Lobulia, GREER, 1974
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https://doi.org/ 10.1093/zoolinnean/zlab052 |
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https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6536308 |
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persistent identifier |
https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03EF4E77-7C1A-CA74-FC12-FC69242AFA3A |
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Plazi |
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scientific name |
Lobulia |
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LOBULIA GREER, 1974 (CLADE I)
( FIGS 5–15 View Figure 5 View Figure 6 View Figure 7 View Figure 8 View Figure 9 View Figure 10 View Figure 11 View Figure 12 View Figure 13 View Figure 14 View Figure 15 ; SUPPORTING INFORMATION, FIGS S6–S View Figure 6 7 View Figure 7 ; TABLE 1 View Table 1 )
Lobulia Greer, 1974 . Australian Journal of Zoology Supplementary Series (31): 1–67.
Type species: Lygosoma elegans Boulenger, 1897 , by original designation.
Diagnosis: Medium-sized (adult SVL 41.9–63.9 mm) terrestrial or semi-arboreal skinks with long limbs (forelimbs 32.9–47.6% of SVL, hindlimbs 41.6– 54.8% of SVL); lobules present on anterior edge of ear opening; two pairs of chin shields in medial contact; two supralabials posterior to subocular supralabial; chin shields abutting infralabials; lower eyelid with semi-transparent window; standard three-scale temporal region; nasal scale undivided; frontoparietals either fused or unfused; viviparous; litter size 1–4.
Lobulia differs from all other genera by its much longer limbs (forelimbs 32.9–47.6% vs. 27.7–39.8% of SVL, hindlimbs 41.6–54.8% vs. 29.9–49.6% of SVL). It further differs from Prasinohaema by lacking green blood serum and tissues ( Greer, 1974), a prehensile tail with a glandular tip and basally expanded subdigital lamellae. It differs from Papuascincus by having two pairs of chin shields in medial contact (vs. one), an undivided (vs. divided) nasal scale and a viviparous (vs. oviparous) reproductive mode.
Species included: Lobulia brongersmai Zweifel, 1972 ; Lobulia elegans ( Boulenger, 1897) ; Lobulia lobulus ( Loveridge, 1945) ; and new species described below.
Distribution: Members of Lobulia are widespread along most of the montane regions of New Guinea, ranging from the central Owen Stanley Mountains in the Papuan Peninsula in the east ( Lo. elegans ) to the Arfak Mountains in the Vogelkop Peninsula in the west. Most species are montane, found at elevations up to 2700 m a.s.l.; however, Lo. brongersmai is found in the lowlands and hill regions of the northern versant of New Guinea (0–1340 m a.s.l.). Lobulia brongersmai is the only member of the genus to be found below elevations of 700 m, the lowest recorded locality for Lo. elegans ( Kraus, 2020) .
Remarks: Molecular evidence suggests that at least two other species not already named or described herein occur in the genus: one in Woitape (BPBM 18689–90; WGS 84: 8.545°S, 147.251°E) and one on Mt Yakapi in the Muller Range (BPBM 34161; WGS 84: 5.666°S, 142.643°E). However, since both are only known from a few specimens each, and are not extremely morphologically distinct, we refrain from formally describing them until further material can be collected and examined.
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