Lobulia lobulus
Creators: name: Slavenko, Alex
name: Tamar, Karin
name: Tallowin, Oliver J S
name: Kraus, Fred
name: Allison, Allen
name: Carranza, Salvador
name: Meiri, Shai
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2022
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Chordata
Reptilia
Squamata
Scincidae
Lobulia
Lobulia lobulus

description: LOBULIA LOBULUS (LOVERIDGE, 1945)
CENTRAL RANGE MOSS SKINK
(FIGS 6–8; TABLE 1)
Ly g o s o m a (L e i o l o p i s m a) e l e g a n t o i d e s l o b u l u s Loveridge, 1945: 49.
Type locality: Mt Wilhelm, Papua New Guinea. Lobulia lobulus, Kraus, 2020: 204.
Material examined for rediagnosis: Papua New Guinea: Madang Province: Bismarck Range: Mt Wilhelm, 2286– 2438 m a.s.l. (“ 7500 to 8000 ft ”) (MCZ R-47067; male; holotype; photos only); Eastern Highlands Province: Daulo Pass, 6.0409°S, 145.2256°E (WGS 84), 2472 m a.s.l. (BPBM 2577, 2578; two juveniles); Chimbu Province: Bismarck Range: Denglagu, Mt Wilhelm, 5.8424°S, 145.0967°E (WGS 84), 2500 m a.s.l. (BPBM 3901, 3910; one male, one juvenile); Mt Wilhelm, above Keglsugl, 5.8071°S, 145.00631°E (WGS 84) (BPBM 6125–26; one male, one juvenile); vicinity of Keglsugl, 5.8311°S, 145.0981°E (WGS 84), 2652 m a.s.l. (BPBM 10811; juvenile); Western Highlands Province: Trika, 5.812°S, 145.095°E (WGS 84), 2200 m a.s.l. (BPBM 22976; female); Rondon Ridge, 5.8891°S, 144.2521°E (WGS 84), 1960 m a.s.l. (BPBM 47837; male); Hela Province: Ambua Lodge, Tari, 5.9616°S, 143.0677°E (WGS 84), 2100 m a.s.l. (BPBM 23058; female).
Diagnosis: A medium-sized species of Lobulia (adult SVL 42.5–55.8 mm), characterized by the unique combination of frontoparietals unfused; supraorbital ridges usually not pronounced; nuchals 1–3 pairs; paravertebral scales 54–61; mid-body scale rows 32–40; 4 th digit on front foot longer than 3 rd; subdigital lamellae 19–24 under 4 th toe; single supradigital scales 3–4 on 4 th toe; mid-dorsum with two rows of large dark brown spots on an olive green background typically joined to form two irregularly-shaped dark brown mid-dorsal stripes; top of tail base with two rows of large dark brown spots; fragmented white dorsolateral stripes present, extending from parietals to base of tail; flanks dark brown with light spots; unbroken white lateral stripes present, extending from occiput to hindlimbs; ventral coloration light blue on chin, occasionally speckled with dark brown spots, lemon-yellow on abdomen and base of tail in life, uniform light blue in preservative; thighs and precloacal region lack brown spotting; ventral surfaces of tail occasionally speckled with light brown spots; palmar and plantar surfaces lemon-yellow in life, light brown in preservative.
Comparisons: Lobulia lobulus differs from Lo. brongersmai inhavingunfused(vs.fused) frontoparietals. It differs from Lo. elegans in having white dorsolateral stripes and lateral stripes (vs. absent), and in having higher counts of midbody scale rows (32–40 vs. 30–32) and paravertebral scales (54–61 vs. 52–54).
Description: This description is based on photographs of the holotype (available online: https://mczbase. mcz.harvard.edu/guid/MCZ:Herp:R-47067) and our examinations of ten specimens in the BPBM collections.
