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| Sphenomorphus lingnanensis Guo, Zhong, Li, Xu, Wang, Li, Yu & Ji, 2026 |
Abstract
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 16S 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 16S 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 16S 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.
Key Words: Guangdong, mitochondrial DNA, morphology, new species, Scincidae, South China, Sphenomorphus, taxonomy
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| Sphenomorphus lingnanensis sp. nov. from Central Guangdong, China. The adult female holotype (A, WZULXHTXSP1), a juvenile paratype of (B, WZULXHTXSP2) |
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| Sphenomorphus lingnanensis sp. nov. Close-up views of the adult female holotype (WZULXHTXSP1; left, from A1–D1) and a juvenile paratype (WZULXHTXSP3; right, from A2–D2) |
Sphenomorphus lingnanensis sp. nov.
Kun Guo, Jun-Jie Zhong, Yi-Peng Li, Wang Xu, Wei-Min Wang, Yu-Dong Li, Xin-Fan Yu and Xiang Ji. 2026. A New skink Species of the Genus Sphenomorphus Fitzinger, 1843 (Squamata, Scincidae) from Central Guangdong, South China. Zoosystematics and Evolution. 102(2): 411-420. DOI: doi.org/10.3897/zse.102.183764 [05 Mar 2026]
