Bungarus wanghaotingi Pope, 1928

Chen, Ze-Ning, Shi, Sheng-Chao, Vogel, Gernot, Ding, Li & Shi, Jing-Song, 2021, Multiple lines of evidence reveal a new species of Krait (Squamata, Elapidae, Bungarus) from Southwestern China and Northern Myanmar, ZooKeys 1025, pp. 35-71 : 35

Bungarus wanghaotingi Pope, 1928 Figs 4E, F , 5E, F , 6E, F , 7E, F , 8D , 9G-I [English name: Wang’s Krait] [Chinese name: 云南环蛇]

Bungarus multicinctus wanghaotingi Pope 1928: 3.

Bungarus multicinctus wanghaotingi - Mell 1929; Zhao et al. 1998; Zhao 2006

Bungarus wanghaotingi - Leviton et al. 2003

Type locality.

Yuankiang , Yunnan, China. Holotype: AMNH 35230 .

The typical populations of this species possess the following characters based on 16 examined specimens from Yunnan and Guangxi, China (Appendix 1), squamation data and body measurements of ten specimens from Yunnan, China ( Yang and Rao 2008) and the holotype ( Pope 1928): (1) 25.1 ± 3.2 (18-33, n = 27) narrow white dorsal body bands, 1.5-2.5 (n = 16) vertebral scales long at midbody (Yunnan population, n = 7; wider on specimens from Thailand) (Figs 4E , 5E ); (2) ventral surface immaculate (Figs 4F , 5F ); (3) scales on neck and head uniform black in adults, light brown in juveniles (Fig. 6E, F ); (4) moderately elongate black bands on body (3.5-6.0 vertebral scales long) intruding to ventrals for 0.5 to 1.5 times of length of outer dorsal scales (Fig. 7E, F ); (5) ventral tail white with one row of small light brown dots in the middle of the subcaudals (Figs 4F , 5F ); (6) posterior maxilla teeth four, slightly folding backwards (Fig. 8D and Table 3 ); (7) fangs distinctly curved (Fig. 8D ); (8) prefrontals suture 1.2-2.5 (n = 10) times the length of internasals suture; (9) VEN = 209-259 (n = 23), NSC = 32-64 (n = 22).

The hemipenes (Fig. 9G-I ) are described based on the sequenced adult male specimen CIB MLMY 20170801 (SVL 1170 mm) from Mengla, Yunnan Province and one subadult male CIB DL 2019051401 from, Yunnan Province, China; hemipenes reach 9th subcaudal, bilobed near apex, can be divided into three zones similar to B. multicinctus , the line of demarcation between the calyculate zone and the spinose zone is poorly defined; large spines thick, relatively short, mostly pointy, gradually thinning from the base to the tip; tips of large spines weakly keratinized, degree of keratinization highest at base, not in shape of short bars and not having a distinct boundary with main body of large spine.

B. wanghaotingi (typical populations from China) differs from B. multicinctus by having (1) fewer white bands on body; (2) ventral colouration of the body (immaculate vs. scattered with dense brown pigments in adults) (Fig. 5A, B ); (3) coloration of the ventral surface of tail (immaculate or with dots vs. broad dark bands or patches); (4) the morphology of large spines on the hemipenes (large spines on hemipenes mostly pointy vs. papilla-like in shape and blunt); (5) the shape of the large spines on the hemipenes (without a distinct boundary with main body of large spines vs. with a distinct boundary); (6) fang shape (less distinctly curved vs. distinctly curved) (Fig. 7 ); and (7) posterior maxilla teeth less folding behind (Fig. 7 ).

B. wanghaotingi (typical populations from China) differs from B. candidus by having (1) narrower white bands in most specimens; (2) scales on neck and dorsal head uniform black in adults, light brown in juveniles vs. stained white, contrasting with neighbor scales on neck in adults, creamy white in juveniles; (3) ventral tail immaculate or with dots, rather than broad dark bands; (4) large spines on hemipenes relatively short, and weakly keratinized (vs. very elongated, and strongly keratinized).

Distribution. This species is known from the following localities based on specimens examined and/or DNA sequences data: Southern Yunnan, Southern Guangxi, China; Southern, Central and Northern Vietnam; Northern and Central Laos; Southern Thailand.

