Panaspis Cope, 1868

Marques, Mariana P., Ceríaco, Luis M. P., Blackburn, David C. & Bauer, Aaron M., 2018, Diversity and Distribution of the Amphibians and Terrestrial Reptiles of Angola Atlas of Historical and Bibliographic Records (1840 - 2017), Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences 65, pp. 1-501 : 247-250

Genus Panaspis Cope, 1868

Panaspis breviceps ( Peters, 1873) PETERS’ SNAKE-EYED SKINK

Euprepes (Mabuia) breviceps Peters 1873:604 . Syntypes: ZMB 6303 (purchased from [H.H.?] Higgins), 8017 (collector A. Reichenow). Type locality: “ Gabon ” ( ZMB 6303 ) and “Cameruns” [ Cameroon] ( ZMB 8017 ) .

Lygosoma (Panaspis) breviceps : Parker (1936:139).

Panaspis breviceps : Mittleman (1952:17), Perret (1973:595, 1975:8), Fuhn (1972:266), Greer (1974:29), Schmitz et al. (2005:23), Chirio and LeBreton (2007:272), Trape et al. (2012:376), Medina et al. (2016:410).

Global conservation status (IUCN): Not Evaluated.

Global distribution: The species is known from Cameroon, Central African Republic, Gabon into the central Democratic Republic of Congo to Angola.

Ocurrences in Angola (Map 207): The species is represented by a single west central

Angolan record. Kwanza Sul: “Congulu”

[-10.86667, 14.28333] ( Parker 1936:139; Fuhn

1972:266).

Taxonomic and distributional notes:

Bauer et al. (2003) provided a detailed expla-

nation for the recognition of two syntypes,

rather than a single holotype. The specific epithet breviceps ( Peters, 1873) has successively been associated with several genera. Fuhn

(1972) and Perret (1973) placed it in Panaspis ,

which had been revalidated by Mittleman

(1952). Broadley (1989), however, treated it as

Leptosiaphos (Lacertaspis) breviceps . Most recently Medina et al. (2016) included it in an expanded genus Panaspis in which they included species formerly assigned to MAP 207. Distribution of Panaspis breviceps in Angola. Afroablepharu s based on a molecular phylogenetic revision of the group.

Panaspis cabindae (Bocage, 1866) CABINDA SNAKE-EYED SKINK

Ablepharus cabindae Bocage 1866b:64 . Syntypes: MBL (3 specimens) numbers not known (collector J.A.

d’Anchieta), destroyed by fire 18 March 1978. Type locality: “ Cabinda (Afrique occidentale au nord du

Zaire)” Cabinda Province, Angola. Ablepharus Cabindae : Bocage (1866a:45, 1867b:224, 1887a:179, 1897a:196). Ablepharus cabindae : Peters (1877a:614), Bocage (1895a:51), Boulenger (1887:352), Ferreira (1904:116),

Parker (1936:136). Ablepharus aeneus : Boulenger (1887:352). Riopa (Panaspis) cabindae : Smith (1937:229). Panaspis cabindae : Greer (1974:29), Perret (1975:8), Schmitz et al. (2005:23), Ineich and Schmitz (2010),

Ceríaco et al. (2016b:65), Ceríaco et al. (2016a:57), Medina et al. (2016:411).

Global conservation status (IUCN): Data Deficient.

Global distribution: The species is known from Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Ocurrences in Angola (Map 208): The species is known chiefly from western Angola,

including several localities along the coast.

Cabinda: “Chinchoxo” [-5.10000, 12.10000]

( Peters 1877a:614); “ Cabinda ” [-5.55000,

12.18333] ( Bocage 1866a:45, 1866b:64,

1867b:224, 1897a:196; Boulenger 1887:352).

Zaire: “Soyo” [-6.134903, 12.368935] ( Medina et al. 2016:411); “ S. Salvador do Congo ”

[-6.26667, 14.23333] ( Bocage 1887a:179,

1895a:51, 1897a:196). Bengo: “Catete”

[-9.11667, 13.70000] ( Ferreira 1904:116);

“ Riverine Forest , Bengo ” ( Medina et al.

2016:411). Uíge: “Kimpa Vita Uni Campus”

[-8.607967, 20.968804] ( Medina et al.

2016:411). Malanje: “Cangandala National

Park” [-9.84606, 16.72233] (Ceríaco et al.

2016b:65). Lunda Norte: “Lagoa Carumbo”

[-7,74422, 19,95467] (Branch and Conradie

2015:200; Medina et al. 2016:411). Kwanza MAP 208. Distribution of Panaspis cabindae in Angola.

Norte: “Lucalla” [-9.40000, 15.03333] ( Ferreira 1903:116). Kwanza Sul: “Congulu” [-10.86667, 14.28333] ( Parker 1936:139). Benguela: “Dombe” [-12.95000, 13.10000] ( Bocage 1867b:224, 1895a:51, 1897a:196). Huíla: “S Leba Pass” [-15.07003, 13.24339] ( Medina et al. 2016:411); “Benero Campsite near Jamba” ( Medina et al. 2016:411). Namibe: “Capangombe” [-15.10000, 13.15000] ( Bocage 1895a:51, 1897a:196; Ceríaco et al. 2016a:57).