Adult body size 42.5–55.8 mm SVL (mean = 52.2, SD = 5.5, N = 5). Females (mean = 49.2, range: 42.5–55.8, SD = 9.4, N = 2) have larger maximal size than males (mean = 54.2, range: 53.7–55.0, SD = 0.7, N = 3), although Loveridge (1945) reports an SVL of 60 mm for the male holotype. Forelimbs 32.9–42.9% of SVL (mean = 39.6%, SD = 3.9, N = 5). Hindlimbs 42.0–51.5% of SVL (mean = 47.7%, SD = 3.7, N = 5). Rostral broad and shallow, wider than deep, projecting slightly onto top of snout; nasals more or less rectangular, separated by rostral and frontonasal contact, projecting anterodorsally onto dorsum of snout; nostril circular, centred within nasal, undivided in all but BPBM 6125; frontonasal large, with eight sides, extending laterally to slightly above the level of nares; prefrontals large, either separated by frontonasal and frontal contact (N = 5) or in narrow contact (N = 4), rarely separated by a single azygous scale (N = 2), bordered lateroventrally by two loreals; supraoculars four, anterior two in contact with frontal, posterior three in contact with frontoparietals; frontal roughly kite shaped, widest anteriorly; frontoparietals single pair in medial contact, in narrow contact with frontal; interparietal of roughly similar area to single frontoparietal, kite shaped, widest anteriorly; parietal eye spot absent; parietals in contact behind interparietal, in contact anteriorly with frontoparietals, posteriormost supraocular and two pretemporals; nuchals 1–3 pairs, transversely enlarged, wider than long, separated from secondary temporal by a single intercalated scale; nuchals typically symmetrical (N = 7), sometimes one more on left side (N = 3), rarely one more on right side (BPBM 40327). Anterior loreal smaller than posterior loreal, higher than long; posterior loreal usually longer than high; lower preocular roughly square in shape; upper preocular much smaller, longer than high; presubocular single; postsuboculars usually three (N = 8), occasionally four (N = 3), lowest interdigitated between subocular supralabial and penultimate supralabial; lower eyelid scaly, moveable, with a clear palpebral disc smaller than the size of the ear opening; supraciliaries typically eight (N = 7), rarely seven (N = 2) or nine (N = 2), anteriormost usually not in contact with frontal (N = 7), sometimes in narrow contact (N = 4), posteriormost projecting medially and interdigitated between posteriormost supraocular and upper pretemporal; primary temporals typically one (N = 9), but rarely two (N = 2) with lower interdigitated between posterior two supralabials; secondary temporals two, upper larger and overlapping lower; supralabials seven, fifth in contact with small scales of lower eyelid, posteriormost fragmented by horizontal suture in BPBM 47837; postsupralabials two; ear opening moderately large, with lobules along anterior margin. Mental single; postmental single, contacting two anteriormost infralabials; infralabials typically seven (N = 7), occasionally eight (N = 4); enlarged chin shields four pairs, the first two pairs in medial contact, third pair narrowly separated by single medial scale, fourth pair separated by three medial scales; posteriormost chin shield in contact with penultimate infralabial (N = 10), rarely with prepenultimate (N = 1). Body scales smooth, in 32–40 rows at midbody (mean = 35.3, SD = 2.4, N = 10); paravertebral scales 54–61 (mean = 57.7, SD = 2.6, N = 10); medial precloacal scales enlarged, overlapping lateral precloacals. Scales on dorsal surface of fourth toe in two rows proximally, single row distally beginning at third interphalangeal joint, 3–7 single scales (mean = 4, SD = 1.2, N = 10); subdigital lamellae under fourth toe 19–24 (mean = 21, SD = 1.6, N = 10), smooth. In preservative (Fig. 7), base dorsal coloration coppery brown, with two mid-dorsal parallel rows of large dark brown spots two to four scales long, typically joined to form irregular dark brown parallel stripes, extending to base of tail; two parallel rows of dark brown spots become smaller posteriorly on tail; dorsolateral stripes present as light brown or light blue fragmented stripes extending from occiput to base of tail; lateral field dark brown, speckled with light blue spots one to two single scales wide; unfragmented light blue lateral stripe present, extending from postsupralabials, across ear opening, to hind limbs; head similar in coloration to dorsum, with dark brown spotting, mostly in centre of scales and along scale margins; ventral surfaces uniform cream or light blue; light brown dusting occasionally present on chin and ventral surface of tail; scales on palmar and plantar surfaces light brown, contrasting with dark brown digits. In life (Figs 6, 8), dorsal colour coppery brown with black mid-dorsal spots; fragmented dorsolateral stripes, uniform lateral stripes and spots on lateral field pale yellow; chin light blue; ventral surfaces of chest, abdomen, thighs, precloacal region and tail lemon yellow, with tail becoming light blue posteriorly; scales on palmar and plantar surfaces dark yellow.
Distribution: Known from several locations in the Central Ranges of Papua New Guinea at elevations 1960–2650 m a.s.l., mostly around the vicinity of Mt Wilhelm. It likely does not extend to the Huon Peninsula or the Owen Stanley Ranges, where it is replaced by two newly described species (see below) and Lo. elegans.
Reproduction: Viviparous. Only a single gravid female was examined, with three embryos, but litter size is presumably variable in this species, as in other members of the genus.
Conservation status: The species appears locally abundant although the population trend is unknown. Based on the sampled populations Lo. lobulus has an extent of occurrence of 4085 km 2 and an area of occupancy of 32 km 2 (based on occupation of 4 km 2 cells; both calculated using http://geocat.kew.org/). However, its distribution almost certainly encompasses more populations throughout the Central Ranges in suitable elevations, including many specimens already deposited in natural history collections, and the true area of occupancy and extent of occurrence are likely much larger than estimated here. The type locality is in the vicinity of a protected area, the Mount Wilhelm National Park, although the National Park only encompasses elevations> 3200 m, and it is unclear if Lo. lobulus occurs at such elevations. Since it is locally abundant, with no immediate direct threats to the species or indirect threats to its habitat or location, and because it likely occurs over a wide distribution range encompassing at least one protected area, we recommend assigning a status of Least Concern to Lo. lobulus, although its true distribution extent needs to be confirmed.
description: Published as part of Slavenko, Alex, Tamar, Karin, Tallowin, Oliver J S, Kraus, Fred, Allison, Allen, Carranza, Salvador & Meiri, Shai, 2022, Revision of the montane New Guinean skink genus Lobulia (Squamata: Scincidae), with the description of four new genera and nine new species, pp. 220-278 in Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 195 (1) on pages 243-249, DOI: 10.1093/zoolinnean/zlab052, http://zenodo.org/record/6530695