Taxonomic Revision of the New Zealand Copper Skink (Cyclodina aenea: Squamata: Scincidae) Species Complex, with Descriptions of Two New Species DAVID G. CHAPPLE, 1,2 GEOFF B. PATTERSON, 3 TRENT BELL, 4 AND CHARLES H. DAUGHERTY 1 1 Allan Wilson Centre for Molecular Ecology and Evolution, School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, PO Box 600, Wellington 6140, New Zealand 3 149 Mairangi Road, Wilton, Wellington, New Zealand 4 Landcare Research, PO Box 282, Alexandra, New Zealand ABSTRACT.—We completed a taxonomic revision for the New Zealand Copper Skink (Cyclodina aenea) species complex using morphological and molecular data. Two new species are described on the basis of several morphological characteristics, with the specific status of each species supported by mitochondrial sequence data (ND2). We also redescribe C. aenea. One of the new species is restricted to the Poor Knights Islands, whereas the distribution of the other new species is limited to northernmost region of Northland. Both new species exhibit significant genetic divergence from C. aenea (,13.5% sequence divergence), indicating that each species has evolved in isolation from C. aenea for a substantial period of time. New Zealand contains a diverse endemic skink fauna, with 29 described species in two genera, Oligosoma (23 species) and Cyclodina (six species; Hickson et al., 2000; Gill and Whitaker, 2001; Chapple and Patterson, 2007). Oligosoma species are distributed throughout New Zeal- and (North Island, South Island, Stewart Island, numerous outlying islands), whereas Cyclodina is restricted entirely to the North Island and outlying islands (Gill and Whitaker, 2001). The New Zealand skink fauna has experienced a complex taxonomic history caused by the conserved morphology evident in this group, concealing the species diversity that is present (Hardy, 1977; Patterson and Daugherty, 1990, 1995). Molecular studies have provided sub- stantial insight into the taxonomy of New Zealand skinks, revealing a high incidence of cryptic species and providing an additional source of evidence for the description of new species (e.g., Daugherty et al., 1990). Here we use morphological and molecular data to complete a taxonomic revision of the Copper Skink (Cyclodina aenea) species complex. The C. aenea species complex has a complex taxonomic history, with Hardy (1977) listing 23 synonyms for the species. Cyclodina aenea was first described by Girard (1857) from the Bay of Islands, although Hardy (1977) recognized that one of the syntypes of Mocoa smithii (Gray 1845) was in fact typical of C. aenea. Girard (1857) caused an additional complication by describ- ing the species twice from specimens from the Bay of Islands, the second time as Hombronia undosa (Hardy, 1977). McCann (1955) created further confusion by restricting the name C. aenea to populations south of the 38u latitude, which lies approximately 300 km south of the Bay of Islands, and placing populations north of the 38u latitude in the new species Sphenomor- phus pseudornatus. Hardy (1977) subsequently synonymized S. pseudornatus under C. aenea and resurrected Cyclodina ornata from synonymy. In addition, Hardy (1977) nominated a neotype for C. aenea (Te Papa, National Museum of New Zealand, RE1816 [S193], Blue Mountains, Hutt Valley, Wellington), because the holotype was listed as missing. Hardy (1977) believed that the Poor Knights Islands population (Aorangi Island) was the only C. aenea population to exhibit any taxo- nomically significant variation. The Poor Knights Islands are located 24 km off the northeast coast of the Northland region (Fig. 1) and are believed to have been isolated from the North Island for 1–2 My (Hayward, 1986, 1991). Hardy (1977) demonstrated that C. aenea from the Poor Knights Islands were morphologically distinct (high scale counts, subocular series interrupted by the supralabial under the eye, third supraocular often meeting the frontal, and distinctive color pattern) and could be distin- guished from most other C. aenea populations by allozyme electrophoresis. However, Hardy (1977) refrained from describing the Poor Knights Islands population as a distinct species because of hemoglobin electrophoresis evidence 2 Corresponding Author. Present address: Museum Victoria, Herpetology Section, GPO Box 666, Mel- bourne, Victoria 3001, Australia; E-mail: dchapple@ museum.vic.gov.au Journal of Herpetology, Vol. 42, No. 3, pp. 437–452, 2008 Copyright 2008 Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles