Dendrelaphis proarchos Wall, 1909

Biakzuala, Lal, Lalremsanga, Hmar Tlawmte, Tariang, Angshuman Das, Vabeiryureilai, Mathipi, Muansanga, Lal, Hrima, Vanlal, Kumar, Vikas, Kundu, Shantanu, Purkayastha, Jayaditya & Vogel, Gernot, 2022, Contributions to the taxonomic status and molecular phylogeny of Asian Bronzeback Snakes (Colubridae, Ahaetuliinae, Dendrelaphis Boulenger, 1890), from Mizoram State, Northeast India, Zoosystema 44 (7), pp. 177-196 : 180

Dendrelaphis proarchos Wall, 1909

( Figs 1A, B ; 6A, B ; 7B )

Dendrophis proarchos Wall, 1909: 347 ; 1910: 827.

Dendrophis proarchus – Wall 1921: 157.

Dendrelaphis proarchos – Vogel & van Rooijen 2011a. — Das 2012. — Hakim et al. 2020 . — Jiang et al. 2020.

TYPE MATERIAL. — Not located. According to Vogel & van Rooijen (2011a), the specimen examined by Wall was from the collection of St. Joseph’s College, Darjeeling, India.

TYPE LOCALITY. —“Darjeeling,” State of West Bengal, India, by inference; unknown collector.

MATERIAL EXAMINED. — India • 1 ♀; Assam, Dibrugarh; BMNH1908.6.23.27 • 1 ♀; Mizoram, Aizawl District, Durtlang ; 23°14’0”N, 92°43’31”E; 1215 m a.s.l.; 6.VI.2017; Lal Biakzuala leg.; GenBank: MT635656 ; MZMU951 • 1 ♂; MZMU1066 ; Mizoram, Siaha District, Phura ; 22°13’57”N, 92°54’45”E; 226 m a.s.l.; 7.VIII.2016; M. Vabeiryureilai leg. • 1 ♀; Mizoram, Mamit District, Reiek-kai ; 23°42’43”N, 92°39’49”E; 150 m a.s.l.; 16.III.2013; H. T. Lalremsanga leg.; MZMU1077 • 1 ♂; Mizoram; Aizawl District, Sailam ; 23°21’10”N, 92°47’53”E; 1312 m a.s.l.; 15.V.2014; H. T. Lalremsanga leg.; MZMU1078 • 1 ♂; Mizoram, Serchhip District, Buangpui ; 23°42’15”N, 92°45’0”E; 710 m a.s.l.; 4.VIII.2017; Vanlal Hrima leg.; MZMU1079 • 1 ♂; Mizoram, Aizawl District, Sateek ; 23°32’49”N, 92°42’12”E; 909 m a.s.l.; 18.VIII.2018; Lal Muansanga leg.; MZMU1080 • 1 ♀; Mizoram, Mamit District, Reiek Community Reserved Forest ; 23°41’48”N, 92°36’19”E; 1166 m a.s.l.; 21.V.2017; G. Z. Hmar leg.; MZMU1101 • 1♂; Mizoram, Aizawl District, Tlangnuam ; 23°42’23”N, 92°42’54”E; 1040 m a.s.l.; 12.V.2018; Lal Biakzuala leg.; GenBank: MT647129 ; MZMU1218 • 1 ♂; Mizoram, Lunglei District, Thenhlum ; 23°11’51”N, 92°34’59”E; 687 m a.s.l.; 17.VIII.2014; H. T. Lalremsanga leg.; MZMU1327 ; GenBank: MT311195 • 1 ♂; Mizoram, Aizawl District , MZU campus; 23°44’15”N, 92°39’45”E; 789 m a.s.l.; 21.V.2019; Lalrinsanga leg.; GenBank: MT647128 , MT711166 ; MZMU1370 • 1 ♀; Mizoram, Aizawl District, Maubuang ; 23°29’15”N, 92°42’43”E; 1012 m a.s.l.; Denzil Lalneihsanga leg.; GenBank: MT635657 ; MZMU1432 • 1 ♂; Mizoram, Khawzawl District, Khawzawl ; 23°32’34”N, 93°10’51”E; 1225 m a.s.l.; 7.VII.2018; H. T. Lalremsanga leg.; MZMU1475 • 1 ♂; Mizoram, Aizawl District, Kepran ; 23°56’40”N, 92°55’50”E; 1360 m a.s.l.; 9.III.2018; H. T. Lalremsanga leg.; MZMU1507 • 1 ♀; Mizoram, Saitual District, Tamdil National Wetland ; 23°44’24”N, 92°57’5”E; 774 m a.s.l.; H. T. Lalremsanga leg.; GenBank: MT634738 ; MZMU1509 • 1♀, 1 ♂; Mizoram, Serchhip District, Leng ; 23°9’20”N, 93°7’14”E; 1230 m a.s.l.; H. T. Lalremsanga leg.; MZMU1510 , MZMU1529 • 1 ♂; Mizoram, Serchhip District, Khawlailung ; 23°13’12”N, 92°59’33”E; 1035 m a.s.l.; H. T. Lalremsanga leg.; MZMU1516 • 1 ♂; Mizoram, Aizawl District, Sesawng ; 23°45’34”N, 92°51’14”E; 853 m a.s.l.; 15.VIII.2015; Lalrinsanga leg.; MZMU1566 • 1 ♂; Mizoram, Aizawl District, Daifim resort; 23°47’59”N, 92°37’29”E; 70 m a.s.l.; 11.VI.2019; H. Laltlanchhuaha leg.; MZMU1598 • 1♂; Mizoram, Aizawl District, Tanhril ; 23°44’12”N, 92°40’33”E; 958 m a.s.l.; 16.IX.2019; Lalrinsanga leg.; MZMU1602 • 1 ♂; Mizoram, Mamit District, Dampa Tiger Reserve ; 23°43’28”N, 92°23’40”E; 255 m a.s.l.; 10.VI.2016; Ht. Decemson leg.; MZMU1603 • 1 ♀; Mizoram, Aizawl District, Sialsuk ; 23°23’50”N, 92°44’46”E; 1255 m a.s.l.; 7.X.2019; Angshuman Das leg.; GenBank: MT274567 ; MZMU1629 .

