cryptic species within the dendrophidion vinitor complex in middle ...

SPECIES IN THE DENDROPHIDION VINITOR COMPLEX N Cadle 201
Dendrophidion apharocybe previously
has been confused with another new
species, D. crybelum, and with D. vinitor
as redefined herein. Dendrophidion apharocybe
differs from D. crybelum (characters
in parentheses) in the following hemipenial
characters: hemipenis rather short and with
a bulbous apex comprising well over onethird
the length of the organ (longer and
cylindrical, without a distinctly expanded
apex that comprises one-fourth or less the
length of the hemipenis); apex strongly
inclined toward the sulcate side and nude
(not inclined and ornamented with many
free-standing membranous ridges having
embedded spinules); hemipenis with relatively
few moderately enlarged spines, total
enlarged spines ,45 (many greatly enlarged
spines, total enlarged spines .70). Dendrophidion
apharocybe and D. crybelum are
very similar in color patterns, but D.
apharocybe has immaculate ventrals and
subcaudals, whereas adult D. crybelum have
small dark spots on the posterior ventrals
and the subcaudals (juveniles sometimes
have only dark suffusion on the subcaudals);
see species account for D. crybelum for
details. Dendrophidion apharocybe averages
more pale body bands (Table 1) than D.
crybelum (p , 0.001) and fewer than D.
vinitor (p , 0.001), but the ranges overlap
greatly in each case.
Hemipenes of D. apharocybe and D.
vinitor are similar in overall shape, but the
apex of the former is nude and strongly
inclined toward the sulcate side, and it lacks
an apical boss. The hemipenis of D. vinitor
has a highly ornate apex, including an apical
boss, and it is not strongly inclined (see
detailed hemipenial descriptions). Additionally,
these two species differ in aspects of
color pattern (see species account for D.
vinitor).
Description (31 males, 34 females). Table
1 summarizes size, body proportions,
and meristic data for D. apharocybe;
McCranie (2011) summarized data for 10
Honduran specimens, most of which are
also included in this summary. Largest
specimen (KU 35638) a female 1,045 mm
total length, 672 mm SVL. Largest male
(KU 80223) 1,040 mm total length, 653 mm
SVL (another male, LACM 148601, was also
653 mm SVL but had an incomplete tail).
Tail 35–38% of total length (53–61% of
SVL) in males; 33–36% of total length (49–
57% of SVL) in females. Dorsal scales in
17–17–15 scale rows, the posterior reduction
by fusion of rows 2+3 (40%) or 3+4
(54%) or loss or row 3 (6%) at the level of
ventrals 85–105 (see Sexual Dimorphism
below). Ventrals 149–160 (averaging 153.9)
in males, 152–168 (averaging 160.8) in
females; 1 or 2 preventrals anterior to
ventrals (preventrals rarely absent). Anal
plate single. Subcaudals 115–127 (averaging
121.1) in males, 111–129 (averaging 119.9)
in females. Dorsocaudal reduction at subcaudals
32–63 in males (mean 47.8), 26–52
in females (mean 41.5). Preoculars 1,
postoculars nearly always 2 (rarely 3),
primary temporals usually 2 (rarely 1),
secondary temporals usually 2 (rarely 1),
supralabials usually 9 with 4–6 bordering
the eye (range 8–10 with other combinations
bordering the eye; Table 1), infralabials
usually 9 (range 7–10). Maxillary teeth
33–44 (averaging 39), typically with four
posterior teeth abruptly enlarged; sometimes
the enlargement appeared more
gradual and with three or five somewhat
enlarged (Fig. 8).
Two apical pits present on dorsal scales.
Nearly 60% of specimens have all dorsal
rows except row 1 keeled on the neck (in
about half of those, keels on row 2 were
scored as weak); another 34% of specimens
lacked keels on rows 1 and 2 on the neck (in
one-quarter of those keels were weak on
row 3); the remaining specimens lacked
keels on rows 1–3 on the neck (these
proportions differ from D. crybelum; see
species account). In all except five specimens,
keels were present on all dorsal rows
except row 1 at mid- and posterior body; in
the five exceptions (four from Panama, one
from Costa Rica) keels were present additionally
on scale row 1 posteriorly (sometimes
weak). Fusions or divisions of temporal
scales were common, with the following
Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology harv-160-04-01.3d 11/4/12 19:58:55 201