Hemidactylus Gleadowi Murray, 1884

Mahony, Stephen, 2011, Taxonomic revision of Hemidactylus brookii Gray: a re-examination of the type series and some Asian synonyms, and a discussion of the obscure species Hemidactylus subtriedrus Jerdon (Reptilia: Gekkonidae), Zootaxa 3042, pp. 37-67 : 42-43

Hemidactylus Gleadowi Murray, 1884

Hemidactylus gleadowi was described based on an undisclosed number of specimens deposited in the collection of the Kurrachee Museum (Karachi, Pakistan) ( Murray 1884a). No comparison with congeners was provided in this description, however a figure was given ( Fig. 1 D). There appears to be no subsequent literature in which these specimens were examined. Murray did, however, provide a relatively precise type locality, and for its time, a detailed description of his new species. Furthermore, in 1884 he provided the British Museum with two specimens which he considered representative of the species, but he did not refer to these specimens specifically as part of the type series ( Boulenger 1885). Murray did not identify syntypes or type series in the original description, thus it is possible that the non-designation of these two specimens as types may simply have been due to inaccurate communication at the time of their deposition in the British Museum. By examination, these specimens conform to the original description of H. gleadowi in all characters. Kurrachee Museum no longer exists, but the type material originally held in that collection were reportedly transferred to the Zoological Survey of Pakistan (ZSP) (R. Masroor in litt. 2009). A recent attempt to locate these specimens by the staff of the ZSP was unsuccessful (R. Masroor in litt. 2009), thus I consider the type material of H. gleadowi to be lost. It is therefore necessary to designate a neotype to stabilise the nomenclatural status of the species. The only specimens in existence that can be unambiguously allocated to H. gleadowi are those at BMNH, thus I here designate BMNH [18]84.7.25.8 as the neotype. The only issue presented by this action is that the collection locality of the neotype must be adopted as the new type locality in accordance with Article 76.3 of the I.C.Z.N. (1999; hereafter referred in text as the “ Code ”). In this case, the original type locality provided by Murray (1884a) was more precise (“Rantah forests in Sind, (Jerruck Division)” Pakistan) than the locality associated with the BMNH specimens (“Sind” Pakistan). This mandatory change of type locality will not negatively effect the knowledge of the more specific original type locality for this species, and is considered insignificant relative to the taxonomic stability gained by the neotype designation.

Regarding the nomenclature of this species, the spelling of Murray’s original name H. gleadowi , was clearly intentional as he later repeats it in Murray (1884b). Boulenger’s (1885) emendation of the name to H. gleadovii was deliberate, using the emended spelling several times in the text and acknowledging the original spelling in the synonymy. According to the Code it is an unjustified emendation of the original spelling.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Historical figures of the Hemidactylus brookii group taxa: A. H. brookii adult male lectotype (BMNH 1947.3.6.47) by present designation, from Gray (1867: Pl. 15, Fig. 2), later reprinted in Gray (1875: Pl. 15, Fig. 2); B. H. subtriedroides adult male paralectotype (ZSI 4135) by present designation, from Annandale (1905 b: Pl. II, Fig. 1); C. H. gleadowi not based on the original type series, from Boulenger (1890: 86, Fig. 27), later reprinted as H. brookii (Boulenger 1912: 42, Fig. 14; Smith 1935: 90, Fig. 28); D. H. gleadowi a syntype from Murray (1884 a: Fig. 3).