Figures

Figure 4. Dorsal (left) and ventral (right) view of adults of the Bungarus candidus / Bungarus multicinctus / Bungarus wanghaotingi complex A, B Bungarus multicinctus, adult male, CIB DL 2019051701 from Lishui, Zhejiang, China C, D B. candidus, female, NMW 9486: 1 from Pelambang, Java E, F B. wanghaotingi, male, CIB MLML 20170801 from Mengla, Yunnan, China. Scale bars: 20 mm.

Figure 5. Dorsal (left) and ventral (right) view of juveniles of the Bungarus candidus / Bungarus multicinctus / Bungarus wanghaotingi complex A, B B. multicinctus, female, CIB DL 18090209 from Fujian, China C, D B. candidus, female, NMW 27730: 4 from Tasikmalaya, Java E, F B. wanghaotingi, unknown sex, CIB JCR 36 from Jiangcheng, Yunnan, China. Scale bars: 20 mm.

Figure 6. Dorsolateral head view of adults (left) and juveniles (right) of the Bungarus candidus / Bungarus multicinctus / Bungarus wanghaotingi complex and B. suzhenae sp. nov. A B. multicinctus, adult male, CIB DL 2019051701 from Lishui, Zhejiang, China B B. multicinctus, juvenile female, CIB DL 18090209 from Fujian, China C B. candidus, adult female, NMW 9486: 1 from Pelambang, Java D B. candidus, juvenile female, NMW 27730: 4 from Tasikmalaya, Java E B. wanghaotingi, adult male, CIB MLML 20170801 from Jiangcheng, Yunnan, China F B. wanghaotingi, unknown sex juvenile, CIB JCR 36 from Jiangcheng, Yunnan, China G B. suzhenae sp. nov. adult female, CIB 116090 H B. suzhenae sp. nov. subadult male, CIB 116088.

Figure 7. Body patterns of adults (left) and juveniles (right) of the Bungarus candidus / Bungarus multicinctus / Bungarus wanghaotingi complex and B. suzhenae sp. nov. A B. multicinctus, adult male CIB DL 2019051701 from Lishui, Zhejiang, China B B. multicinctus juvenile female, CIB DL 18090209 from Fujian, China C B. candidus, adult male, NMW 27711: 1 from Bandong, Java D B. candidus, juvenile male, RMNH 11416 from Pelambang, Java E B. wanghaotingi, adult male, CIB MLML 20170801 from Mengla, Yunnan, China F B. wanghaotingi, unknown sex juvenile CIB JCR 36 from Jiangcheng, Yunnan, China G B. suzhenae sp. nov. adult male, CIB 116089 from Yingjiang, Yunnan, China H B. suzhenae sp. nov. subadult male, CIB 116088 from Yingjiang, Yunnan, China.

Figure 8. Maxilla morphology of seven members of subfamily Elapidae. Lateral (A) lingual (B), and ventral (C) view of the left maxilla of CIB 116090 (the paratype of B. suzhenae sp. nov.), compared with other members of the subfamily Elapinae D B. wanghaotingi SYNU R 170408, from Yala, Thailand E B. multicinctus, from Guangdong, China F B. fasciatus, from Guangdong, China G Naja atra from Guangdong, China H N. melanoleuca from Kimpese, Congo I Ophiophagus Hannah from Guangxi, China. Scale bars: 5 mm, note that H and I had been scaled down at 1 / 2. Al = alveoli.

Figure 9. Hemipenial morphology of the Bungarus candidus / Bungarus multicinctus / Bungarus wanghaotingi complex and B. suzhenae sp. nov. Sulcate view (left), asulcate view (middle), spines (right) A-C B. multicinctus, CIB DL 2019051701 from Lishui, Zhejiang, China, body length 993 mm D-F B. candidus, RH 06153 from Quang Binh Province, Vietnam, body length 1200 mm G-I B. wanghaotingi, CIB MLML 20170801 from Mengla, Yunnan, China, body length 1170 mm J-L B. suzhenae sp. nov., CIB 116089 from Yingjiang, Yunnan, China, body length 1140 mm.