Gekko (Japonicgekko) cib, Lyu & Lin & Ren & Jiang & Zhang & Qi & Wang, 2021

Lyu, Zhi-Tong, Lin, Chao-Yu, Ren, Jin-Long, Jiang, Ke, Zhang, Yin-Peng, Qi, Shuo & Wang, Jian, 2021, Review of the Gekko (Japonigekko) subpalmatus complex (Squamata, Sauria Gekkonidae), with description of a new species from China, Zootaxa 4951 (2), pp. 236-258 : 250-256

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.4951.2.2
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:D1C7A75F-FC48-4565-B39B-BFF131EA2585
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.4681766
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03B1879F-8377-FF89-FF47-FE00FF59FCD7
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Gekko (Japonicgekko) cib
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Gekko (Japonicgekko) cib sp. nov.

Chresonymy.

Gekko subpalmatus — Schmidt 1927 (part); Wu et al. 1985; Zhao et al. 1999 (part); Zhao 2003.

Type materials. Holotype. CIB 116961 View Materials ( Fig. 7 View FIGURE 7 ), adult male, collected by Jin-Long Ren on 14 July 2018, from the wall surface in the Herpetological Museum, Chengdu Institute of Biology , Chinese Academy of Sciences (30.632093°N, 104.068917°E; ca 500 m a.s.l.), Chengdu City, Sichuan Province, PR China GoogleMaps . Paratypes. Two adult male and eight adult female specimens. Females CIB 116962–116963 View Materials collected by Jin-Long Ren, Bo-Chen Zhao, and Zeng Wang on 28 June 2018 from Wenshu Temple (30.677950°N, 104.063181°E; ca 500 m a.s.l.), Chengdu City. Males SYS r002397–2398 and females SYS r002395–2396 GoogleMaps collected by Zhi-Tong Lyu and Shuo Qi on 22 October 2019 from Chengdu City. Female SYS r000708 collected by Jian-Huan Yang on 5 June 2012 from Qingyinge, Mt. Emei (28.575478°N, 103.405444°E; ca 760 m a.s.l.), Emeishan City, Sichuan Province. Female SYS r001489 GoogleMaps collected by Zhi-Tong Lyu on 16 June 2016 from Shunyangxi, Zihuai Township (28.628283°N, 106.298241°E; ca 800 m a.s.l.), Hejiang County, Sichuan Province. Females CIB 116964–116965 View Materials GoogleMaps collected by Di-Hao Wu on 13 July 2017, from Shacuoluo, Malu Township (27.639252°N, 105.819409°E; ca 900 m a.s.l.), Jinsha County, Guizhou Province, PR China GoogleMaps .

Common name. CIB Gecko (“ CIB ” pronounced as “/si:/, /aɪ/, /bi:/”); chéng dű bì hŭ (成Ồ壁ẇ).

Etymology. The specific name cib (pronounced as “/kib/”) is in reference to the abbreviation of the type locality, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (+afifks4±物ffṅNj). Chengdu Institute of Biology is a famous institute with a long and prestigious history in China, cultivating a large number of outstanding herpetologists and promoting the development of Chinese herpetology. Its English common name is directly derived from the scientific name. The Chinese common name is refers to the type locality of this species.

Diagnosis. Gekko (Japonicgekko) cib sp. nov. is distinguished from all congeners by the following morphological characteristics: (1) medium-sized gecko species, SVL 46.9–66.4 mm in adults; (2) tubercles on dorsal body, limbs and tail absent; (3) eye large, ED/HL ratio 0.21–0.28; (4) rostral moderate, RW/HW ratio 0.19–0.24, RW/RH ratio 1.79–2.17; (5) mental elongate transversely, MW/HW ratio 0.13–0.18, MW/ML ratio 1.43–1.80; (6) nares bordered with rostral, internasals 1–2; (7) interorbital scales between anterior corners of the eyes 28–36; (8) midbody scale rows 128–149; (9) ventral scale rows at midbody 37–45; (10) scales between mental and cloacal slit 171–196; (11) subdigital lamellae on first fingers 8–13, on fourth fingers 10–15, on first toes 9–11, on fourth toes 10–15; (12) fingers and toes with distinct webbing; (13) 7–9 precloacal pores in a continuous row in males; (14) a single postcloacal tubercle on both sides; (14) dorsum greyish white to dark brown, with five regular dark bands between nape and sacrum ( Fig. 6C View FIGURE 6 ).

Hemipenial characteristics ( Fig. 3C View FIGURE 3 ): (1) hemipenis clavate, bilobed, densely covered with denticulate-seamed calyces; (2) sulcus spermaticus bifurcate at half of truncus; (3) lateral welt weakly developed, invisible from asulcate side, in contact with sulcus lip; (4) calyces confined to lobes and distal 1/2 of truncus; (5) tongue-like welt large; (6) apical folds large, comma-shaped, not in contact with each other; (7) a small and boomerang-like area on the asulcate side of the lobe center, calyces on this area not well developed ( Fig. 3C View FIGURE 3 , Ch 7).