Taxonomic and distributional notes: The genus Panaspis was erected by Cope (1868) to accommodate his newly described Panaspis anaeus from Angola ( Boulenger 1887), for some time considered a synonym of Ablepharus cabindae Bocage, 1866 (Perret 1975; Schmitz et al., 2005). Boulenger (1887) placed the entire genus Panaspis into the synonymy of Ablepharus , although Smith (1937) regarded it as a subgenus in the genus Riopa Gray, 1839 . Mittleman (1952) revised the genera belonging to the subfamily Lygosominae and regarded the genus Panaspis as valid. Greer (1974) erected the new genus Afroablepharus for those species with an ablepharine eye, while all species with a movable lower eyelid, including P. cabindae with its preablepharine eye were included in Panaspis . Most recently Medina et al. (2016) included it in an expanded genus Panaspis in which they included species formerly assigned to Afroablepharu s based on a molecular phylogenetic revision of the group. The currently accepted range for the species in Angola is limited to the northwestern regions (Schmitz et al. 2005; Ineich and Schmitz 2010), and records from “Dombe,” Benguela Province, and “Capangombe,” Namibe Province, certainly correspond to another congener. Unfortunately, the relevant specimens were destroyed in the 1978 fire in the Museu Bocage.

Panaspis maculicollis Jacobsen and Broadley, 2000 SPECKLE-LIPPED SNAKE-EYED SKINK

Panaspis maculicollis Jacobsen and Broadley, 2000:65 , fig. 3b. Holotype: TM 76922 (collectors N.H.G. Jacobsen and R.E. Newbery). Type locality: “Klein Tshipise, Mutale District , Northern Province [= Limpopo Province], South Africa.”

Panaspis maculicollis : Conradie et al. (2016:25) , Medina et al. (2016:414).

Global conservation status (IUCN): Not Evaluated.

Global distribution: Centered on the Kalahari sand areas of northern Botswana and western

Zimbabwe, extending eastwards via the Zambezi and Limpopo valleys into western Mozambique and Umpopo Province of South Africa.

Ocurrences in Angola (Map 209): A single record for southern Angola. Cuando Cubango: “Cuando basin (43)” [-17.53500, 23.18916] ( Conradie et al. 2016:25; Medina et al. 2016:411).

Taxonomic and distributional notes: Greer (1974) erected the new genus Afroablepharus for species with an ablepharine eye, following a suggestion first made by Smith (1935). Perret (1975) treated Afroablepharus as a subgenus of Panaspis . However, Medina et al. (2016) demonstrated that Panaspis was made paraphyletic by Afroablepharus and synonymized the latter with the former, which MAP 209. Distribution of Panaspis maculicollis in

Angola. has priority. Conradie et al. (2016) collected a single individual of P. maculicollis from Cuando Cubango Province, establishing the first record of this species in Angola.

Panaspis aff. wahlbergii (Smith, 1849) WAHLBERG’S SNAKE-EYED SKINK Cryptoblepharus walbergii [sic] Smith 1849:10. Syntypes: BMNH 1946.8.18.49-50 (formerly BMNH

65.5.4.112-113). Other unlocated syntypes are implied (fide FitzSimons 1937:269). Type locality: “country to the eastward of the Cape Colony” (Smith 1849:10), [= Natal], South Africa. Ablepharus Wahlbergii : Bocage (1895a:52). Ablepharus wahlbergii : Boulenger (1905:111), Loveridge (1957:219). Afroablepharus wahlbergii : FitzSimons (1937:269), Greer (1974:32), Perret (1975:8), Schmitz et al.

(2005:19), Bates et al. (2014:257). Panaspis wahlbergii : Branch (1998:159), Jacobsen and Broadley (2000:63), Branch and Conradie

(2015:200), Medina et al. (2016:410).

Global conservation status (IUCN): Not Evaluated.

Global distribution: Based on molecular data published by Medina et al. (2016) P. wahlbergii sensu stricto may be limited to southeastern Africa, however, specimens currently assigned to P. wahlbergii sensu lato are distributed from Tanzania and the southern Democratic Republic of Congo south to South Africa.

Ocurrences in Angola (Map 210): The species is poorly documented in Angola and it might be more widespread in the country. Benguela: “Cahata” [-13.73333, 15.06667] MAP 210. Distribution of Panaspis aff. wahlbergii in ( Bocage 1895a:52). Huíla: “Caconda” Angola .

[-12.35000, 14.81667] ( Bocage 1895a:52). Undetermined Locality: “Between Benguela and Bihé” ( Boulenger 1905:111).

Taxonomic and distributional notes: The African snake-eyed skinks have been subject to large scale taxonomic changes both at the generic and subgeneric levels (Fuhn 1969; Perret 1973, 1975; Greer 1974; Schmitz et al. 2005; Medina et al. 2016; see also notes in above species accounts). Panaspis wahlbergii has long been used to refer to skinks occurring throughout much of southern and eastern Africa. The discovery by Jacobsen (1989) of the species subsequently described as P. maculicollis Jacobsen and Broadley, 2000 , in sympatry with P. wahlbergii revealed that older records of Panaspis need to be carefully investigated. The molecular phylogeny of Medina et al. (2016) has identified numerous species level lineages within the range previously attributed to P. wahlbergii . Specimens superficially resembling P. wahlbergii have recently been collected in Quiçama National Park, Luanda Province (M. Marques and L. Ceríaco pers. obs.) The misspelling of the specific epithet in the original description was corrected by Smith in an errata slip issued with the original work, thus the corrected version of the name ( wahlbergii ) is ICZN Code compliant.