Stenodactylus stenurus Werner, 1899

Metallinou, Margarita & Crochet, Pierre-André, 2013, Nomenclature of African species of the genus Stenodactylus (Squamata: Gekkonidae), Zootaxa 3691 (3), pp. 365-376 : 372

Stenodactylus stenurus Werner, 1899

1899 Stenodactylus stenurus Werner, Zoologische Garten (Frankfurt am Main) 40: 16.

This nomen was based on 13 specimens in the possession of Dr. Franz Werner (Werner 1899), which are thus all syntypes. Werner gave their collection localities as “Meraïer, Tuggurth” (now El Meghaier and Touggourt in eastern Algeria), “ Tunis ” and “Tripolis”. Two specimens currently in the collection of the Natural History Museum were donated by Werner and can be identified as part of the syntypes: BMNH 1946.8.23.56 (formerly 99.2.1.10) from Tripoli and listed in the catalogue as “one of the types of S. stenurus ” and BMNH 94.7.25.1 from Touggourt (pers. obs.). Two other specimens in the Naturhistorisches Museum Wien are also part of the type series (see Kratochvil et al. 2001): NHMW 17281:1 (from Touggourt) and 17281:2 (from El Meghaier). Werner (1909) later synonymized this nomen with S. petrii .

When Kratochvil et al. (2001) revalidated this nomen for a species closely related to S. petrii , they listed one of the Wien syntypes (NHMW 17281/2) as lectotype in their re-description, aiming at designating it as lectotype (L. Kratochvil, pers. comm.). They failed, however, to provide “an express statement of the taxonomic purpose of the designation” making their lectotype designation invalid (see Art. 74.7.3 of the Code). The name-bearing type is thus still the original type series of 13 syntypes.

Name-bearing type: 13 syntypes examined by Werner (1899), at least 4 of which are still extant: Natural History Museum BMNH 1946.8.23.56 (formerly 99.2.1.10) and BMNH 94.7.25.1; Naturhistorisches Museum Wien NHMW 17281:1 and NHMW 17281:2. Type locality: El Meghaier and Touggourt ( Algeria), Tunis and Tripoli.

Proposed status: Stenodactylus stenurus Werner, 1899 , pending further study. The systematics of the petrii - stenurus complex is in need of further revision (see Metallinou et al. 2012).