Hemiphyllodactylus khlonglanensis, Sukprasert & Sutthiwises & Lauhachinda & Taksintum, 2018

Sukprasert, Apisak, Sutthiwises, Surapop, Lauhachinda, Virayuth & Taksintum, Wut, 2018, Two new species of Hemiphyllodactylus Bleeker (Squamata: Gekkonidae) from Thailand, Zootaxa 4369 (3), pp. 363-376 : 368-370

Hemiphyllodactylus khlonglanensis sp. nov.

Khlong Lan Dwarf Gecko (English)

Ching Chok Khao Sung Khlong Lan (Thai)

( Figure 3 )

Holotype. Adult male ( ZMKU TM001043 N) collected by Apisak Sukprasert on May 8, 2016 at Khlong Lan District , Kamphaeng Phet Province, western Thailand.

Paratypes. Seven specimens from the same locality as the holotype. ZMKU TM 000999N – ZMKU TM001004N collected on December 25, 2015 and ZMKU TM001044 N collected on May 8, 2016.

Diagnosis. Hemiphyllodactylus khlonglanensis sp. nov. may be diagnosed by the combination of characteristics: (1) a bisexual taxon; (2) a maximum SVL of 43.05 mm in males and 43.14 mm in females; (3) 7–10 chin scales; (4) 5 circumnasal scales; (5) 2–4 scales between supranasals; (6) 9–12 supralabials; (7) 8–11 infralabials; (8) 10–15 dorsal scale rows; (9) 7–10 ventral scale rows; (10) lamellar formula on forefoot 3-4-4-4 or 4-4-4-4; (11) lamellar formula on hindfoot 4-4-4-4; (12) precloacal and femoral pores in a continuous series, 19–20 pores in males; (13) 1 cloacal spur on each side present in both sexes; (14) dark postorbital stripe; and (15) anteriorly projecting arms of postsacral mark.

Description of holotype. Adult male, SVL 43.05 mm; tail length (TailL) 39.63 mm; trunk length (TrunkL) 21.58 mm; head longer than wide (HeadL 11.11 mm, HeadW 8.05 mm); eye diameter (EyeD) 2.29 mm; and snouteye length (SnEye) 4.37 mm. Proportions: TrunkL/SVL 0.50, HeadL/SVL 0.26, HeadW/SVL 0.19, HeadW/HeadL 0.72, SnEye/HeadL 0.39, EyeD/HeadL 0.21. Scalation: Rostral with notch on upper edge; 5/5 circumnasal scales (rostral, supranasal, two postnasals, and first supralabial); supranasals were separated from each other by three small granular internasals; rostrum and crown of head covered by granular scales, scales of rostrum larger than those on crown and slightly raised; superciliary scales flat, rectangular, imbricate; supralabials 9/9; infralabials 9/ 10; 8 chin scales; dorsal scales small, granular, 14 scales contained within one EyeD; ventral scales larger than dorsal scales, flat, imbricate, 8 scales contained within one EyeD; one cloacal spur on each side; precloacal and femoral pores continuous series, 20 in total; dorsal surface of fore- and hindlimbs covered by granular scales; claws absent on first digit of forefoot, minute on first digit of hindfoot, 6/6 lamellae on first digits of forefoot and 5/5 lamellae on first digits of hindfoot; claws present on second to fifth digits of fore- and hindfoot, subdigital lamellae U-shaped, lamellar formula on forefoot 4-4-4-4 (L, R) and on hindfoot 4-4-4-4 (L, R); all caudal scales flat, imbricate, subcaudals larger than dorsal caudal scales.

Coloration in alcohol ( Fig. 3 ). The dorsal ground color of head and body light grey; dark brown pre- and postorbital stripe extends to the neck; two rows of dark brown blotches along dorsum; distinct postsacral mark with white anteriorly projecting arms and dark brown triangle at mid-dorsum; the dorsal surface of the limbs yellowish grey with irregular dark brown markings; the dorsal surface of the tail dark white with several transverse dark brown bands; the ventral surfaces of the head, neck, body, and limbs cream. Before preservation the underside of the tail was orange.

Variation. Measurements and scalation characteristics of the paratypes of Hemiphyllodactylus khlonglanensis sp. nov. are presented in Table 3. These scale counts vary among the type series: 7–10 chin scales (median ± SD, 8 ± 0.93), 9–12 supralabial scales (10 ± 0.86), 8–11 infralabial scales (10 ± 0.73), 2–4 scales between supranasals (3 ± 0.53), 10–15 dorsal scales (14 ± 1.60), and 7–10 ventral scales (8 ± 1.31). The adult male ZMKU TM000999N has a continuous series of 19 femoroprecloacal pores. One female ZMKU TM001002N has no secreting pores, the others have pitted precloacal and femoral scales. The paratype ZMKU TM001044N has a very pale dorsum.

Etymology. This specific epithet is derived from the name of Khlong Lan District which refers to the type locality.

Distribution and natural history. Hemiphyllodactylus khlonglanensis sp. nov. is known only from the district of Khlong Lan, Kamphaeng Phet Province, Thailand ( Fig. 1 ). They were collected at night on the walls of buildings located around the edge of a forested region approximately 1,300 meters above sea level. Two female paratypes ZMKU TM001000N and ZMKU TM001001N were gravid, each with two shelled eggs at the time of collection.

Morphological comparisons. Hemiphyllodactylus khlonglanensis sp. nov. is placed within a clade (lineage A; Figure 2) along with four of its congeners. It has a lamellar formula of 3-4-4-4 or 4-4-4-4 on the forefoot and 4-4- 4-4 on the hindfoot, which separates it from H. changningensis Guo, Zhou, Yan & Li (3-3/4-3/4-3 and 3-4-4-4 or 3- 3-3-3, respectively) and H. chiangmaiensis (3-3-3-3 or 3-4-3-3 and 3-3-3-3 or 3-4-4-4, respectively). Hemiphyllodactylus khlonglanensis sp. nov. has five or six lamellae on its first finger in contrast with H. changningensis and H. chiangmaiensis which have three or four and H. jinpingensis which has four, and it has five subdigital lamellae on the first toe, whereas H. changningensis and H. chiangmaiensis have three or four. The postsacral mark in H. khlonglanensis sp. nov. has anteriorly projecting arms, which are lacking in H. longlingensis Zhou & Liu and H. jinpingensis . The maximum known SVL of H. khlonglanensis sp. nov. is 43.1 mm, whereas in H. jinpingensis is 39.6 mm. Diagnostic characteristics of Hemiphyllodactylus are shown in Table 4.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Type localities of Hemiphyllodactylus chiangmaiensis, H. khlonglanensis sp. nov., and H. flaviventris sp. nov. in Thailand.

FIGURE 3. Male holotype of Hemiphyllodactylus khlonglanensis sp. nov. (ZMKU TM001043N): A) dorsal view; B) chin; C) subdigital of right hindfoot and D) secreting pores.