A new species of Riopa Gray, 1839 (Reptilia: Squamata: Scincidae) from the Eastern Ghats, India

We describe a new species of Riopa from the Eastern Ghats in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana states, India. The new species is diagnosed by the following suite of characters: lower eyelid with a semi-transparent disk, 108–109 paravertebral scale rows, 8 or 9 lamellae on the 4 th toe, dorsum with 16 distinct longitudinal lines, five fingers and five toes, preanal scales not enlarged, and ear opening covered by scales. Our mitochondrial molecular data supports the placement of the species in the genus Riopa and the new species is 4.1–9.2 % divergent from genetically sampled congeners.

This study adds in understanding the cryptic diversity of lizard fauna in the Eastern Ghats in peninsular India. Based on our findings we provide a dichotomous key to the genus Riopa.