 2016, Cryptic diversity within the narrowly endemic Lerista wilkinsi group of north Queensland — two new species (Reptilia: Scincidae), Zootaxa 4162 (1), pp. 61-91 : 73-76

Lerista vanderduysi sp. nov. Amey, Couper and Worthington Wilmer

Leaden-bellied Fine-line Slider

( Figs. 3–5 , 6 A)

Holotype. QMJ79057, Blackbraes National Park , 180 km NE Hughenden, MEQ (19° 33' 58" S, 143° 59' 28" E), 1 April, 2003.

Paratypes. QMJ77459, Blackbraes National Park , between Hughenden and Mount Garnet, NWQ (19° 32' 54" S, 143° 56' 27" E), 23 April, 2002 ; QMJ77548, Blackbraes National Park , between Hughenden and Mount Garnet, NWQ (19° 33' 07" S, 143° 58' 20" E), 23 April, 2002 ; QMJ79058– J79060 , Blackbraes National Park , 180 km NE Hughenden, NWQ (19° 35' 14" S, 144° 01' 00" E), 31 March, 2003; QMJ80715, Blackbraes National Park , Gorge Creek Rd, NWQ (19° 35' 13" S, 144° 01' 00" E), 22 October, 2003 ; QMJ81773, Blackbraes National Park , NWQ (19° 35' 14" S, 144° 01' 00" E), 23 November, 2004 ; QMJ82299, Kidston Dam , NWQ (19° 02' 08" S, 144° 07' 16" E), 14 August, 2014 ; QMJ88148– J88150 , Gilberton , NWQ (19° 12' 28" S, 143° 39' 58" E), 18 August, 2008; QMJ91705, Gilberton Station , NWQ (19° 12' 50" S, 143° 39' 47" E), 17 May, 2011 ; QMJ91719, Gilberton Station , NWQ (19° 12' 50" S, 143° 39' 47" E), 18 May, 2011 ; QMJ91729, Blackbraes National Park , NWQ (19° 33' 58" S, 143° 59' 28" E) ; QMJ91730–91731, Blackbraes National Park , NWQ (19° 35' 14" S, 144° 01' 00" E).

Diagnosis. Distinguished from all other Lerista by its enlarged first supraciliary, monodactyl hindlimb, single loreal scale, broad black lateral band enclosing at least one entire scale width, and ventrals dark brown to grey, heaviest posteriorly.

Comparisons. Lerista vanderduysi sp. nov. can only be confused with other Lerista spp. that also possess an enlarged first supraciliary (resulting from the fusion of the first two supraciliaries). These include members of the Queensland L. wilkinsi group ( L. ameles , L. cinerea , L. hobsoni sp. nov., L. storri , L. vittata and L. wilkinsi ) and also L. apoda and L. stylis (both of which are no longer considered members of this group). It is separated from all of these by possessing a broad, dark lateral band that encloses at least one full scale row and a darkly pigmented ventral surface. Note that one specimen of L. vittata , QMJ93634, has a band enclosing at least one full scale row but this anomalous specimen has an immaculate belly, as do all other L. vittata . Lerista vanderduysi sp. nov. is further separated from L. ameles and L. apoda by its hindlimbs (vs. totally limbless), from L. hobsoni sp. nov. by having a single loreal scale (vs. two loreal scales) and from L. storri and L. stylis by its monodactyl hindlimb (vs. stylar).

Description of holotype ( Fig. 4 ). SVL = 57 mm; HL = 4.8 mm, 8.4% SVL; HW = 2.6 mm, 54% HL; SE = 1.8 mm, 38% HL; eyelid free (not fused into a spectacle); EE = 2.7 mm, 56% HL; RL = 0.65 mm, 14% HL; NL = 1.1 mm, 22% HL; IN = 1.1 mm, 22% HL; EN = 1.5 mm, 31% HL; RF = 1.5 mm, 32% HL; E = 0.71 mm, 15% HL; ear minute, smaller than the surrounding scales; MW = 3.6 mm, 6.3% SVL; forelimb absent; L2 = 3.3 mm, 5.9% SVL; TL = 50 mm (original, determined by X-ray) 88% SVL. Hindlimb with a single clawed digit.

Midbody scale rows 18; NC = 46%; NaL = 23%; FN = 67%; FW = 104%; IW = 105%; PL = 56%; MV = 69%; supraocular two; supraciliaries four ( Figs. 5 A, 5B and 6A); first supraciliary contacts preocular, loreal, frontonasal, frontal, first supraocular and second supraciliary; frontal contacts interparietal, frontoparietal, first supraocular, first supraciliary and frontonasal; interparietal free (not fused to frontoparietals); single loreal; prefrontal absent; single preocular; single presubocular; four palpebrals; single postocular; single postsubocular; five supralabials; third supralabial bordering eye; two postsupralabials; five infralabials, two infralabials contacting postmental; four scales between last infralabial and ear; single pretemporal; temporal contacts fourth and fifth supralabials, postocular, pretemporal, second temporal and postsupralabial; three rows of enlarged chin shields; primary chin shields very narrowly separated; secondary chin shields separated by one scale; tertiary chin shields separated by three scales ( Fig. 5 C); four enlarged nuchal scales; 112 paravertebrals; two enlarged preanals; L2B = 9; six subdigital lamellae under single digit; five supradigitals; 93 subcaudals. Presacral vertebrae 50; caudal vertebrae 51.