Description of holotype. CIB 116961 ( Fig. 7 View FIGURE 7 ), an adult male with a total length of 98.8 mm (SVL 46.9 mm, TaL 51.9 mm); body slender, elongate (AG/SVL 0.47); head longer than wide (HL/HW 1.24); rostral quadrangular without suture medially, nearly twice wider than high (RW/RH 2.10) and wider than mental (RW/MW 1.50), touching first supralabial and supranasal on each side; nostrils oval, in contact with rostral, first supralabial, supranasal, and two enlarged nasals posteriorly, upper nasal smaller than lower nasal; posterior nasal region concave; internasals 2, slightly enlarged; preorbitals 15/16, preorbital region deeply concave; interorbitals 31; eye large (ED/HL 0.25), pupil vertical, elliptic; ear opening oval, horizontal, smaller than eye (TD/ED 0.34); mental trapezoid, about two times wider than long (MW/ML 1.75); postmental single, hexagonal, length about equal to width, shorter than length of mental, touching mental and first infralabial on both sides and 4 gular scales posteriorly, gular scales about equal size; supralabials 11/13; infralabials 13/13; dorsal scales on body smooth, round or oval, granular and juxtaposed, tubercles absent; lateral fold present; ventrals distinctly larger than dorsal scales, smooth, imbricate, and largest in the middle of belly; ventral scale rows at midbody 40; scale rows around midbody 135; ventral scales in a row between mental and cloacal slit 180; scales on dorsal forelimbs slightly enlarged; no tubercles on dorsal surface of limbs; scales on anterior and ventral parts of femur larger than those on posterior and dorsal parts; fingers and toes basally webbed; subdigital lamellae under first finger 9/9, under fourth finger 11/10, under first toe 10/10, under fourth toe 11/12; precloacal pores 8, in a continuous row; 11 precloacal scales rows and distinctly smaller posteriorly, three rows after precloacal pores enlarged; postcloacal tubercles 1/1; base of tail thickened, without tubercles on dorsal surface; subcaudals in a single median series, smooth, imbricate.

Coloration of holotype. In life, dorsal surface of head brownish grey, speckled with dark, grey, and beige; labials yellowish, with grey bars; upper eyelids brownish yellow; dorsal surface of body brownish grey with black and pale grey blotches, several enlarged pale grey blotches present along the vertebral column, some of them bordered with black anteriorly; dorsal surface of neck with an indistinct W-shaped marking; dorsal surface of fore and hind limbs pale grey, finely speckled with darker spots, outer region tending to beige especially on fingers and toes; ventral surface of head, belly, and limbs cream with small black spots; dorsal surface of tail with eleven grey transverse bands, becoming darker and more distinct posteriorly; ventral tail pale grey in forepart and with nearly closed bands distally.

In preservative ( Fig. 7 View FIGURE 7 ), the pattern of recently preserved specimens resembles that of live animals, but the pale grey coloration on the dorsal surface of body and limbs becomes darker.

Variations. Measurements and scale counts of type series specimens are given in Table 5 View TABLE 5 . Ground color on dorsal surface of head, body and tail is also different among each individual from yellowish grey to blackish grey in the wild, most individuals body color become darker after capture.

Hemipenial morphology. Description based on paratype SYS r002398 ( Fig. 3C View FIGURE 3 ). Right hemipenis, fully evert- ed organ 6.00 mm long, 4.48 mm wide, stout, clavate, shallowly bilobed; densely covered with small or tiny calyces, seams of calyces denticulated. Two lobes subequal, both the lobes covered with calyces, calyces on distal part of lobes tinier; calyces proximally extend to the upper half part of truncus, bordered by slightly protruded fold. Each lobe with a distinctly protruded, comma-like apical folds, two folds not in contact with each other.

On sulcal side, a distinct tongue-like welt present at crotch, curled inward. A thin, wrinkled, lateral welt present on the left side of sulcal lip, in contact with sulcal lip at distal one third of truncus. On asulcate side, lateral welt invisible, a small and boomerang-like area present on the center of each lobe, calyces on this area not well developed.

Sulcus spermaticus forked, bordered by voluminous skin bulges, bifurcate at middle part of truncus, terminating on the upper side of each lobe in a slit-like concavity. sulcal lips moderately protruded, gradually become weaker and thinner towards the distal part of the organ.

Comparisons. Gekko (Japonigekko) cib sp. nov. is compared with all 30 recognized species within the subgenus Japonigekko .

Gekko (Japonigekko) cib sp. nov. used to be recorded as G. (J.) subpalmatus . However, the new species can be distinguished from the true G. (J.) subpalmatus in eastern China by the following morphological characters: mentals more elongate transversely, MW/ML ratio 1.60 ± 0.12 (versus 1.36 ± 0.18); larger eyes, ED/HL ratio 0.23 ± 0.03 (versus 0.19 ± 0.01). In addition, G. (J.) cib sp. nov. differs from G. (J.) subpalmatus in the following distinct hemipenial characters ( Table 3 View TABLE 3 ; Fig. 3 View FIGURE 3 ), including having sulcus spermaticus bifurcate at half of the truncus length (vs. bifurcate at crotch of hemipenis), lateral welt of the base of the sulcus spermaticus weakly developed, in contact with sulcus lip (versus well developed, not in contact with sulcus lip), and a smaller ornamented area (calyces confined to lobes and distal 1/2 of truncus versus calyces extended to lobes and distal 2/3 of truncus).

