A new skink species of the genus Sphenomorphus Fitzinger, 1843 (Squamata, Scincidae) from Central Guangdong, South China

We collected nine specimens of the genus Sphenomorphus Fitzinger, 1843 (Squamata, Scincidae) from Liuxihe National Forest Park in central Guangdong, South China, which were found not to correspond to any currently recognized species. Here, we describe this new species, Sphenomorphus lingnanensis sp. nov., integrating morphological and mitochondrial DNA (COI and 16 S rRNA) evidence. Phylogenetic analyses reveal the new species to be a sister taxon to S. indicus with uncorrected p - distances of 0.132 in COI and 0.021 in 16 S rRNA.

The p - distance in COI between the new species and S. indicus exceeds that between S. scutatus and S. solomonis (0.057), and the p - distance in 16 S rRNA exceeds that between S. cyanolaemus and S. sabanus (0.005). Morphologically, this new species is distinguished from five congeners (including S. indicus) with comparable data by: (1) possessing 56–58 ventral scale rows (versus 65–69 in S. indicus); and (2) occupying a distinct position in the morphospace defined by the first two principal components derived from seven meristic variables.

The description of S. lingnanensis sp. nov. raises the number of recognized Sphenomorphus species in China to nine. Sphenomorphus lingnanensis sp. nov. is currently known only from two proximate localities (approximately 5 km apart) in central Guangdong, where it is sympatric with the oviparous congener S. incognitus.