Cryptic Diversity in the Neotropical Gecko GenusPhyllopezusPeters, 1878 (Reptilia: Squamata: Phyllodactylidae): A New Species from Paraguay

Abstract

The gecko genus Phyllopezus is distributed mainly along South America's "Dry Diagonal" (Caatinga, Cerrado, and Chaco). The genus has been the subject of recent taxonomic analyses and includes four described species and seven candidate species referred to here as Phyllopezus pollicaris sensu lato. In Paraguay, Phyllopezus is known from the Chaco and Cerrado where it is abundant, and also from a small isolated population from a rocky hill formation named "Cordillera de Los Altos" (Los Altos mountain range). Here we analyzed genetic samples from across its range, including new samples from Paraguay, using DNA barcoding analysis of the mitochondrial 16S gene and phylogenetic analyses using both Bayesian and Maximum Likelihood methods. We found genetic and morphological differences among geckos from the Los Altos mountain range and the remaining Phyllopezus populations. Using both molecular and morphological evidence we describe a new Phyllopezus species, sister to P. przewalskii. Genetic differentiation among described and putative Phyllopezus species is greater than their morphological differences, which likely accounts for these cryptic taxa remaining undescribed for so long.

A new species of Homonota (Squamata: Phyllodactylidae) from the Uruguayan Savanna

“…We compared morphological and meristic data of the new species, with specimens of Homonota uruguayensis (Tables 2 and 3) and with the original descriptions or reviews of the remaining species of the genus (Avila et al, 2012; Boulenger, 1885; Cabral & Cacciali, 2021; Cacciali et al, 2007; Cacciali et al, 2017; Cacciali, Lotzkat, et al, 2018; Cacciali, Morando, et al, 2018; Cajade et al, 2013; Cei, 1978; Kluge, 1964; Peracca, 1897; Vaz‐Ferreira & Sierra de Soriano, 1961). Additional pictures of the new species are available as Appendix S1, Figures S4–S6.…”

“…In this sense, cryptic species harbour a ‘hidden diversity’ that may reflect recent divergence, niche conservatism, parallelism or convergence (Fišer et al, 2018; Korshunova et al, 2019; Struck et al, 2018). Cryptic lineages are very frequent among Neotropical lizards from different families, for example Alopoglossidae (Ribeiro‐Júnior et al, 2020), Dactyloidae (Guarnizo et al, 2016), Phyllodactylidae (Cacciali, Lotzkat, et al, 2018; Domingos et al, 2014; Dubeux et al, 2022), Sphaerodactylidae (Pinto et al, 2019), Teiidae (Arias et al, 2018; Giugliano et al, 2013) and Tropiduridae (Teixeira Jr et al, 2016).…”

Barcoding Analysis of Paraguayan Squamata

“…The Tropidurus samples show monophyly in the species of the torquatus group (T. catalanensis and T. etheridgei), but indicate several uncertainties within the spinulosus group (formerly T. guarani, T. lagunablanca, T. spinulosus, T. tarara, and T. teyumirim), that resulted in the synonymization of T. guarani with T. spinulosus, and T. tarara and T. teyumirim with T. lagunablanca [43]. Regarding the Family Phyllodactylidae, there is strong evidence for the recognition of two different Homonota species in the Chaco [42,44] and a highly distinctive Phyllopezus clade, separated from populations from Cerrado and Chaco [45].…”

Clarifying the type locality of Liotyphlops wilderi (Garman, 1883) (Serpentes, Anomalepididae), with comments on other reptiles from São Cyriaco, Minas Gerais

“…In such cases, samples from topotypes, i.e., new specimens from (or close to) the type locality, can be a valuable contribution to systematics (Fouquet et al 2016;Bell et al 2020;Mângia et al 2020). But if the type locality is uncertain or too vague, it becomes difficult to assign proper names to clades (Cacciali et al 2018).…”