Gekko (Japonigekko) cib sp. nov. is the sister taxon to G. (J.) melli from southern China, however, it differs in the appearance, dorsal body with regular patches (versus dorsal body with irregular enlarge patches), absence of an incomplete W-shaped marking on top of head (versus present), W-shaped marking on dorsal neck narrow (versus W-shaped marking on dorsal neck broad), and in the following data of scale counts: (1) fewer scales around the middle of the body, SR 128–149 (versus SR 147–160), (2) fewer precloacal pores in males, PP 7–9 (versus PP 9–11). Particularly, G. (J.) cib sp. nov. differs from G. (J.) melli in the following distinct hemipenial characters ( Table 3 View TABLE 3 ; Fig. 3 View FIGURE 3 ), including having lateral welt of the base of the sulcus spermaticus weakly developed, invisible from asulcate side (versus developed, visible from asulcate side); developed tongue-like welt (versus weakly developed); a smaller ornamented area (calyces confined to lobes and distal 1/2 of truncus versus calyces extended to lobes and distal 2/3 of truncus); and a protruded boundary between naked area and ornamented area on truncus (versus boundary smooth).

Gekko (Japonigekko) cib sp. nov. can be easily distinguished from the following 19 congeners by lacking dorsal tubercles: G. (J.) adleri Nguyen, Wang, Yang, Lehmann, Le, Ziegler & Bonkowski, 2013 , G. (J.) auriverrucosus Zhou & Liu, 1982 , G. (J.) canhi Rösler, Nguyen, Van Doan, Ho, Nguyen & Ziegler, 2010, G. (J.) chinensis (Gray, 1842) , G. (J.) hekouensis Pope, 1928, G. (J.) japonicus (Schlegel, 1836) , G. (J.) kwangsiensis Yang, 2015 , G. (J.) lauhachindai Panitvong, Sumontha, Konlek & Kunya, 2010, G. (J.) liboensis Zhou, Liu & Li, 1982 , G. (J.) pal- matus Boulenger, 1907, G. (J.) scabridus Liu & Zhou, 1982 , G. (J.) shibatai Toda, Sengoku, Hikida & Ota, 2008, G. (J.) similignum Smith, 1923 , G. (J.) swinhonis Günther, 1864 , G. (J.) taibaiensis Song, 1985 , G. (J.) vertebralis Toda, Sengoku, Hikida & Ota, 2008 , G. (J.) vietnamensis Sang, 2010 , G. (J.) wenxianensis Zhou & Wang, 2008 , and G. (J.) yakuensis Matsui & Okada, 1968.

Furthermore, the new species can be distinguished from the following three Gekko (Japonigekko) congeners by having only a single postcloacal tubercle on both sides (versus PAT 2– 2 in G. (J.) sengchanthavongi Luu, Calame, Nguyen, Le & Ziegler, 2015, and G. (J.) thakhekensis Luu, Calame, Nguyen, Le, Bonkowski & Ziegler, 2014; PAT 2–3 in G. (J.) scientiadventura Rösler, Ziegler, Vu, Herrmann & Böhme, 2004).

For the remaining six subgeneric congeners, by having 7–9 precloacal pores in males, Gekko (Japonigekko) cib sp. nov. can be distinguished from G. (J.) aaronbaueri Tri, Thai, Phimvohan, David & Teynié, 2015 (PP 3–4), G. (J.) bonkowskii Luu, Calame, Nguyen, Le & Ziegler, 2015 (PP 6), G. (J.) nadenensis Luu, Nguyen, Le, Bonkowski & Ziegler, 2017 (PP 6), G. (J.) tawaensis Okada, 1956 (PP 0), and G. (J.) truongi Phung & Ziegler, 2011 (PP 10–11); by having 1–2 intersupranasals, the new species can be distinguished from G. (J.) bonkowskii and G. (J.) nadenensis, both of which have no intersupranasals; and by having 5 dark bands between nape and sacrum on dorsum, G. (J.) cib sp. nov. further differs from G. (J.) guishanicus Lin & Yao, 2016 (dorsum with 6 dark bands).

Distribution and ecology. Currently, Gekko (Japonigekko) cib sp. nov. is recognized from Chengdu City, Mt. Emei, and Hejiang County of Sichuan, and Jinsha County from Guizhou. These localities all situated in or around the Sichuan Basin, suggesting the previous records of G. (J.) subpalmatus from these regions (including Sichuan, Guizhou, and Chongqing) should be reassigned to this new species. All individuals were found on house walls or under eaves.