2026/03/05 by Kun Guo, Jun-Jie Zhong, Yipeng Li +5 · 1 voice
Environmental Science · Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · #Amphibian and Reptile Biology #Genomics and Phylogenetic Studies #Venomous Animal Envenomation and Studies
paper · doi:10.3897/zse.102.183764
openalex publication_date 2026/03/05 · openalex created_date 2026/03/06 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/02
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 .