Phyllopezus selmae, Dubeux & Gonçalves & Palmeira & Nunes & Cassimiro & Gamble & Werneck & Rodrigues & Mott, 2022

Dubeux, Marcos J. M., Gonçalves, Ubiratan, Palmeira, Cristiane N. S., Nunes, Pedro M. S., Cassimiro, José, Gamble, Tony, Werneck, Fernanda P., Rodrigues, Miguel T. & Mott, Tamí, 2022, Two new species of geckos of the genus Phyllopezus Peters, 1878 (Squamata: Gekkota: Phyllodactylidae) from northeastern Brazil, Zootaxa 5120 (3), pp. 345-372 : 357-362

Phyllopezus selmae sp. nov.

( Figs. 7 , 8 , 9H , 10B )

[http://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:226D6FA9-804A-4A9B-9303-160F876A7F41 ]

Hemidactylus mabouia: Roberto et al. (2015 : part, p. 715, fig. 7)

Phyllopezus sp. : Gonçalves & Palmeira (2016)

Phyllopezus sp.2 ( aff. pollicaris ): Dubeux et al. (present study)

Holotype. MHNUFAL 13481 (adult female) from Cariri da Prensa Farm (9°41’41”S, 36°12’16”W; 83 m a.s.l.), municipality of Boca da Mata ( Fig. 1B ), Alagoas state, Brazil, collected on 15 January 2014 by U. Gonçalves and C. Palmeira, field number UGS 702.

Paratypes. Adult female (MHNUFAL 13482) collected on 3 January 2017, from the same locality of holotype (topotypes); adult females (MHNUFAL 12169, CHUFPE-R 1002 , 1003 ) and adult males (MHNUFAL 12168, 12172, CHUFPE-R 1004 ) collected on 9 July 2015, adult females ( MZUSP 106766 , 106767 ) and adult males ( CHUFPE-R 1005 , MZUSP 106768 ) collected on 20 January 2015, and adult males (MHNUFAL 12396, 12397, 12399, 12400, MZUSP 106769 ) collected on 16 November 2015, from municipality of Limoeiro de Anadia ( Fig. 1B ), Alagoas state, Brazil (9°47’05”S, 36°28’04”W; 117 m a.s.l.) ; adult female (MHNUFAL 12449) and adult male (MHNUFAL 12128) collected on 7 July 2015, from municipality of Coruripe ( Fig. 1B ), Alagoas state, Brazil (10°03’17”S, 36°16’32”W; 68 m a.s.l.) ; adult females (MHNUFAL 10200) collected on 23 January 2015, from municipality of Igaci ( Fig. 1B ), Alagoas state, Brazil (9°32’00”S, 36°36’43”W; 269 m a.s.l.) , all paratypes above were collected by U. Gonçalves and C.N.S. Palmeira; adult male (MHNUFAL 12401) collected on 13 June 1999 by Selma Torquato, adult male (MHNUFAL 16198) and juvenile unsexed (MHNUFAL 16199) collected on 21 April 2019 by M.J.M. Dubeux , from municipality of Quebrangulo ( Fig. 1B ), Alagoas state, Brazil (9°15’22”S, 36°25’43”W; 780 m a.s.l.) .

Etymology. The name of species is in honor of Selma Torquato, curator of Coleção Herpetológica do Museu de História Natural da Universidade Federal de Alagoas who has generously provided many opportunities for herpetologists to study the amphibian and reptile specimens under her care.

