Riopa, GRAY, 1839: 332

Freitas, Elyse S., Datta-Roy, Aniruddha, Karanth, Praveen, Grismer, L. Lee & Siler, Cameron D., 2019, Multilocus phylogeny and a new classification for African, Asian and Indian supple and writhing skinks (Scincidae: Lygosominae), Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 186, pp. 1067-1096 : 1087

GENUS RIOPA GRAY, 1839: 332

Type species: Riopa punctata = Lacerta punctata Linnaeus, 1758 ( Gray, 1845) by subsequent designation ( Smith, 1935).

Chiamela Gray, 1839: 332 . Type species Chiamela lineata Gray, 1839 by subsequent designation ( Gray, 1845).

Hagria Gray, 1839: 333 . Type species Hagria vosmaerii Gray, 1839 by monotypy.

Campsodactylus Dumeríl & Bibron, 1839: 761 . Type species Campsodactylus lamarrei Dumeríl & Bibron, 1839 = Hagria vosmaerii Gray, 1839 by monotypy.

Sphenosoma Fitzinger, 1843: 23 . Type species Eumeces punctatus Weigmann, 1834 = Lacerta punctata Linnaeus, 1758 by original designation.

Eumeces Günther, 1864b: 84 . Part, not Eumeces Wiegmann, 1834 .

Lygosoma Boulenger, 1887: 209 . Part, not Lygosoma Hardwicke & Gray, 1827 .

Diagnosis

Riopa can be identified by the following combination of characters: (1) body size small to medium (SVL 35–96 mm); (2) trunk moderately elongate (AGD 55–75% SVL); (3) digits short to long (FinIIILam 5–11, ToeIVLam 6–16); (4) MBSRC 19–30; (5) PVSRC 70–115; (6) lower eyelid scaly or with a transparent disc; (7) supranasal scales in contact medially, occasionally barely touching; (8) prefrontals not in contact medially; (9) frontoparietal single or paired; (10) parietals in contact behind interparietal; (11) enlarged nuchal scales usually present, occasionally absent; and (12) palatine bones with posteriomedially projecting processes, pterygoids emarginated along posterior edge or occasionally rounded.