Panopa, Hedges & Conn, 2012

Hedges, S. Blair & Conn, Caitlin E., 2012, A new skink fauna from Caribbean islands (Squamata, Mabuyidae, Mabuyinae) 3288, Zootaxa 3288 (1), pp. 1-244 : 137

Genus Panopa gen. nov.

Venezuelan Blue-tailed Skinks

Type species. Mabuya croizati Horton, 1973:75 .

Diagnosis. Species in this genus are characterized by (1) frontoparietals, one, (2) supraciliaries, 4–6, (3) supraoculars, four, (4) prefrontal contact, present (a single, fused prefrontal), (5) parietal contact, present, (6) rows of nuchals, usually 3–5, (7) dorsals + ventrals, 115–126, (8) total lamellae, 191–209, (9) a dark middorsal stripe, absent, (10) dark dorsolateral stripes, present, (11) a dark lateral stripe, present, and (12) dark ventral striping, absent. They are intermediately sized, with a range of maximum body sizes among the species of 69–76 mm SVL ( Table 2).

The presence of a single (fused) frontoparietal scale separates Panopa from all other genera (two, or rarely three frontoparietals) except Aspronema (1–2 scales) and Exila and Notomabuya (one scale). The presence of prefrontal contact or fusion separates Panopa from Brasiliscincus , Capitellum , Notomabuya , and Psychosaura (no prefrontal contact) and from Alinea , Aspronema , Copeoglossum , Mabuya , Manciola , Maracaiba , and Marisora (no or rare contact). The presence of 3–5 rows of nuchals separates Panopa from all other genera (fewer than three rows) except Alinea (1–3 rows), Exila (2–3 rows), and Spondylurus (1–3 rows). Panopa also have blue tails in juveniles and adults. The only other mabuyines known to have blue tails are Spondylurus lineolatus of Hispaniola (juveniles and adults) and S. powelli sp. nov. (juveniles only).

Content. Two species are placed in this genus: Panopa carvalhoi and P. croizati ( Table 1).

Distribution. The genus is distributed in two isolated regions: in northeastern Venezuela and in southern Venezuela (Amazonas) and adjoining northern Brazil (Roraima; Fig. 8B ).

Etymology. The generic name ( Panopa ) is a feminine noun and is derived from the Greek adjective pan (whole, undivided) and noun lopas (flat plate), in allusion to the single (fused) frontoparietal scale.

Remarks. This pair of species shares a suite of morphological traits ( Miralles et al. 2005a), and they cluster together in molecular phylogenies ( Fig. 5 ; Miralles et al. 2009b).

Figures

FIGURE 5 (continued on the next page)

FIGURE 8. Distribution of the 16 genera of Neotropical skinks, Family Mabuyidae, Subfamily Mabuyinae. (A) Genera occurring in the greater Caribbean region. (B) Genera occurring exclusively in South America. (C) Additional genera occurring in South America, including one with representatives on Caribbean islands.