Diagnosis. Phyllopezus selmae sp. nov. is characterized by the following combination of characters: (1) Mental scales in bell shaped, with concave margins and a slight central constriction, similar length and width and posterior margin not exceeding the second infralabial; (2) postmental scales enlarged, hexagonal, twice as long as wide, with broad contact each other and previously separated by about 1/5 of its length by the mental scale; (3) up to two scales in contact with the ventral margin of first infralabial; (4) enlarged scales surrounding and separating postmental scales from granules of the gular region; (5) six to seven infralabial scales; (6) cycloid and imbricated scales of similar size in distal region of mandible; (7) enlarged dorsal tubercles, corresponding to about six granular scales, elongated and slightly keeled; (8) developed pollex; (9) cycloid or triangular scales around the auditory meatus, appears somewhat bristly; (10) homogeneous scales of the same size in the region of the labial commissure; (11) up to two tubercles or tubercles absents in the angular region between the upper and lower edges of the opening of the auditory meatus and eyes; (12) postcloacal pores not always present; and (13) large sized, SVL 89.2–100.24 mm in males, and 83.5–99.47 mm in females. See Comparison with congeners section for more additional diagnosis with other species.

Description of holotype. Adult female, SVL 99.47 mm, fully regenerated tail, DBL 42.82 mm, TBW 12.31 mm, HL 27.02 mm, HW 19.53 mm, HD 9.2 mm, SL 11.08 mm, NSD 2.73 mm, ESD 8.29 mm, ED 6.09 mm, IOD 8.42 mm, IND 3.79 mm, LH 20.11 mm, LF 12.23 mm, LT 20.88 mm, LTB 15.3 mm, WM 4.64 mm, LM 4.98 mm, WR 4.54 mm, LR 2.3 mm, R 1, PR 2, SN 2, SL 8, IL 7, M 1, PM 2, SSP 7, VLR 51, DT 43, L4F 14, L4T 13, TP 2, and CP 0. Head large (SVL/HL = 3.68), distinct from neck. Mental large (HW/WM = 4.2 and HL/LM = 5.4), bellshaped, slightly longer than wide (WM/LM = 0.93), narrower posteriorly and with a slight strangulation in its half, bordered by the 1 st infralabial and in broad contact with two postmentals that separated it from others infralabial and gular scales.A pair of postmentals, large, hexagonal, juxtaposed, longer than wide, and flanked by seven large scales with differentiated sizes, which are replaced by small scales, smooth and imbricate, similar to ventral ones. First, 2 nd and 3 rd infralabials rhomboid; 1 st the largest, in contact with the postmental pair, and a group of five large, smooth and variable in shape scales that isolate the pair of postmentals from scales in the gular region. The infralabials decrease in size towards the labial commissure; commissure area with granules. From the 2 nd infralabial, there is a group of small, elongated scales that border the infralabial row near of the labial commissure, which also isolates them from the granules of the gular region. Ventral scales smooth and imbricate, cycloid, arranged in longitudinal rows. Large rostral (HW/WR = 4.3 and HL/LR = 11.74), wide than longer (WR/LR = 1.97), triangular-shaped, with a median depression at the top where there is a fissure extending from the region in contact with the nasal to half of the rostral. Large supralabials, longer than wide, decreasing in size to the end of the labial commissure. First supralabial in broad contact with the rostral and one of the postnasals, involving part of the nostril. Dorsal and lateral surfaces of the head covered with granular juxtaposed scales, with scattered tubercles on the upper surface starting at the level of interorbital region. Granules in the snout four to five times larger than those of the occipital region. Fifteen small granules between the postnasals and anterior ocular margin. The granules surrounding the ocular region are tiny and more spaced than those of the snout or the dorsum. The supranasal region involves half of the nasal fossa. Postnasals swollen, elongated and bordering 1/3 of anterior portion of the nostril. The border of the auditory meatus is surrounded by small granules. In the auditory meatus, the scales are erect and acicular, triangular, smooth and imbricate. Dorsal region of body covered by granular scales and almost equidistant larger tubercles, conic and elongated anteroposteriorly, arranged in 11 to 14 irregular lines, reaching the level of the posterior region of the hindlimbs (before the tail insertion). Postcloacal tubercles present, a pair on each side, very conspicuous. Postcloacal pores absent. Regenerated tail, presenting smaller overlapping cycloid scales in the dorsal region and increasing in size in the lateral region. A row of smooth, elongated medial scales in the ventral region of tail, three or four times wider than long, covering almost the entire ventral region. Dorsal surface of the forelimbs and hindlimbs, with medium sized scales, smooth and imbricate; tubercles absent. The small granules in the palmar and plantar regions are replaced by smooth, cycloid, and imbricated scales in the forearms. Infradigital lamellae on the fourth finger and fourth toe wider than long, wider than high, slightly arched and becoming straighter in the distal portions. Claws bordered by smooth and imbricate scales, composed of five scales in the ventral region, five dorsal scales. Side of the claws with two rows of scales with five scales each. Presence of sheath with three scales.