Variation. Sample size is 17 unless otherwise noted: SVL = 38–67 mm (55 ± 10 mm); HL = 7.5–11% SVL (8.7 ± 1%); HW = 49–72% HL (62 ± 6%); SE = 18–38% HL (28 ± 5%); EE = 46–57% HL (51 ± 3%); RL = 13–21 % HL (17 ± 2%); NL = 16–23% HL (20 ± 2%); IN = 19–25% HL (22 ± 1%); EN = 27–36% HL (32 ± 2%); RF = 23–33 % HL (28 ± 2%); E = 12–20% HL (15 ± 2%); MW = 5–8% SVL (6 ± 1%); L2 = 4–8% SVL (5 ± 1%); TL = 82–111% SVL (92 ± 11%, n = 5 original tails, all others regrown).

Midbody scale rows 18–20 (mode = 18); NC = 29–64% (41 ± 9%); NaL = 13–25% (18 ± 3%); FN = 49–67% (57 ± 5%); FW = 84–109% (96 ± 7%); IW = 77–117% (95 ± 10%); PL = 50–80% (61 ± 8%); MV = 64–89% (76 ± 8%); supraoculars usually two (n = 16), rarely three (n = 1); 3–5 palpebrals (mode = 5); five infralabials, usually first two infralabials contacting postmental (n = 12), sometimes one (n = 5); 4–5 scales between last infralabial and ear (mode = 4); temporal contacts fourth and fifth supralabials, postocular, pretemporal, second temporal and postsupralabial (sometimes fails to contact postocular, n = 4); primary chin shields narrowly separated or in point contact (broadly contacting in one only); enlarged nuchal scales present or absent (mode = 4), 89–115 paravertebrals (mode = 104); L2B = 6–10 (mode = 7); 4–7 subdigital lamellae under single digit (mode = 5); 3–11 supradigitals (mode = 3); 77–99 subcaudals (n = 5). Presacral vertebrae 47–50 (mode = 49, n = 8); 3 phalanges (n = 4); 46–51 caudal vertebrae (mode = 51, n = 3).

Colouration in preservative ( Fig 4 ). The dorsal surfaces of the head, body and tail are beige to greyishbrown. Body with a series of chocolate brown streaks that form broken longitudinal lines along scale rows one (paravertebrals) and two (latero-dorsals) with the paravertebral streaks being more pronounced than those on the adjacent rows. These lines continue along the dorsal surface of the tail where there is no discernible difference in the intensity of the streaks between the two scale rows. The flanks are boldly marked by a broad, chocolate brown lateral stripe that begins behind the eye and extends along the side of the tail. On the body, this stripe encompasses the lower half of scale row three, all of scale row four and some, or all, of scale row five. Along its lower edge, this stripe merges with a zone of less intense brown or the pattern breaks to one or two poorly defined additional stripes on the lower flanks. The lateral stripe is present on the proximal portion of the tail but progressively narrows and becomes confined to the third scale row before breaking into a series of streaks on the distal portion. It is bordered below by another line of streaks on scale row four. The head shields have a narrow opaque edge, which forms a straw-coloured margin, and are marked with scattered dark flecks. A dark zone is present on the loreal region, commencing at the naris, extending to the eye and incorporating the supralabials. The ventral surfaces are diffused with grey to brown, which extends beyond the vent to the proximal portion of the tail. Beyond this, the diffusion fades and the tail becomes off-white with varying degrees of dark speckling. Regrown tails are more heavily pigmented both above and below and are without well-defined broken lines on the dorsal and lateral surfaces.

Colouration in life (as different from colouration in preservative, Fig. 3 ). As for spirit specimens but the colours tend to be richer.

Etymology. Named for Eric Vanderduys, CSIRO, for his contributions to Queensland herpetology. Eric has had a long-standing interest in this species and helped to collect the type series. Pronounced Vander – dice – i.

Distribution and habitat. Lerista vanderduysi sp. nov. occurs in the region of Blackbraes National Park, within the Western Cape and Gulf Drainage ( Fig. 1 ). It is largely restricted to patches of semi-evergreen vine thickets.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Map of collection localities for Lerista cinerea (red), Lerista hobsoni sp. nov. (orange), Lerista vanderduysi sp. nov. (aqua) and Lerista vittata (dark blue). Large symbols indicate type localities; symbols with a dark centre indicate genetic samples as well as voucher specimens. Inset, map of Australia showing study area (Google © 2016; Image Landsat Data S 10, NOAA, U. S. Navy, NGA, GEBCO).

FIGURE 3. Lerista vanderduysi sp. nov. in life (QMJ 77548, paratype, photo by S. K. Wilson).

FIGURE 4. (A) Lerista vanderduysi sp. nov. preserved (QMJ 79057, holotype), (B) dorsal view of head, (C) lateral view of head (photos by P. Waddington, QM).

FIGURE 5. Lerista vanderduysi sp. nov. head scalation (QMJ 79057, holotype), (A) lateral view, (B) dorsal view, (C) ventral view.

FIGURE 6. (A) Lerista vanderduysi sp. nov. (QMJ 79057, holotype) and (B) Lerista hobsoni sp. nov. (QMJ 93709, holotype) preocular and loreal scale arrangement. 1 – 4 = supraciliaries, L = loreal, PO = preocular, PS = presubocular, PT = pretemporal, S 3 = third supralabial, SO 1 – SO 2 = supraoculars.