Lerista rochfordensis, Amey, Andrew P. & Couper, Patrick J., 2009

Amey, Andrew P. & Couper, Patrick J., 2009, A new limb-reduced skink (Scincidae: Lerista) from the dry rainforest of north Queensland, Australia, Zootaxa 2173, pp. 19-30 : 20-26

Lerista rochfordensis sp. nov.

( Figs 1 and 2 )

Material. HOLOTYPE QMJ84790, Rochford Scrub, Queensland, Australia (20° 06’ 49” S 146° 37’ 03” E) collected 11-12 Dec 2006 in pitfall trap. PARATYPES QMJ44385–6, Boori Stn, Queensland, Australia (20° 01’ S 146° 46’ E) collected 15 Nov 1983, method unknown; QMJ85002, Rochford Scrub, Queensland, Australia (20° 07’ 01” S 146° 37’ 49” E) collected 11 Dec 2006 – 11 Feb 2007 in pitfall trap; QMJ85007, Rochford Scrub, Queensland, Australia (20° 07’ 05” S 146° 37’ 43” E) collected 11 Dec 2006 – 11 Feb 2007 in pitfall trap. All types are lodged at the Queensland Museum.

Diagnosis. Readily distinguished from all other Lerista by; forelimb absent with no groove or other indication, hindlimb 5–8% SVL with a single clawed digit, and five supraciliaries.

Measurements. Sample size is five unless otherwise noted: SVL = 40–82 mm (average = 64 mm), HL = 8–12% SVL (average = 9%), HW = 55–61% HL (average = 59%), L2 = 5–8% SVL (average = 6%), TL = 79–98%SVL (average = 88, n = 2).

Scalation. 16 midbody scale rows, three supraoculars, five supraciliaries, two loreals, single preocular, 0–2 presuboculars (mode = 1), 4–5 palpebrals (mode = 5), single postocular, single postsubocular, five supralabials, third supralabial entering eye, five scales between last supralabial and ear, five infralabials, one infralabial contacting postmental, rostral dome-shaped when viewed from above with apex of dome anterior, nasals in half contact, nostrils placed antero-laterally, frontonasal narrower than long, frontoparietals separate, prefrontal contacts preocular, loreal, frontonasal, frontal and first supraciliary; first supraciliary contacts preocular, loreal, prefrontal, frontal, first supraocular and second supraciliary; temporal contacts fourth and fifth supralabials, postocular, pretemporal, parietal and second temporal; frontoparietals and interparietal free (not fused into a single shield), 8–10 nuchals (mode = 10), 93–95 paravertebrals (mode = 93), 4–6 subdigital lamellae (mode = 5), 3–4 supradigitals (mode = 4), 88–97 subcaudals (average = 93, n = 2).

Osteology. 45–47 presacral vertebrae (mode = 46, n = 5), 50 caudal vertebrae (n = 1).

Colour pattern (in spirit). Pale beige to grey, head scales with varying amounts of dark brown to black edging and flecking, dorsum with a narrow, irregular dark brown to black longitudinal line medially along each scale line, 8–10 lines in total, lateral lines thickest, ventral-most line sometimes lacking. Belly immaculate cream, tail usually with heavier markings.

Holotype. Measurements and scale counts for the holotype are as follows: SVL = 74.99 mm, TL = 68.35 mm (not original), L2 = 4.38 mm, HL = 6.71 mm, HW = 4.06 mm, SE = 1.36 mm, five scales between last supralabial and ear, ten enlarged nuchals, four palpebrals, 16 midbody scale rows, 94 paravertebrals, five subdigital lamellae beneath toe, four supradigitals, dome-shaped rostral, prefrontal contacts preocular, loreal, frontonasal, frontal, first supraocular and first supraciliary, first supraciliary contacts preocular, loreal, prefrontal, first supraocular and second supraciliary (frontal contact lacking), single presubocular. Otherwise as for description above.

Variation in paratypes. Two paratypes (QMJ85002 and QMJ85007) are dehydrated from their initial field preservation in ethylene glycol (they were collected in entomological pitfall traps which are filled with glycol). In one specimen, the prefrontal contacts the presubocular, while in another (in addition to the holotype), it contacts the first supraocular. First supraciliary contact is more variable, in one specimen it contacts the presubocular but fails to contact the loreal, in another it fails to contact the second supraciliary and in another it fails to contact the loreal. Otherwise, variation in morphometric and scale characters is as noted in the description.

methods, scale definitions as in Horner (1992). Characters not overlapping with L. rochfordensis sp. nov. are highlighted

in bold. Given for each character state are range, average, mode (for meristics only) and sample size.

continued next page.

Lamellae 5–8 Absent 4–8 4–7 3–5 4–6 Absent or 4–7

6–7 Mode 8 6 5 4 5 5 Sample size 7 4 10 19 8 5 9 22 Comparison with other species. This species would key to L. cinerea in Cogger (2000) and L. karlschmidti in Wilson (2005). From L. cinerea it is distinguished by usually possessing 16 midbody scale rows (vs. 18 in L. cinerea ), two loreals (vs. single), three supraoculars (vs. two), five supraciliaries (vs. four) and postmental contacting single infralabial (vs. two). From L. karlschmidti it is distinguished by five supraciliaries (vs. absent in L. karlschmidti ), prefrontals present (vs. absent), 8–10 nuchals (vs 3–5), postmental contacting single infralabial (vs. two), 93–96 paravertebrals (vs. 98–110) and 45–47 presacral vertebrae (vs. 48–49). This diagnosis applies equally to Northern Territory and Queensland populations of L. karlschmidti . For comparison with other species examined, see Table 1 .

Distribution. Known only from two closely adjacent localities, Rochford Scrub (20° 07’ S 146° 37’ E) and Boori Station (20° 01’ S 146° 46’ E) both south-east of Charters Towers, north-eastern Queensland, Australia (see Figure 3 ).

Habitat. The holotype and one paratype (QMJ85002) were collected in “Lancewood [ Acacia shirleyi ] and Bendee [ Acacia catenulata ] vinescrub” and another paratype (QMJ85007) from “Bendee”. QMJ44385 and QMJ44386 were in “semi-evergreen vine thicket on sandy soil”. Nothing further is known of this species’ habits. The vine thickets of this area (more properly known as dry rainforest), are described in detail by Fensham (1995; 1996) and Kahn and Lawrie (1987).

Etymology. Named for the type locality, Rochford Scrub.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Head scale diagrams of holotype of Lerista rochfordensis sp. nov., QMJ 84790. a, dorsal view; b, lateral view; c, ventral view.

FIGURE 2. Preserved holotype of Lerista rochfordensis sp. nov., QMJ 84790. a, whole specimen; b, head. Photo by J. Wright, Qld Museum.

FIGURE 3. Map of Queensland showing known distribution map of Lerista rochfordensis sp. nov. and congeners examined for this paper.

Tables

TABLE 1. Summary of morphometric and meristic characters for Lerista taxa examined. Abbreviations detailed in

Taxon SVL	L. allanae 62–89	L. ameles 56–67	L. cinerea 31–68	L. colliveri 38–82	L. karlschmidti 56–70	L. rochfordensis L. storri 40–82 47–73	L. vittata 38–70
Average	74	61	55	66	63	64 60	57
Sample size %HL/SVL	6 8–11	4 7–9	11 7–13	20 8–13	8 7–9	5 9 8–12 7–9	22 7–10
Average	9	8	9	10	8	9 8	8
Sample size	6	4	11	20	8	5 9	22
%HW/HL Average	59–76 67	64–73 68	49–67 59	62–78 69	55–73 65	55–61 50–66 59 60	49–68 58
Sample size	6	4	11	20	8	5 9	22
%L2/SVL	5–10	Absent	5–9	6–10	3–5	5–8 1–8	4–7
Average Sample size	6 6	4	6 10	8 18	4 8	6 5 5 9	5 22
%Tail/SVL	106		92–119	100–125	91	79–98 92–111	88–111
Average			106	106		88 101	98
Sample size Midbody scale rows Mode	1 18–19 18	18–20 18	2 16–18 18	4 18	1 16	2 5 16 18–20 20	11 18–20 18
Sample size Supraoculars	7 3	4 2	11 2	20 3	8 3	5 9 3 2	22 2–3
Mode							2
Sample size Supraciliaries	6 5–6	4 3–4	11 4	20 6	8 Absent	5 9 5 3–4	22 3–4
Mode	5	4				4	4
Sample size	6	4	11	20	8	5 9	21
Loreals	2	1	1 or 2	2	2	2 1	1
Mode			1
Sample size	6	4	11	20	8	5 9	21
Preoculars	2	1	1 or 2	2	1	1 1	1
Mode			1				1
Sample size Presuboculars	6 1	4 1	11 1–2	20 1	8 1	5 8 0–2 1	21 1
Mode			1			1
Sample size Palpebrals	6 5	4 3–5	11 4–5	20 4–6	8 4	5 8 4–5 4–5	21 3–5
Mode		4	4	5		5 4
Sample size	6	4	10	20	6	5 8	21
Postoculars	1	1	1	1–2	1	1 1	1
Mode				1			1
Sample size	6	4	11	20	7	5 8	21