Coloration in life ( Fig. 8 ). Based on holotype: Body with background color Raw Umber (22). The dorsum with semicontinuous longitudinal bands, on sides beginning in the postnasal region and extending towards the base of the tail; band near the dorsal midline begins in the nuchal region; these bands show irregular dashes in the Dusky Brown (285) surrounded by Sayal Brown (41) tones. Small irregular spots in the Pale Horn Color (11) tones distributed along the dorsum of the body and limbs. A lateral band in the head beginning in the labial commissure (rather than dashes), Dusky Brown (285) color, that extends until the hindlimbs. Limbs in Raw Umber (22) pattern with irregular spots in Dusky Brown (285) and Sayal Brown (41) up to the claws. Head Raw Umber (22), superimposed by irregular spots Dusky Brown (285). Snout with a triangular-shaped Army Brown (46) spot, surrounded by Dusky Brown (285). Irregular Dusky Brown (285) spots between the eyes and the auditory meatus. Tail with well-defined transverse bands alternating between Raw Umber (22) and Sayal Brown (41) with Dusky Brown (285) spots. In the beginning of the tail, there is a Dusky Brown (285) triangular-shaped spot. The regenerated segment of the tail is a Raw Umber (22) color that is overlaid by Sayal Brown (41) spots that do not form a distinguishable pattern. Ventral region Pale Horn Color (11), without spot pattern. Infradigital lamellae Pale Mauve (204).

Coloration in preservative ( Fig. 7 ). In general, the coloration in preservative does not differ substantially from life coloration. The background color becomes similar to Beige (254), tending to a more grayish tone. The longitudinal bands retain their color; however, they lose the Sayal Brown color (41) that surrounds them in life, becoming more prominent in relation to the background. On the dorsal surface of the limbs and in the regenerated portion of the tail, the Sayal Brown color (41) becomes Fawn Color (258) and the ventral region becomes Pale Horn Color (11) slightly darker.

Intraspecific variation. All diagnostic characters used for describing the new taxon are present in all specimens analyzed. However, different dorsal background coloration in life were observed, depending on the time and type of the substrate of capture, ranging from Raw Umber (22) to Drab (19). Ontogenetic variations of color were also observed; a juvenile (MHNUFAL 16199; Fig. 8C ) presents a more demarcated dark longitudinal bands and Pale Buff (1) lighter color background. Morphometric and meristic variation are provided in Appendix III.

Distribution, habitat, and natural history. Phyllopezus selmae sp. nov. is a nocturnal species found in rocky outcrops and trees, in heights up to 10 m. In the daytime, specimens were found sheltering either under tree bark, clumps of epiphytes or bromeliad roots. Animals were mainly observed active in the early evening when foraging in forested sites near rivers with rocky bed. The species was also found sharing bromeliads with P. lutzae . When specimens were captured, they twisted their body by turning quickly to the side, and when attempting to bite would produce an agonistic “squeaking” sound (not recorded). The distribution of the species is only known for the state of Alagoas, with altitudes ranging from 68 m in the municipality of Coruripe to 780 m a.s.l. at the top of the rock formation of Pedra Talhada, municipality of Quebrangulo ( Fig. 1 ).

