Stegonotus iridis Ruane et al., 2017:8

Kaiser, Christine M., Kaiser, Hinrich & O’Shea, Mark, 2018, The taxonomic history of Indo-Papuan groundsnakes, genus Stegonotus Duméril et al., 1854 (Colubridae), with some taxonomic revisions and the designation of a neotype for S. parvus (Meyer, 1874), Zootaxa 4512 (1), pp. 1-73 : 54-56

Stegonotus iridis Ruane et al., 2017:8

Taxonomic status. Valid.

Synonyms. None.

Original name. Stegonotus iridis Ruane et al., 2017:8 . The species epithet comes from the Latin for rainbow, in reference to “the high level of iridescence shown both dorsally and ventrally by this species.” The species description was presented in English.

Type specimens. Holotype: MZB Ophi.3306 ( Fig. 31 A–E; Ruane et al. 2017: Fig. 5 ), an adult male ( Table 1) . Paratypes: SAMA R70466, an adult male . MZB Ophi.3305 ( Fig. 31 L–N), an adult male. MZB Ophi.3303 ( Fig. 31 I–K), listed as possibly female. MZB Ophi.3311, an adult male. MZB Ophi.3302 ( Fig. 31 F–H), an adult male.

Type localities. All type specimens were collected in Raja Ampat Regency, West Papua Province, Indonesia. Holotype: Warinkabom, Batanta Island, elev. 50 m (ca. 0.8369°S, 130.72°E). Paratypes: SAMA R70466, Waire Camp , Batanta Island, elev. 25 m (ca. 0.8397°S, 130.53°E) ; MZB Ophi. 3303, Yakut Camp, Batanta Island, elevation 55 m (ca. 0.8958°S, 130.64°E) ; MZB Ophi. 3302, 3311, Waibya, Salawati Island, elev. 75 m (ca. 0.9564°S, 130.78°E) ; MZB Ophi. 3305, Urbinasopen, Waigeo Island, elev. 45 m (ca. 0.3372°S, 131.26°E) .

19. The original description states that TL represents 22% of TTL in the holotype. This means that SVL represents 78%, and TL can be calculated as 221 mm. We applied the same calculation to the paratype .

20. This value was established right at the neck, and we confirmed this count. However, within one head length posteriorly, the number of dorsal scale rows reduces to 17. The author noted that this reduction occurred “before level of twelfth ventral.” The same generally applies to species of Stegonotus , with the possible exception of S. muelleri .

Collection. All type specimens were collected by Stephen Richards (South Australian Museum, Adelaide, South Australia), Burhan Tjaturadi (Sanata Dharma University, Yogyakarta, Indonesia), and Keliopas Krey (University of Papua, Manokwari, Indonesian New Guinea) in June 2005.

Key characteristics of the type specimens. (1) Holotype, MZB Ophi.3306: 713 mm SVL + 238 mm TL = 951 mm TTL. V ♂ = 201, SC ♂ = 88 , SCR ♂ = 0.30, D = 17-17-15, SL E = 4+5, SL = 8 , IL = 10, IL G = 5. (2) Paratype, SAMA R70466 : 675 mm SVL + 190+ mm TL = 865+ mm TTL. V ♂ = 204, SC ♂ = O , SCR ♂ = O, D = O-19-O, SL E = O, SL = 8 , IL = 10, IL G = O. (3) Paratype, MZB Ophi.3305: 790 mm SVL + 235 mm TL = 1025 mm TTL. V ♂ = 198, SC ♂ = 78 , SCR ♂ = 0.28, D = O-17-O, SL E = O, SL = “8/9?” , IL = 10, IL G = O. (4) Paratype, MZB Ophi.3303: 870 mm SVL + 265+ mm TL = 1135+ mm TTL. V? = 203, SC? = O, SCR? = O, D = O-19-O, SL E = O, SL = 8, IL = 10, IL G = O. (5) Paratype, MZB Ophi.3311: 682 mm SVL + 213 mm TL = 985 mm TTL. V ♂ = 204, SC ♂ = 85 , SCR ♂ = 0.29, D = O-17-O, SL E = O, SL = 8 , IL = 9, IL G = O. (6) Paratype, MZB Ophi.3302: 778 mm SVL + 240 mm TL = 1018 mm TTL. V ♂ = 205, SC ♂ = 85 , SCR ♂ = 0.29, D = O-19-O, SL E = O, SL = 8 , IL = 9, IL G = O.

Key characteristics of the species. According to their specimen list, Ruane et al. (2017: Appendix) included seven specimens of S. iridis in their analysis. Of these, three (one unsexed, 2 ♂♂) were collected on Batanta, three (3 ♂♂) on Salawati, and one male on Waigeo. Characteristics include V ♂ = 198–211 (204 ± 4.4); SC ♂ = 78–88 (84 ± 3.7); SCR ♂ = 0.29; D = 17-19-15 (n = 5, 71%) or 17-17-15 (n = 2, 29%); SL E most likely 4+5; SL = 8 (100%); IL = 9 (n = 2, 29%) or 10 (n = 5, 71%); IL G most likely 5.

Comment. In their description of S. iridis, Ruane et al. (2017) listed one specimen as possibly female. For the purposes of our discussion, we considered it unsexed and omitted it from parts of the analysis where sexual dimorphism could play a role (i.e., for values of V, SC, and SCR).

Figures

FIGURE 5. Holotype of Stegonotus cucullatus (Duméril et al., 1854), MNHN 3412, an adult male from the Manokwari region, West Papua Province, West New Guinea. Photos include views of the entire specimen (TTL = 1023 mm) in (A) dorsal and (B) ventral views, and of the head in (C) dorsal, (D) right lateral, and (E) ventral views. Note that the skull of the specimen was removed, resulting in the oddly shaped snout.

FIGURE 31. Type specimens of Stegonotus iridis Ruane et al., 2017. Photos include views of the entire body of the holotype MZB Ophi.3306, an adult male (TTL = 951 mm) in (A) dorsal and (B) ventral views, and of the specimen’s head in (C) dorsal, (D) right lateral, and (E) ventral views. The heads of the paratypes MZB Ophi.3302, MZB Ophi.3303, and MZB Ophi.3305 are shown in dorsal (F,I,L), right lateral (G,J,M), and ventral (H,K,N) views, respectively.