Lygodactylus tolampyae ( Grandidier, 1872 )

Vences, Miguel, Multzsch, Malte, Gippner, Sven, Crottini, Angelica, Glaw, Frank, Köhler, Jörn, Rakotomanga, Sandratra, Rasamison, Solohery & Raselimanana, Achille P., 2024, Taxonomizing a truly morphologically cryptic complex of dwarf geckos from Madagascar: molecular evidence for new species-level lineages within the Lygodactylus tolampyae complex, Zootaxa 5468 (3), pp. 416-448 : 430

Lygodactylus tolampyae ( Grandidier, 1872)

Original name. Hemidactylus tolampyae Grandidier, 1872

( Fig. 4 , 11 , 12 )

Remark. Gippner et al. (2021) named the mitochondrial lineages comprised in this species as L. sp. 14 aff. tolampyae A and L. sp. 15 aff. tolampyae B.

Holotype. MNHN 7636, male, from “Forêts de la côte ouest”, Madagascar, according to the original description. Probably originating from the wider Morondava area . Specimen probably lost. No paratypes.

Junior synonym. Lygodactylus tuberifer Boettger, 1913 ; Lectotype of L. tuberifer : SMF 8948 (originally numbered SMF 4160,4a) from “Menabé, W. Mad.” according to the original description. Paralectotypes of L. tuberifer : SMF 5949 and SMF 8950‒8952 (which are not conspecific with the lectotype of L. tuberifer and are concurrently holotype and paratypes of another valid species, L. tuberosus ; see above).

Diagnosis. As justified in the Identity section above, we consider the name-bearing types of both nomina, L. tolampyae and L. tuberifer , as corresponding to the genetic lineage A+B, which is the only one detected by our surveys in the supposed areas of provenance of the respective types. L. tolampyae can be distinguished from all other Malagasy Lygodactylus not belonging to the L. tolampyae complex by a mental scale semi-divided by a suture, broad contact of the posterior projection of the mental scale with the first infralabial scale, and three postmental scales. Furthermore, it is characterized by the absence of whorls on the tail (original tail), and a typical look of the head with relatively large eyes. For a distinction of newly described species in the L. tolampyae complex, see species accounts below. For variation in color pattern, see Fig. 4 .

Distribution. L. tolampyae , as redefined here, is primarily known from the West region of Madagascar, corresponding to the most likely provenance of the holotype. Genotyped samples of lineage A+B originate from (1) Tsingy de Bemaraha, (2) Beanka, and (3) north of Beanka, all located in the West region associated with dry deciduous forest. In addition, one sample of lineage G, most likely also assignable to L. tolampyae , originated from Ankarafantsika National Park in the North West, but this sample requires further study as, so far, it has not been sequenced for nuclear-encoded genes.

Natural history. At Tsingy de Bemaraha the species was collected at five out of 10 study sites ( Bora et al. 2010). Individuals were observed being active during daytime within forest habitat ( Fig. 13 ), mainly on bushes and smaller trees up to at least 2.5 m in height (see also Bora et al. 2010). In some instances, individuals were also found being active in the leaf litter, but we did not encounter the species on rock surfaces. At night, individuals were seen sleeping on leaves or smaller twigs, mainly between 0.5 and 1.6 m above the ground. One female (ZSM 6/2006; Fig. 4 ), collected in mid of March 2006, contained two large eggs.

Figures

FIGURE 4. Individuals of Lygodactylus tolampyae from Tsingy de Bemaraha National Park, all photographed in 2006. The upper three individuals are not unambiguously assignable to voucher specimens but correspond to samples included in the mitochondrial tree (Fig. 1) and grouped in lineage A+B; the lowermost picture shows the female ZSM 6/2006 (FGZC 676).

FIGURE 11. Ventral views of the heads of the holotypes of the three new species of Lygodactylus described herein, and one representative specimen of L. tolampyae. The images on the right show the mental region magnified and strongly sharpened to improve visibility of sutures between scales. For the holotype of L. morii sp. nov., the typical arrangement of scales in the mental region in this species complex is labelled: M, mental scales (semi-divided by incomplete sutures), PM, post-mentals (typically three), IL1, first infralabial (which maintains a broad contact with the mental). Scale bars (referring to the images on the left) represent 1 mm.

FIGURE 12. Lateral views of the heads of the holotypes of the three new species of Lygodactylus described herein, and one representative specimen of L. tolampyae. The scale bar represents 1 mm.

FIGURE 13. Habitat of species of the Lygodactylus tolampyae complex. A. Dry deciduous forest at Ampijoroa (Ankarafantsika) where L. morii sp. nov. occurs in high densities. B. View of remains of dry deciduous Ampondrabe forest (habitat of L. morii sp. nov. and L. herilalai sp. nov.) with large areas of forest destroyed by fire in the foreground. C, D. Transitional forest on Sahamalaza Peninsula, habitat of L. schwitzeri sp. nov. E. Forest in the Tsingy de Bemaraha, habitat of L. tolampyae. All photos by the authors except A by P. Galán.