The toad species Sclerophrys capensis Tschudi, 1838 was erected for a single specimen from South Africa which has never been properly studied and allocated to a known species. A morphometric and morphological analysis of this specimen and its comparison with 75 toad specimens referred to five South African toad species allowed allocation of this specimen to the species currently known as Amietophrynus rangeri. In consequence, the nomen Sclerophrys must replace Amietophrynus as the valid nomen of the genus, and capensis as the valid nomen of the species. This work stresses the usefulness of natural history collections for solving taxonomic and nomenclatural problems.

When homonymy exists between family-group names based on similar but not identical names of type-genera, the case is to be referred to the International Commission (1964, International Code of Zoological Nomenclature, Art. 55(a)). A case of homonymy involves the family-group name PLETHODONTIDAE, in current use both in Amphibia (Caudata) and Pisces (Osteoglossiformes).