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| Diploderma qiaojiaense Liu, Hou & Rao, 2024 |
Abstract
A new species of the genus Diploderma Hallowell, 1861 from Qiaojia County, Zhaotong City, northeastern Yunnan Province, China, is described. Phylogenetically, the new species is placed within the D. splendidum complex and has genetic distances of 7.3% and 7.5% from D. splendidum (Barbour & Dunn, 1919) sensu stricto and D. daduense Cai, Liu & Chang, 2024, respectively, based on the ND2 gene sequences. Morphologically, the new species closely resembles D. splendidum sensu stricto and D. daduense, however, it can be distinguished from D. splendidum sensu stricto by having a larger body size in males and relatively shorter limbs, and can be differentiated from D. daduense by having a relatively narrower head in males and relatively shorter forelimbs in males. In addition, the new species differs from D. splendidum sensu stricto and D. daduense by having different colorations, especially in the absence of transverse stripes on the dorsal head. This study further revealed that D. splendidum sensu lato is a complex containing multiple species and that more research is needed to clarify the taxonomy of the complex.
Keywords: morphology; ND2; Qiaojia County; systematics; taxonomy
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| Holotype (KIZ2021106) of Diploderma qiaojiaense sp. nov. in life. (A) Dorsal view; (B) lateral view; (C) ventral view; (D) close-up view of the lateral side of the head; (E) close-up view of the ventral side of the head; and (F) close-up view of the oral cavity. |
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| Female paratype (KIZ2021108) of Diploderma qiaojiaense sp. nov in life. (A) Dorsal view; (B) lateral view; (C) ventral view; (D) close-up view of the lateral side of the head; (E) close-up view of the ventral side of the head; and (F) close-up view of the oral cavity. |
Class Reptilia Laurenti, 1768
Order Squamata Oppel, 1811
Family Agamidae Gray, 1827
Genus Diploderma Hallowell, 1861
Diploderma qiaojiaense sp. nov.
Diagnosis: Body size relatively large, SVL 88.4–95.9 mm in adult males; tail moderately long, TAL/SVL 2.17–2.29; limbs relatively short, FLL/SVL 0.39–0.42, HLL/SVL 0.69–0.73; head relatively long, HL/SVL 0.32–0.35; tympanum concealed; ventral head and body scales strongly keeled, some enlarged scales interspersed on ventral head; nuchal crest well-developed, dorsal crest moderately developed; strongly erected skin folds under nuchal and dorsal crests present. Dorsal surface of head light brownish grey with no transverse bands; transverse black stripe on upper lip indistinct, region between stripe beneath eye and stripe on upper lip pure white; dorsolateral stripe light green in males in life, upper edge straight or slightly jagged, lower edge straight; gular spot absent, some white spots with indistinct black circle surrounded present on ventral head; oral cavity, inner lips, and tongue light flesh color.
Etymology: The specific epithet refers to Qiaojia County, which is where the new species was discovered.
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| Body and corresponding throat colorations in the males of Diploderma qiaojiaense sp. nov. under different environmental conditions. High temperature in the afternoon (top), basking to raise body temperature in the morning (bottom), and the state between the other two (middle). Specimens were not collected. |
Shuo Liu, Mian Hou and Dingqi Rao. 2024. A New Species of Diploderma Hallowell, 1861 (Reptilia, Squamata, Agamidae) from Northeastern Yunnan Province, China. Taxonomy. 4(2); 412-431. DOI: doi.org/10.3390/taxonomy4020020
