A new species of Hemiphyllodactylus (Squamata, Gekkonidae) from southwest Yunnan, China

Abstract

A new species of gekkonid, Hemiphyllodactylus gengmaensis sp. nov., is described based on six specimens from Gengma Dai and Wa Autonomous County, Yunnan, China. The new species can be distinguished from its congeners by a significant genetic divergence of greater than 9.7% in the mitochondrial ND2 gene and a combination of the following characters: a maximum SVL of 43.24mm; 8 or 9 chin scales; six circumnasal scales; 2 or 3 internasal scales; 9–11 supralabial scales; 8 or 9 infralabial scales; 11–18 dorsal scales; 8–10 ventral scales; a manual lamellar formula of 5–5–5–4 or 5–6–5–4 and a pedal lamellar formula of 5–5–6–5; 20–25 precloacal and femoral pore-bearing scales contiguous in males; dark postorbital stripes or striping on body; dark dorsal transverse blotches present; and a brown postsacral mark bearing anteriorly projecting arms. The discovery of this new species brings the number of Hemiphyllodactylus species in China to 15.