Lerista lineopunctulata ( Duméril & Bibron, 1839 )

Edwards, Danielle L., 2017, Taxonomy of the Sand Sliders of Western Australia’s central coast (genus Lerista, Squamata: Scincidae): recognition of Lerista miopus (Günther, 1867), Zootaxa 4317 (1), pp. 111-133 : 122-123

Lerista lineopunctulata ( Duméril & Bibron, 1839)

( Figs. 4 and 6 )

Synonyms

Rhodona punctata Gray, 1839 (non Lacerta punctata Linnaeus, 1758 ) Brachystopus lineopunctulatus Duméril & Bibron, 1839 Ronia catenulata Gray, 1841

Holotype. MNHP1246 , Australia . Lodged at Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France.

Diagnosis. A species of Lerista with forelimb only a short stump (L1 = 0.7–1.2% SVL), two digits on a relatively short hindlimb (L2 <14% SVL), fused frontoparietals, four or five supraciliaries and a free eyelid (vs. fused into a transparent spectacle).

Comparisons. Only three other species of Lerista , L. connivens , L. miopus and L. varia , have the combination of forelimb with a nubbin or stump, two digits on the hindlimb, free eyelid and interparietal fused to the frontoparietals. Lerista lineopunctulata differs from L. connivens in a more developed forelimb (a stump 0.7–1.2% SVL vs. usually a depression only or a nubbin no more than 0.6% SVL), a reduced hindlimb (up to 14% SVL vs. 13–23% SVL, 7–10 subdigital lamellae on longest toe, homologous to digit IV, see Greer (1987, 1990) vs. 11–14, 5–7 supradigital scales on longest toe vs. 8–11), more supraciliaries (5 vs. 4) and colour pattern (brown-grey dorsally with lines of dark brown spots, pattern fading laterally vs. two irregular lines of dark brown enclosing a paler brown vertebral stripe and a solid dark brown upper lateral stripe). From L. miopus , it differs in a more developed forelimb (a stump 0.7–1.2% SVL vs. usually a depression only or a nubbin no more than 0.7% SVL) and more distinct colour pattern (lines of dark brown spots vs. often so indistinct as to appear patternless). From L. varia , it differs in a more developed forelimb (a stump 0.7–1.2% SVL vs. usually a depression only or a nubbin no more than 0.4% SVL), a reduced hindlimb (up to 14% SVL vs. 13–24% SVL, 5–7 supradigitals on the longest toe vs. 8–10), more paravertebrals (76–88 vs. 63–73) and a generally bolder colour pattern (usually brown-grey with lines of dark brown spots dorsally vs. usually 2–4 indistinct lines of dark brown spots).

Variation. Sample size is 15 unless otherwise noted: SVL = 69–94 mm (85 ± 7 mm), HL = 8–11% SVL (10 ± 1%), HW = 63–77% HL (69 ± 3%), SE = 20–29% HL (24 ± 2%), eyelid free, EE = 50–60% HL (53 ± 2%), ear minute, SA = 19–25% SVL (22 ± 2%), AG = 68–76% SVL (73 ± 2%), MW 6–10% SVL (8 ± 1%), L1 a short stump, 0.7–1.2% SVL (1.0 ± 0.2%), L2 = 8–14% SVL (10 ± 1%), TL = 74–77% SVL (n = 2). Hindlimb usually with two clawed toes (n = 65), rarely a single clawed toe (n = 7).

Midbody scale rows 20, NC = 0–38% (24 ± 12), NaL = 14–33% (25 ± 5%), FN = 48–70% (63 ± 6%), three supraoculars, five supraciliaries (n = 13), rarely four (n = 2), first supraciliary contacts preocular, loreal, prefrontal, first supraocular and second supraciliary (sometimes fails to contact loreal, n = 1, sometimes contacts frontal, n = 2); frontal contacts interparietal, first and second supraoculars, prefrontal and frontonasal (sometimes also first supraciliary, n = 2); frontoparietals fused to interparietal, IW = 111–151% (131 ± 12%), two loreals (rarely single, n = 1), prefrontal contacts both loreals, frontonasal, frontal, first supraocular and first supraciliary (rarely, fails to contact first supraocular, n = 3); single (n = 3) or two (n = 12) preoculars, single presubocular, 5–7 palpebrals (mode = 6), single postocular, single postsubocular, six supralabials, fourth supralabial entering eye, two postsupralabials, six infralabials, two infralabials contacting postmental, four (n = 4) or five (n = 11) scales between last infralabial and ear, single pretemporal, temporal contacts fifth and sixth supralabials, postocular, pretemporal, second temporal and postsupralabial (rarely, fails to contact postocular, n = 1, sometimes contacts parietal, n = 5); PL = 58–75% (65 ± 5%), three rows of enlarged chin shields, 2–5 nuchals (mode = 3), 76–88 paravertebrals (mode = 80), MV = 51–86% (63 ± 8%), two enlarged preanals, 57–77 body scales between limbs when adpressed (mode = 65), hindlimb 11–19 body scales in length (mode = 13), 7–10 subdigital lamellae under the longest toe (mode = 7), 5–7 supradigitals (mode = 6), 69–71 subcaudals (n = 2).

Colour pattern. Brown to grey, with black lines of spots or dashes, sometimes indistinct, inner lines usually heavier than lateral lines. Head with black edging and markings. Labial scales white with black edging. Belly and throat immaculate whitish. Limbs brown above, whitish below. Tail similar pattern to the body but often a yellowish wash with the pattern heavier but less distinct. Pattern much less regular on regrown tails. Colour pattern in preservative little different except that the black markings tend to fade to dark brown and overall colour becomes browner with length of time in preservative.

Distribution. Coast and coastal islands of Western Australia, from Favorite Island (30° 17' S) south to Lake Clifton (32° 48' S). See Fig. 1 . All museum records are within 70 km of the coast, with the exception of WAMR29281. This specimen was collected in 1966 supposedly at Perenjori (29° 27' S 116° 17' E), ~ 120 km inland and well north of any other L. lineopunctulata record but within the latitudinal range of L. miopus . This record is most likely in error.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Map showing collection localities for Lerista lineopunctulata, L. miopus, L. connivens and L. varia.

FIGURE 4. MNHP 1246, holotype of Brachystopus lineopunctulatus Duméril and Bibron, 1839. Photo by H. G. Cogger.

FIGURE 6. Lerista lineopunctulata sensu stricto in life. Specimen from Lancelin, Western Australia, not vouchered, identified using Storr et al. (1981). Photo by S. Wilson.