Phymaturus excelsus, 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 : 148-149

Phymaturus excelsus sp. nov.

Holotype: MCN 1582. Ruta prov. 6, 1 km NW of Ojo de Agua, Dpto. Ñorquinco, Rio Negro, Argentina. L.

Avila & M. Morando, collectors. 41°32’30”S; 69°51’33”W; 1141 m.

Paratypes: MCN 1386, 1388. Ojo de Agua. Ruta 6. Dpto. Ñorquinco, Rio Negro, Argentina. Abdala, C.; F. Lobo; I. Martínez Oliver; S. Quinteros. MCN 922 ( CS), 1583-1586. Same data as holotype. MCN 1587-88. No data .

Diagnosis: Phymaturus excelsus belongs to the patagonicus group (sensu Etheridge, 1995) because it has flat imbricate superciliaries, non-rugose dorsal scales on tail, subocular usually not fragmented, and subocular-supralabials separated by one scale row. This new species differs from all other members of this group in its unique dorsal pattern, with a dorsal background in black and a pair of longitudinal series of white occelli (fig. 1C). Similar patterns with a paired series of occelli are found (but in different colors, shapes, and arrengements) in payunae , zapalensis , and spectabilis sp. nov. (described below). Phymaturus payunae and P. zapalensis are sexually dimorphic in dorsal patterns, whereas in excelsus there are no pattern differences between the sexes. Dominant colors in excelsus are black and white, whereas in spectabilis are brown and light brown, and occelli in this latter species are much wider and more symmetrical.

Description of holotype: Male. SVL 82.5 mm. Head length 16.0 mm. Head width 14.2 mm. Head height (at parietal) 9.0 mm. Axilla-groin 41.9 mm (50.8% of SVL). Tail length (complete, not regenerated) 82.8 mm (1.00 times SVL). Trunk width: 35.6 mm (43.1% of SVL). Twenty one smooth dorsal head scales. Five, five, and four scale organs in each postrostral. Nasal scale not in contact with rostral (separated by one scale), bordered by eight scales. Canthal separated from nasal by two scales. Loreal region flat. Nine enlarged supralabial scales with the seventh upturned posteriorly, not contacting subocular (separated by one lorilabial). Seven enlarged infralabials. Auditory meatus oval; auricular scale absent, three to four projecting scales on anterior margin of auditory meatus (both sides). Eleven convex, juxtaposed, smooth temporals. Rostral undivided. Mental subpentagonal, in contact with four scales. Interparietal bordered by seven scales, parietals smaller. Frontal region without an azygous scale. Supraorbital semicircles incomplete posteriorly on both sides. No distinctly enlarged supraoculars. Nine distinctly imbricate superciliaries. Thirteen upper and twelve lower ciliaries (right side). Subocular elongate, longer than eye diameter, separated from supralabials by a single row of lorilabials. Eleven lorilabials; tenth through eleventh contacting subocular. Preocular separated from lorilabial row by one scale. Chinshields forming a longitudinal row of seven or eight enlarged scales. Scales of throat round, flat, and juxtaposed. Seventy gulars between auditory meatus. Lateral nuchal folds well developed with granular scales over longitudinal fold that are smaller than dorsals. Antehumeral pocket well developed. Sixty-eight scales between auditory meatus and shoulder. In ventral view, gular fold absent, and posterior gular folds present with their anterior margins bordered by enlarged scales. Dorsal scales round, smooth, juxtaposed. Forty-three dorsal scales along midline of the trunk in a distance equivalent to head length. Scales around midbody 202. Mid-dorsal scales same size of those on flanks. Ventral scales larger than dorsals. Ventral scales between mental and precloacal pores 182. Eleven precloacal pores forming an interrupted row. Brachial and antebrachial scales smooth with round posterior margins. Supracarpals round and smooth. Subdigital lamellae of fingers with five to three keels, in number I: 11; II: 17; III: 24; IV: 25; V: 17. Claws moderately long. Supradigital lamellae convex and imbricate. Infracarpals and infratarsals trifid with round margins. Supracarpals and supratarsals smooth with round posterior margins. Subdigital lamellae of toes with three to five keels: I: 12; II: 19; III: 24; IV: 29; V: 19.

Variation: Based on 8 adult specimens (4 females and 4 males). SVL 77.0- 89.7 mm (x = 85.9; SD = 4.2). Head length 0.17-0.19% (x = 0.18; SD = 0.01) of SVL. Tail length 1.0-1.07 (x = 1.02; SD = 0.03) times SVL. Scales around midbody 178-223 (x = 201.9; SD = 14.0). Dorsal head scales 17-22 (x = 20.13; SD = 1.55). Ventrals 156-182 (x = 168.25; SD = 8.4). Precloacal pores in males 9-11 (x = 10; SD = 1.0). Scales surrounding interparietal 6-8 (x = 7.0; SD = 0.8). Scales of neck along longitudinal fold from posterior border of auditory meatus to shoulder 62-92 (x = 71.1; SD = 10.4). Gulars 60-88 (x = 71.5; SD = 8.9). Scales between rostral and frontal 7-9 (x = 8.4; SD = 0.7). Subdigital lamellae of fourth toe 26-28 (x = 27.0; SD = 0.6).

Color of holotype in alcohol ( Figure 1C and D ): Dorsal background black on trunk, shoulder, neck, and head. A paired series of eight lateral white or cream occelli are conspicuous from the occiput to the thighs. Between these two rows of occelli are irregularly located small light-cream spots. Dorsum of limbs and tail variegated. Ventral coloration ligth gray to white, inmaculate exhibiting small spots on the throat.

Color in life: see Figure 3 . Dorsal background of trunk, head and limbs black, with light brown ocelli over the dorsum. A reticulate pattern in black and light brown over the head, limbs and dorsal surface of tail.

Etymology: Phymaturus excelsus is Latin for “distinguished,” which describes the peculiar and distinct pattern exhibited by these lizards.

Distribution ( Figure 5 ): Phymaturus excelsus is known only from its type locality, where it lives syntopically with Phymaturus spurcus a species described by Barbour (1921) from Estancia Huanuluan, 40 km to the north (straight line).

Figures

FIGURE 1. (A) Dorsal view of the holotype of Phymaturus dorsimaculatus sp. nov. (B) Ventral view of the same specimen. Snout-vent length = 92.6 mm. (C) Dorsal view of the holotype of Phymaturus excelsus sp. nov. (D) Ventral view of the same specimen. Snout-vent length = 82.5 mm.

FIGURE 3. Live specimens of Phymaturus inhabitating western Rio Negro province. Phymaturus spurcus (MCN 1249 male, SVL = 8.,5 mm); Phymaturus excelsus sp. nov. (MCN 1386 female, SVL = 90.0).

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).