Myanmar • 1 ♂; Sagaing Division; CAS210338 ; GenBank : KX660183 , KX660456 ( Figueroa et al. 2016) • 1 ♀; Ayeyarwady Division; GenBank : KX660182 , KX660455 ; CAS222690 ( Figueroa et al. 2016) .

Laos • 2 ♀; no locality information; MNHN1896.650 ; MNHN1896.651 • 1 ♀; Phongsaly Province, Buon Tai; MNHN2004.0253 • 1 ♀; Phongsaly Province, Long Nai; MNHN2004.0254 ; • 2 ♂; Phongsaly Province; MNHN2004.0263 ; MNHN2004.0251 .

Vietnam • 1 ♀; Tonkin; MNHN1948.82 .

DIAGNOSIS (BASED ON NEW MATERIAL). — From a total of 34 Dendrelaphis specimens collected from the Mizoram State, 22 of them were morphologically diagnosed as D. proarchos based on the combination of: 1) bronze-coloured body with bluish interstitial skin and a black lateral stripe separating cream dorsolateral stripe from whitish underside; 2) enlarged vertebral scales; 3) Ve 180-190 in males, 186-195 in females; 4) paired Sc 142-163 in males, 138- 146 in females; 5) undivided As in 36.4% of the specimens; 6) Ls single; 7) PrO 1; 8) PoO 2-3; 9) Te 2+2 or 2+3, rarely 3+2 or 1+2; 10) 4th–6th SLE; 11) IF 9-10, rarely 11; 12) SL 8-9; 13) DSR 15:15: 9 in males, 15:15: 11 in females, rarely nine rows in females; and 14) average relative RTaL 0.35 (0.31-0.37) in males, 0.33 (0.33- 0.34) in females. The hemipenis is not bilobate, and extends up to seven caudal plates; a prominent sulcus spermaticus runs up to the tip; a sinuous fold is present at about the middle of the organ, and the distal area is covered by somewhat evenly distributed small spines. The new materials divulged a new upper limit of Sc range i.e, 138-163 (sex pooled) vs 138-156 ( Vogel & van Rooijen 2011a). However, other morphological characters of the new materials are consistent with the specimens from Assam (Northeast India), Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam (also see Vogel & van Rooijen 2011a).

GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION. — Northeast India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, northern Laos, and northern Vietnam ( Vogel & van Rooijen 2011a). In this study, we documented D. proarchos from 22 different localities at the elevation range between 60-1360 m a.s.l. from Mizoram, Northeast India ( Fig. 5 ; Appendix 1).

Figures

FIG. 1. — A, sub-adult Dendrelaphis proarchos Wall, 1909 from Mizoram, NE India; B, everted hemipenial sulcal side (right) and asulcal side (left) of Dendrelaphis proarchos from Mizoram, NE India; C, Adult Dendrelaphis cyanochloris (Wall, 1921) from Mizoram, NE India. Scale bar: B, 5 mm.

FIG. 6. — Two specimens of Dendrelaphis proarchos Wall,1909 found sheltered inside a green bamboo:A, from Kepran,photographed by Tbc.Mapuia; B, from Tlangnuam, photographed by C. Mawitea.

FIG. 7. — A, Dendrelaphis cyanochloris (Wall, 1921) preying on adult Calotes emma Gray, 1845, photographed by R. Lalnunmawia; B, Dendrelaphis proarchos Wall,1909 preying on adult Duttaphrynus melanostictus (Schneider,1799), photographed by Hawla Hmar Zote.

FIG. 5. — Elevation map showing the specimens location of Dendrelaphis proarchos Wall, 1909 (green shapes), Dendrelaphis biloreatus Wall, 1908 (yellow shapes), Dendrelaphis cyanochloris (Wall, 1921) (red shapes), Dendrelaphis cf. vogeli LSUHC 6768 (purple circle with dot), and Dendelaphis cf. ngansonensis CAS221428 (blue circle with dot) examined in this study. Confirmed populations of Dendrelaphis proarchos (green circles) and Dendrelaphis biloreatus (yellow triangles) are based on Vogel & van Rooijen (2011a, b).