Plica is a genus of tropidurid lizards found in South America and the Caribbean. Species in the genus Plica are arboreal, medium-sized lizards. Taxonomy For a long time, the genus Plica was considered to include four species: two relatively widespread ones (P. plica and P. umbra) and two tepuis-associated species with narrow distributions (P. lumaria and P. pansticta). However, recent research has shown that P. plica is a cryptic species complex, and four new species were described in 2013. The species count will likely increase as there are still several undescribed species. Species The currently recognized species are the following: Plica lumaria Plica pansticta Plica plica – collared tree runner, tree runner Plica umbra – blue-lipped tree lizard, harlequin racerunner Formerly included in Plica plica: Plica caribeana – Caribbean treerunner Plica kathleenae – Kathleen’s treerunner Plica medemi – Medem’s treerunner Plica rayi – Ray’s treerunner Nota bene: A binomial authority in parentheses indicates that the species was originally described in a genus other than Plica. References Plica Lizards of South America Reptiles of the Caribbean Lizard genera Taxa named by John Edward Gray