Lobulia marmorata Slavenko & Tamar & Tallowin & Kraus & Allison & Carranza & Meiri 2022, SP. NOV.
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 marmorata

description: LOBULIA MARMORATA SP. NOV.
MARBLED MOSS SKINK
(FIGS 6, 13–14; TABLE 1)
Z o o b a n k r e g i s t r a t i o n: u r n:l s i d: z o o b a n k. org:act: 1E3599CA-0E98-43C5-9BD8-7F977A3E6C65
Holotype: BPBM 34150 (field tag FK 12731), adult male, collected by F. Kraus at 5.639°S, 142.625°E (WGS 84), 1900 m a.s.l., Muller Range, Hela Province, Papua New Guinea, 23 March 2009.
Paratypes (N = 32): Papua New Guinea: Hela Province: Muller Range: same locality as holotype (BPBM 34151– 55, 34157; two males, two females, two juveniles); 5.652°S, 142.634°E (WGS 84), 1800 m a.s.l. (BPBM 34156, 34162–23; two males, one female); “ Mt Yakapi ”, 5.666°S, 142.643°E (WGS 84), 1966 m a.s.l. (BPBM 34158–60; two males, one female); “ Point 17 = Dickson’s Village ”, 5.64°S, 142.628°E (WGS 84), 1859 m a.s.l. (BPBM 34164–5, 34169–70, PNGNM 25284; two males, one female, two juveniles); “ Kunida ”, 5.6431°S, 142.634°E (WGS 84), 1910 m a.s.l. (BPBM 34166–8; one male, two females); “ Dickson’s House ”, 5.6454°S, 142.639°E (WGS 84), 1777 m a.s.l. (BPBM 34171–73, 34177, PNGNM 25281–83; four males, three females); 5.652°S, 142.643°E (WGS 84), 1860 m a.s.l. (BPBM 34174–76; one male, two females); 5.639°S, 142.625°E (WGS 84), 1900 m a.s.l. (BPBM 34178; male); “ Top House ”, 5.6591°S, 142.635°E (WGS 84), 1910 m a.s.l. (PNGNM 25285; male).
Diagnosis: A medium-sized species of Lobulia (adult SVL 41.9–56.9 mm), characterized by the unique combination of frontoparietals fused; supraorbital ridges typically pronounced; nuchals 2–4 pairs; paravertebral scales 46–56; mid-body scale rows 30–34; 4 th digit on front foot longer than 3 rd; subdigital lamellae 20–25 under 4 th toe; single supradigital scales 3–4 on 4 th toe; mid-dorsum with two rows of large dark brown spots converging to a single row roughly around midbody; top of tail with two rows of dark brown spots joining ventrally with dark lateral stripes along the tail length; light blue or white dorsolateral stripes absent; flanks dark brown spotted with grey; light blue or white lateral stripes absent; uniform coloration on abdomen and base of tail, lemon yellow in life, light blue in preservative; thighs and precloacal region without brown spotting; tail and chin uniform light blue speckled with brown spots; palmar and plantar surfaces dark yellow in life, light brown in preservative.
Comparisons: Lobulia marmorata differs from Lo. elegans, Lo. lobulus and Lo. huonensis in having fused vs. unfused frontoparietals. Lobulia marmorata is most similar in scalation and coloration to Lo. brongersmai, but differs from it in having a higher average count of midbody scale rows [31.5 (30–34) vs. 29 (27–32)], a dark blotch on the nuchal region, posterior to the parietals, and a generally darker coloration due to larger size of the dark brown dorsal spots relative to the base grey coloration.
Description of the holotype: 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; frontonasal large, with eight sides, extending laterally to slightly above the level of nares, in broad contact with frontal; prefrontals large, separated by frontonasal and frontal contact, bordered ventrolaterally by two loreals; supraoculars four, anterior two in contact with frontal, posterior three in contact with frontoparietal; frontal kite shaped, widest anteriorly; frontoparietal single, anteriorly in contact with frontal, posteriorly with interparietal and parietals; interparietal smaller than fused frontoparietal, kite shaped, widest anteriorly; parietal eye spot absent; parietals in contact behind interparietal, in contact anteriorly with frontoparietal, posteriormost supraocular and two pretemporals; nuchals two pairs, transversely enlarged, wider than long, separated from secondary temporal by a single intercalated scale, with a third nuchal on the right side. Anterior loreal slightly smaller than posterior loreal, roughly as long as high; posterior loreal longer than high; lower preocular roughly square in shape; upper preocular much smaller, longer than high; presubocular single; postsuboculars three, lowest interdigitated between subocular supralabial and penultimate supralabial; lower eyelid scaly, moveable, with a clear palpebral disc roughly the size of ear opening; supraciliaries nine, anteriormost in narrow contact with frontal, posteriormost projecting medially and interdigitated between posteriormost supraocular and upper pretemporal; primary temporal single, ventrally contacting posteriormost supralabial; secondary temporals two, upper larger and overlapping lower; supralabials seven, fifth in contact with small scales of lower eyelid; postsupralabials two; ear opening moderately large, with lobules along anterior margin. Mental single; postmental single, contacting two anteriormost infralabials; infralabials seven; enlarged chin shields four pairs, the first two pairs in medial contact, third pair narrowly separated by a single medial scale, fourth pair separated by three medial scales; posteriormost chin shield in contact with penultimate infralabial. Body scales smooth, in 31 rows at midbody; paravertebral scales 50; medial precloacal scales enlarged, overlapping lateral precloacals. Scales on dorsal surface of 4th toe in two rows proximally, single row distally beginning at third interphalangeal joint, three single scales; subdigital lamellae under 4th toe 20, smooth. In preservative (Fig. 13), base dorsal coloration grey-brown, with two mid-dorsal parallel rows of large dark brown spots two to four scales long, converging posterior to forelimbs to form a single continuous mid-dorsal dark stripe with transverse lateral projections, extending to base of tail; on dorsal surface of tail, two parallel rows of dark brown blotches extending medially from dark brown lateral stripes; light blue or white dorsolateral stripes absent, but parallel dorsolateral rows of dark brown blotches present, extending laterally to lateral fields; lateral field dark brown, speckled with grey spots; light blue or white lateral stripe absent; head similar in coloration to dorsum; dark brown spotting on head scales, mostly along scale margins, with large dark spot in centre of frontal; large dark blotch in nuchal region formed by dark coloration on the posterior margins of parietals and medial margins of nuchals; ventral surfaces uniform light blue; brown dusting present on chin; scales on palmar and plantar surfaces light brown, contrasting with dark brown digits. In life (Figs 6, 14), dorsum greyish with black mid-dorsal spots; lateral field brown with white spotting; chin white; chest, abdomen, thighs, precloacal region and base of tail lemon yellow, with tail becoming white posteriorly; scales on palmar and plantar surfaces dark yellow.
Variation: Adult body size 41.9–56.9 mm SVL (mean = 48.1, SD = 3.8, N = 29). Females (mean = 50.5, range: 42–56.9, SD = 4.0, N = 12) larger than males (mean = 46.4, range: 41.9–50.5, SD = 2.6, N = 17; t = 3.4, P <0.01). Forelimbs 36.8–47.0% of SVL (mean = 42.4%, SD = 2.5, N = 29). Hindlimbs 44.1– 53.4% of SVL (mean = 47.5%, SD = 2.8, N = 29). Scale rows at midbody 30–34 (mean = 31.5, SD = 0.9, N = 33); paravertebral scales 46–56 (mean = 51.2, SD = 2.2, N = 33). Lamellae under 4th toe 20–25 (mean = 22.5, SD = 1.2, N = 32); single supradigital scales on 4th toe 3–4 (mean = 3.2, SD = 0.4, N = 32). Mostly 2–4 pairs of nuchals, but BPBM 34150–51, 34155–56, 34166, 34169–71, 34173, 34178 and PNGNM 25281 have an asymmetrical number of nuchals, with one more nuchal either on left side (N = 6) or on right side (N = 5). Primary nuchals usually separated from secondary temporals by single smaller intercalated scale (N = 27), rarely by none on left side and one on right (N = 1), one on left side and two on right (N = 1), two on left side and one on right (N = 3) or two on both sides (N = 1). Supraorbital ridges usually pronounced (N = 25), but occasionally not (N = 8). Frontonasal usually as wide as long (N = 25), occasionally longer than wide (N = 8). Frontonasal fragmented in PNGNM 25285. Interparietal fused with frontoparietal in BPBM 34151 and 34153. Loreals typically two (N = 29), rarely three (N = 4). Supraciliaries either eight (N = 15) or nine (N = 18). Anteriormost supraciliary usually not in contact with frontal (N = 22), sometimes in narrow contact (N = 11). Postsuboculars rarely two (N = 2), typically three (N = 24), occasionally four (N = 7). Supralabials rarely six (N = 1), typically seven (N = 20), occasionally eight (N = 12). Infralabials typically seven (N = 25), occasionally eight (N = 8). Mental split medially in BPBM 34160. Chin shields typically four on both sides (N = 31), rarely five on right side (N = 2). Infralabials posterior to contact with chin shields occasionally zero (N = 7), usually one (N = 24), rarely two (N = 2).
Colour pattern of all specimens generally similar to holotype, with a few exceptions. Size of mid-dorsal dark brown spots, and location at which two anterior rows converge to form single posterior row vary between individuals. In some individuals, dark blotches form a continuous thick stripe posterior to convergence; in others form a row of dark blotches. BPBM 34174 has continuous, unfrgamented lateral stripes. Degree of brown speckling on chin varies from almost no brown spots (BPBM 34156) to chin shields being almost uniformly brown (BPBM 34152).
Colour in life: Notes for the holotype (BPBM 34150) stated “Dorsum tan with irregular black zigzags vertebrally and dorsolaterally, tan scales margined in black. Face black. Chest, belly, and under rear legs deep orange-yellow; chin and throat white with black spots. Mouth lining and tongue blue-black.” Paratypes BPBM 34152 and BPBM 34155 had the venter entirely white.
Etymology: Feminine Latin adjective meaning “marbled”, in reference to the marbled grey and dark brown dorsal coloration of the species.
Distribution: Known only from 1777–1966 m a.s.l. on the north-eastern slopes of the Muller Range, Hela Province, where it occurs in sympatry with another, currently undescribed, species of Lobulia (BPBM 34161) having unfused frontoparietals.
Natural history: This species was locally common in the village areas and surrounding cleared areas; it was never observed in forested situations.
Reproduction: Viviparous. Litter size varies between 2–3 (mean 2.4, N = 9).
Conservation status: The species is locally abundant in the areas where collected although the population trend is unknown. Based on the available samples, Lo. marmorata has an extent of occurrence of 2.5 km 2 and an area of occupancy of 16 km 2 (based on occupation of 4 km 2 cells; both calculated using http://geocat.kew.org/). However, it is likely distributed in other localities of suitable habitat in the Muller Range. It does not occur near any protected areas. Further research is needed to discern its true distributional boundaries, potential threats and demographic trends for a proper assessment. We recommend assigning a status of Data Deficient to Lo. marmorata.
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 257-258, DOI: 10.1093/zoolinnean/zlab052, http://zenodo.org/record/6530695