Gao Zong-Yuan, Huang Jun-Jie, Ding L I, Jiang K E, Mao Jie, Ren Jin-Long
CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization; Ecological Restoration and Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province; Chengdu Institute of Biology; Chinese Academy of Sciences; Chengdu 610041; Sichuan; China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences; Beijing 100049; China.
CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization; Ecological Restoration and Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province; Chengdu Institute of Biology; Chinese Academy of Sciences; Chengdu 610041; Sichuan; China.
Zootaxa. 2024 Jul 2;5474(5):503-521. doi: 10.11646/zootaxa.5474.5.3.
Hebius vibakari (Boie, 1826), the type species of the genus Hebius, currently includes three subspecies: Hebius vibakari vibakari, endemic to Japan except for the Hokkaido region; Hebius vibakari ruthveni (Van Denburgh, 1923), found in the Korean Peninsula, northeastern China, and eastern Russia; and Hebius vibakari danjoensis (Toriba, 1986), native to the Oshima Island, Danjo Islands, Japan. However, the taxonomic status of three subspecies has not been evaluated for many years. Integrating data from previous studies and new records from central and northern China, we evaluated the systematic positions of H. v. vibakari and H. v. ruthveni based on comparative morphology and molecular phylogenetics. Analysis recovered H. vibakari as a monophyletic group, composed of three major clades that could not correspond to the nominative subspecies. As molecular and morphological evidence could not distinguish H. v. ruthveni from H. v. vibakari, we synonymized the junior nomen H. v. ruthveni with H. v. vibakari. A detailed description of Hebius vibakari is provided, including hemipenial morphology, and the taxonomic status of the subspecies H. v. danjoensis is discussed.
草腹链蛇（Hebius vibakari，博耶，1826年）是草腹链蛇属的模式物种，目前包括三个亚种：草腹链蛇指名亚种（Hebius vibakari vibakari），除北海道地区外，特产于日本；草腹链蛇鲁氏亚种（Hebius vibakari ruthveni，范登堡，1923年），分布于朝鲜半岛、中国东北和俄罗斯东部；以及草腹链蛇檀上岛亚种（Hebius vibakari danjoensis，鸟羽，1986年），原产于日本檀岛群岛的大岛。然而，这三个亚种的分类地位多年来一直未得到评估。综合以往研究的数据以及来自中国中部和北部的新记录，我们基于比较形态学和分子系统发育学对草腹链蛇指名亚种和草腹链蛇鲁氏亚种的系统位置进行了评估。分析结果显示草腹链蛇是一个单系类群，由三个主要分支组成，这三个分支与指名亚种并不对应。由于分子和形态学证据无法区分草腹链蛇鲁氏亚种和草腹链蛇指名亚种，我们将草腹链蛇鲁氏亚种这个次异名同草腹链蛇指名亚种进行了同义处理。本文提供了草腹链蛇的详细描述，包括半阴茎形态，并讨论了草腹链蛇檀上岛亚种的分类地位。