Comparisons with congeners. Phyllopezus diamantino sp. nov. and Phyllopezus selmae sp. nov. are morphologically more similar to each other than to the other representatives in the genus and together are distinguished from the congeners mainly by characters in the gular region ( Fig. 9 ). Both new species ( Fig. 9G–H ) differ from P. periosus ( Fig. 9A ) by the presence of increased scales separating the postmentals granules in the gular region (absent in P. periosus ), posterior margin of the mental scale not exceeding the anterior margin of the second infralabial scale (exceeding the anterior margin of the second infralabial in P. periosus ) and postmental scales in direct contact (separated by the mental scale in P. periosus ). Both new species differ from P. lutzae ( Fig. 9B ) by presenting a long mental scale, with similar length and width (short mental with a length corresponding to half the width in P. lutzae ), posterior margin of the posmental scales exceeding half of the second infralabial (not reaching the second infralabial in P. lutzae ) and up to two scales in contact with the first infralabial (three to four scales in contact with the ventral margin of the first infralabial in P. lutzae ). Both new species differ from P. maranjonensis ( Fig. 9C ) in having the central pair of postmentals distinctly larger than the scales that surround them and in contact with the first infralabial (almost the same size and separated from the first infralabial by one or two scales in P. maranjonensis ). Both new species differ from P. maranjonensis and P. heuteri in having six or seven infralabial scales (7–10 in P. maranjonensis and 8–9 in P. heuteri ). Both new species differ from P. maranjonensis , P. heuteri ( Fig. 9F ), P. pollicaris sensu stricto ( Fig. 9D ) and P. przewalskii ( Fig. 9E ) in having postmental scales twice longer than wide (postmentals with similar width and length in P. maranjonensis , P. heuteri , P. pollicaris and P. przewalskii ).

The two new species can also be distinguished from P. periosus in having a color pattern in longitudinal or transverse dark irregular dorsal bars (6 to 7 well-defined light-colored transverse bands limited anteriorly and posteriorly by bars dark in P. periosus ). The two new species can be distinguished from P. lutzae in being distinctly larger (72.38–96.25 mm in Phyllopezus diamantino sp. nov. and 83.50–100.24 mm in Phyllopezus selmae sp. nov. versus a maximum of 62.77 mm in P. lutzae ), in having a coloration pattern in irregular longitudinal or transverse dorsal dark bars (homogeneous orange marbled pattern in P. lutzae ). Both new species can be distinguished from P. lutzae and P. maranjonensis in having larger dorsal tubercles, corresponding to about six granules (indistinct dorsal tubercles in P. lutzae and few slightly enlarged tubercles on the back, rarely forming rows on P. maranjonensis ). Both new species can be distinguished from P. lutzae in having developed pollex (absent or poorly developed in P. lutzae ). The two new species can be distinguished from P. maranjonensis in having a pattern of coloration in irregular longitudinal or transverse dorsal dark colored bars (four regular dark colored cross bars between the neck and vent in P. maranjonensis ), and six to eight supralabial scales (8–10 in P. maranjonensis ). Both new species can be distinguished from P. heuteri in having cycloid or triangular scales around the auditory meatus, little bristly (spiny and bristling scales in P. heuteri ).

