Pinoyscincus, Linkem & Diesmos & Brown, 2011

Linkem, Charles W., Diesmos, Arvin C. & Brown, Rafe M., 2011, Molecular systematics of the Philippine forest skinks (Squamata: Scincidae: Sphenomorphus): testing morphological hypotheses of interspecific relationships, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 163 (4), pp. 1217-1243 : 1232-1234

Pinoyscincus gen. nov.

Type species: Pinoyscincus jagori (Peters, 1864) .

Definition: The clade comprising Pinoyscincus jagori (Peters, 1864) and all species that share a more recent common ancestor with Pinoyscincus jagori than with Anomalopus verreauxii , Calyptotis scutirostrum , Coeranoscincus frontalis , Coggeria naufragus , Ctenotus taeniolatus , Eremiascincus richardsonii , Eulamprus quoyii , Glaphyromorphus isolepis , Gnypetoscincus queenslandiae , Hemiergis decresiencsis , Insulasaurus wrighti , Lerista lineata , Lipinia pulchella , Lobulia elegans , Nangura spinosa , Notoscincus ornatus , Ophioscincus australis , Otosaurus cumingi , Papuascincus stanleyanus , Parvoscincus sisoni , Prasinohaema flavipes , Saiphos equalis , Scincella lateralis , Sphenomorphus melanopogon , and Tytthoscincus hallieri .

Etymology: The word pinoy is a commonly used Tagalog term of endearment amongst Filipinos, referring to an individual Filipino or the nation as a whole. We use it here in conjunction with the Latin scincus, meaning lizard, to name a clade of skinks found on the Philippine Archipelago. Suggested common name: Filipino skinks.

Description: Pinoyscincus can be identified by the following combination of characters: (1) body size medium to large (> 42 mm SVL); (2) paravertebral scale rows 56–80; (3) midbody scale rows 30–44; and (4) subdigital lamellae 17–26. In addition to these scale characters, species in this genus share a unique morphology of the hemipenis. The main shaft of the hemipenis, before the bifurcation, is wide with a large bulbous lobe on each lateral side of the shaft ( Fig. 6 ).

Included species: Pinoyscincus abdictus ( Brown & Alcala, 1980) , Pinoyscincus coxi (Taylor, 1915) , Pinoyscincus jagori (Peters, 1864) , Pinoyscincus llanosi (Taylor, 1919) , and Pinoyscincus mindanensis (Taylor, 1922) .

Comment: This morphologically cohesive genus includes Brown & Alcala’s (1980) Group 5 and Pinoyscincus mindanensis . All of these species are easily diagnosable among the Philippine skink fauna. The morphology of the hemipenis in this genus has been observed in Pinoyscincus mindanensis , Pinoyscincus abdictus , Pinoyscincus jagori , and Pinoyscincus llanosi and has not been observed in any other Philippine skink examined ( Otosaurus cumingi , Insulasaurus arborens , Insulasaurus traanorum , Parvoscincus beyeri , Parvoscincus decipiens , Sphenomorphus fasciatus , Sphenomorphus variegatus ). We have not examined the hemipenis of Sphenomorphus acutus or Sphenomorphus diwata yet to see if they share the Pinoyscincus character so we prefer to leave them incertae sedis until a more thorough examination can be performed.

Figures

Figure 6. Sulcate, lateral, and asulcate views of Pinoyscincus abdictus abdictus hemipenis showing (arrows) the unique bulbous lobe structures on the lateral region of the main shaft before the bifurcation. Scale bar = 5 mm.