A New Species of Luperosaurus (Squamata: Gekkonidae) from Panay Island, Philippines, with Comments on the Taxonomic Status of Luperosaurus Cumingii (Gray, 1845)

We describe a new species of Luperosaurus on the basis of three recently collected specimens from Panay Island, Philippines. The new species is phenotypically similar to L. cumingii, but differs from it by the absence of enlarged ventrolateral tail tubercles and spinose scales on the edges of the anterior cutaneous expansions of the limbs, by having fewer middorsal scales, fewer ornamented tubercles on the head, neck, and body, differences in ventral color pattern, and a larger maximum body size. Examination of all available specimens of L. cumingii demonstrates that this species exhibits a high degree of morphological variation correlated with patterns of lineage isolation on several Pleistocene aggregate island complexes (biogeographical subprovinces) of the Philippines. Although it is suspected that L. cumingii comprises a complex of multiple species, current sampling limitations prevent taxonomic subdivision beyond the recognition of the new species described here. The name L. cumingii probably should only be applied to populations from Luzon Island. Luperosaurus cf. cumingii from Camiguin Sur and Lubang Island may represent additional unnamed species.

Figure 1

Map of the Philippines (darkly shaded islands) with outlines of Pleistocene Aggregate Island Complexes (PAICs) indicated (light gray) by tracing submarine 120 m bathymetric contours. Labeled islands are discussed in text; star indicates type locality of Luperosaurus corfieldi. Known localities for Luperosaurus cumingii are presented as circles; squares denote taxonomically uncertain specimens provisionally assigned to “Luperosaurus cf. cumingii.”

Figure 2

Dorsal (A) and ventral (B) aspect of one of the syntypes (BMNH 1946.8.22.41; SVL 85.0 mm) of Luperosaurus cumingii and ventrolateral aspect of a live adult female of L. cumingii (TNHC 61910; SVL 75.2 mm) from Mt. Malinao, Albay Prov., Bicol Peninsula, Luzon Isl. Note similar heterogeneous scalation between the type (A) and the live specimen (C), the presence of spinose scales on the margins of cutaneous expansions of the limbs and ventrolateral tail edge, and the identical ventral color pattern (B: faded in the type; bright yellow with distinct black transverse bands in life).

Figure 3

(A) Luperosaurus corfieldi holotype as a subadult (PNM 7919; SVL 62.0 mm; preserved six months later as adult); (B) Adult female L. cumingii (TNHC 61910; SVL 75.2 mm) from Mt. Malinao, Albay Prov., Bicol Peninsula, Luzon Isl. Note prominent spinose ventrolateral tail tubercles and heterogeneous nuchal and body tubercles in L. cumingii (B).

Figure 4

Adult specimens of (A) Luperosaurus cumingii (TNHC 61910; SVL 75.2 mm) and (B) L. corfieldi (PNM 8489; SVL 86.0 mm) from Luzon and Panay islands, respectively. Note heterogeneous, tuberculate appearance of L. cumingii (A; especially nuchal region, edge of anterior forearm cutaneous expansion, and ventrolateral tail margin) and smooth, non-tuberculate appearance of L. corfieldi (B; ornamental spinose tubercles absent).

Figure 5

Details of head scalation in (A) L. corfieldi (PNM 8489; HL 20.4 mm) and (B) L. cumingii (TNHC 61910; HL 19.9 mm). Note smooth, non-tuberculate appearance of posterolateral region of head and nuchal region of L. corfieldi and the presence of enlarged, spinose nuchal tubercles in L. cumingii.

Figure 6

Ventral aspect of (A) adult female paratype of L. corfieldi (PNM 8489). Note complete absence of ventral transverse banding and smooth, nontuberculate appearance of ventrolateral body margins. Characteristics of preanofemoral regions and basal portions of tail in (B) L. corfieldi male holotype (PNM 7919) and (C) L. cumingii (TNHC 61910). Note differences in ventral tail color pattern and complete absence of ventrolateral tail tubercles in L. corfieldi (B; dark arrows) vs. tubercles present in L. cumingii (C; white arrows).

Contributor Notes

Section editor: T. W. Reeder.

Received: 22 Jun 2005

Accepted: 18 Dec 2006