Phyllopezus diamantino sp. nov. can be differentiated from Phyllopezus selmae sp. nov. due to the presence of granular and juxtaposed scales in the distal region of mandible, and may present tubercles of different sizes (cycloid and imbricated scales, of similar size in Phyllopezus selmae sp. nov.), mental scale triangular with almost straight lateral edges (bell-shaped with concave margins and a slight strangulation in its half in Phyllopezus selmae sp. nov.; Fig. 9 ), and anterior portion of the postmental scales separated by almost 1/3 of the length by the mental scale (versus separated by 1/ 5 in Phyllopezus selmae sp. nov.; Fig. 9 ), dorsal coloration pattern in dark transverse bands interrupted by a light cervical band (dark bands arranged in well-defined or transverse longitudinal rows showing interruptions, light cervical band absent or not evident in Phyllopezus selmae sp. nov.; Figs. 5–8 and 10 ), four to six tubercles in the angular region between the upper and lower edges of the opening of the auditory meatus and eyes (up to two tubercles or tubercles absents in this region in Phyllopezus selmae sp. nov.; Figs. 5F and 7F ), homogeneous scales of the same size in the region of the labial commissure (increased scales on the upper and lower sides of the labial commissure in Phyllopezus selmae sp. nov.; Figs. 5I and 7I ), and a pair of postcloacal pores is always present (not always present in Phyllopezus selmae sp. nov., Figs. 5K and 7K ). Morphometric variations and the scale counts range among specimens analyzed are provided in Appendix III.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Geographic distribution of genetic and morphological vouchers of Phyllopezus pollicaris complex in northeastern Brazil. (A) Phyllopezus pollicaris clades (following Werneck et al. [2012]) and new samples analyzed in this study; (B) expanded view of the known distribution of Phyllopezus sp.2 in the state of Alagoas, Brazil; (C) expanded view of the known distribution of Phyllopezus sp.1 in the state of Bahia, Brazil. Numbers near the points correspond to the municipalities of (1) Boca da Mata, (2) Quebrangulo, (3) Igaci, (4) Limoeiro de Anadia and (5) Coruripe, state of Alagoas, and (6) Mucugê, state of Bahia, Brazil. Stars indicate type localities (with available morphological and molecular data) of Phyllopezus sp.1 (purple) and Phyllopezus sp.2 (green). Locations indicated with diamond denote samples of Werneck et al. (2012) not included in this study due to the absence of 16S rRNA data. Transparent white area [gray in the inset South America map in (A)] corresponds to Brazilian dryopen biomes. Inset map: South America.

FIGURE 5. Holotype of Phyllopezus diamantino sp. nov. (MZUSP 106770, adult female).A and B = dorsal and ventral views of body; C = palm of hand; D = sole of the foot; E–G = dorsal, lateral and ventral views of head; H = auditory meatus; I = labial commissure; J = cloacal region; K = tubercles and postcloacal pores on the left side of the body; L = tubercles and dorsal scales; M = ventral scales. Scale bar = A and B (10mm), C–G and J (3mm).

FIGURE 6. Color in life of topotype (unvouchered specimen) of Phyllopezus diamantino sp. nov.

FIGURE 7. Holotype of Phyllopezus selmae sp. nov. (MHNUFAL 13481, adult female). A and B = Dorsal and ventral views of body; C = palm of hand; D = sole of the foot; E–G = dorsal, lateral and ventral views of head; H = auditory meatus; I = labial commissure; J = cloacal region; K = tubercles on the left side of the body; L = tubercles and dorsal scales; M = ventral scales. Scale bar = A and B (10mm), C–G and J (3mm).

FIGURE 8. Coloration in life of Phyllopezus selmae sp. nov. (A) Holotype [MHNUFAL 13481], (B and C) paratypes [MHNUFAL 16198 and MHNUFAL 16199, respectively], (C) variation of juvenile coloration.

FIGURE 9. Scheme of the arrangement of scales in the gular region of Phyllopezus species. (A) P. periosus [based on CHUFPB 1936], (B) P. lutzae [based on CHUFPB 19518], (C) P. maranjonensis [based on ZFMK 84997], (D) P. pollicaris stricto sensu [ZSM 165/0/1, paralectotype], (E)P.przewalskii [based on SMF 100496], (F) P.heuteri [based on SMF 100494], (G) Phyllopezus diamantino sp. nov. [based on MZUSP 106770] and (H) Phyllopezus selmae sp. nov. [based on MHNUFAL 13481]. Figures D–F adapted of the photographs provided by Cacciali et al. (2018). Horizontal dashed gray line marks the posterior margin of the third infralabial scale. Scale bars = 3mm.

FIGURE 10. Coloration in life of dorsal view of the body and dorsolateral view of head of (A) Phyllopezus diamantino sp. nov. [topotype (unvouchered specimen)] and (B) Phyllopezus selmae sp. nov. [paratype (MHNUFAL 16198)].