Phymaturus spectabilis, Lobo & Quinteros, 2005

Lobo, Four New Species From Rgentina Fernando & Quinteros, Sebastián, 2005, A Morphology-Based Phylogeny Of Phymaturus (Iguania: Liolaemidae) With The Description Of Four New Species From Argentina, Papéis Avulsos de Zoologia (São Paulo) 45 (13), pp. 143-177 : 149-153

Phymaturus spectabilis sp. nov.

Holotype: MCN 1203. 28 km south of Ingeniero Jacobacci , Rio Negro province, Argentine (on Provintial Road 6). C. Abdala, F. Lobo, I. Martínez Oliver, and S. Quinteros, collectors.

Paratypes: MCN 1204-1215. Same data as holotype.

Diagnosis: Phymaturus spectabilis belongs to the patagonicus group (sensu Etheridge, 1995) because it has flat imbricate superciliaries, non-rugose dorsal scales of the tail, subocular unique usually not fragmented, and subocular-supralabials separation given for one row of scales. It is distinguishible of all other species of the genus by its unusual dorsal pattern ( Figures 2 and 4 ).Phenetically the species more close to P. spectabilis is P. excelsus . The last one exhibit a general dorsal pattern black with smaller and more occelli than spectabilis (7-8 among shoulder and the level of thighs versus 5-6) and several markings irregularly distributed on its vertebral field between the series of dorsal occelli.

Description of holotype: Female. SVL 95.8 mm. Head length 16.6 mm. Head width 15.1 mm. Head height (at parietal) 8.6 mm. Axilla-groin 53.2 mm (55.5% of SVL). Tail length (complete, not regenerated) 98.9 mm (1.03 times SVL). Body moderately wide, trunk width 42.8 mm (44.7% of SVL). Twenty-two smooth dorsal head scales. Two, two, and four scale organs in each postrostral. Nasal not in contact with rostral, bordered by nine scales. Canthal separated from nasal by two scales. Loreal region flat. Ten enlarged supralabial scales with seventh upturned posteriorly but not contacting subocular. Nine enlarged infralabials. Auditory meatus oval; auricular scale absent, five projecting scales on anterior margin of auditory meatus. Eleven smooth, convex, juxtaposed temporals. Rostral undivided. Mental subpentagonal, in contact with four scales. Interparietal bordered by six scales. Frontal region without an azygous scale. Supraorbital semicircles incomplete posteriorly on both sides. No distinctly enlarged supraoculars. Seven imbricate flat superciliaries. Fifthteen upper ciliaries (right side). Subocular fragmented into two scales, separated from supralabials by one row of lorilabials. Eleven lorilabials, the tenth and eleventh contacting suboculars. Preocular separated from lorilabial row by one scale. Chinshields not enlarged. Scales of throat round, flat, and juxtaposed. Sixty-nine gulars between auditory meatus. Lateral nuchal folds well developed, with granular scales over longitudinal fold that are smaller than dorsals. Antehumeral pocket well developed. Eighty-four scales between auditory meatus and shoulder. In ventral view gular fold not well developed and posterior gular folds present with enlarged scales on their anterior margins. Dorsal scales round, smooth, juxtaposed. Forty-one dorsal scales along midline of the trunk in a distance equivalent to head length. Scales around midbody 224. Middorsal scales not enlarged in comparison to those along flanks. Ventral scales larger than dorsals. Ventral scales between mental and the posterior bordering of the cloaca 169. No precloacal pores. Brachial and antebrachial scales smooth with round posterior margins. Supracarpals laminar, round, smooth. Subdigital lamellae of fingers with 3-5 keels (more conspicuous in proximal lamellae). Number of subdigital lamellae of fingers I: 12; II: 17; III: 24; IV: 25; V: 17. Claws moderately long. Supradigital lamellae convex, imbricate. Infracarpals and infratarsals with round margins and two to three obtuse keels. Supracarpals and supratarsals smooth, with round posterior margins. Subdigital lamellae of toes I: 13; II: 19; III: 23; IV: 29; V: 21.

Variation: Based on 7 adult specimens (5 females and 2 males). SVL 86.8-97.5 mm (x = 90.6; SD = 4.3). Head length 0.16-0.18% (x = 0.17; SD = 0.01) of SVL. Tail length 1.00-1.15 (x = 1.07; SD = 0.06) times SVL. Scales around midbody 191-224 (x = 206.6; SD = 10.3). Dorsal head scales 20-22 (x = 21.4; SD = 0.8). Ventrals 145-178 (x = 164.8; SD = 10.4). Nine precloacal pores in both males. One female with two precloacal pores. Scales surrounding interparietal 6-8 (x = 6.7; SD = 0.8). Scales of neck along longitudinal fold from posterior border of auditory meatus to shoulder 70-87 (x = 78.0; SD = 5.8). Gulars 61-91 (x = 78.4; SD = 10.5). Scales between rostral and frontal 8-11 (x = 9.4; SD = 0.9). Dorsal pattern of white occelli numbering 7-8 between shoulder to the level of thighs, otherwise light brown over a black background in all but two adult specimens that lack occelli, yet retain the general brown pattern. Five juveniles also with the same occellated pattern.

Color of holotype in alcohol ( Figure 2A and B ): Dorsal background predominantly brown and black, six white and brown occelli delimited in black and exhibiting one to two small black spots in the middle of each occellation. Dorsal pattern of tail variegated. Beyond shoulders occelli are fused reaching the parietal region of head. Central region of head black flanked by a pair of brown bands that reach the nasal region anteriorly. Ventral surfaces light gray, lateral margins of abdomen and chest with small black diffuse spots, throat with few very small spots, more conspicuous under jaws. This light gray coloration becomes light brown gradually along the flanks. Ventral surface of tail is light brown variegated with dark brown.

Color in life: See Figure 4 . Similar pattern to that described for excelsus , with the light brown fields widely

extended (ocelli over dorsum and pattern of head, limbs and dorsal surface tailand).

Etymology: The epithet spectabilis is Latin and means “notable, showy” in reference to the distinct pattern of dorsal occellations in this new species.

Distribution ( Figure 5 ): Only known from the type locality, 28 km south of Ingeniero Jacobacci, Rio Negro, Argentina.

Figures

FIGURE 2. (A) Dorsal view of the holotype of Phymaturus spectabilis sp. nov. (B) Ventral view of the same specimen. Snout-vent length = 95.8 mm. (C) Dorsal view of the holotype of Phymaturus tenebrosus sp. nov. (D) Ventral view of the same specimen. Snout-vent length = 87.2 mm.

FIGURE 4. Live specimens of Phymaturus from western Rio Negro province. Phymaturus spectabilis sp. nov. (MCN 1203 female holotype, SVL = 95.8 mm); Phymaturus tenebrosus sp. nov. (MCN 1271 male holotype, SVL = 87.2).

FIGURE 5. Map of the western region of Rio Negro province of Argentina showing known localities for the new species belonging to the patagonicus group described here plus Phymaturus spurcus. 1 Phymaturus tenebrosus sp. nov. (between Bariloche and Pilcaniyeu, 20 km south of Cerro Alto); 2 Phymaturus spurcus (Estancia Huanuluan, Alto El Escorial south of Las Bayas and Ojo de Agua); 3 Phymaturus spectabilis sp. nov. (28 km south of Ing. Jacobacci on Provincial Road 6); 4 Phymaturus excelsus sp. nov. (Ojo de Agua, in syntopy with Phymaturus spurcus).