Salamandra glutinosa Green, 1818

Pyron, R. Alexander & Beamer, David A., 2022, A nomenclatural and taxonomic review of the salamanders (Urodela) from Holbrook’s North American Herpetology, Zootaxa 5134 (2), pp. 151-196 : 157

Salamandra glutinosa Green, 1818

The final salamander detailed for the last account in the second version of the second volume of the first edition ( Holbrook 1839b “1838”:129, pl. 30) is the Slimy Salamander, Plethodon glutinosus . Holbrook placed the names Salamandra variolata Gilliams, 1818 and S. cylindracea Harlan, 1825c in synonymy, which were later resurrected by Highton et al. (1989). Holbrook noted the wide range and abundance of this species, having received reports from Massachusetts to Florida, specimens from Georgia, Alabama, and Louisiana, and collected it himself in Virginia and the Carolinas. The description and drawing by C. Rogers leave no doubt that one of the Slimy Salamander species ( P. glutinosus sensu lato) was illustrated. However, the nominal taxon as Holbrook knew it was subsequently divided into several species (see Highton et al. 1989), and it is therefore unclear which are included in this account.

One specimen (MNHN-RA 0.4666; Fig. 2 ) was donated by Holbrook to C. Duméril, which served as a primary syntype of Plethodon variolosum Duméril, Bibron, and Duméril, 1854 . When this donation occurred is unclear, as it is not listed in the MNHN ledger among Holbrook’s donations, nor is it the specimen of Plethodon glutinosus (MNHN-RA 0.4664) sent by Hallowell to Paris from the ANSP in December 1856. As noted above, it is possible that MNHN-RA 0.4666 was hand delivered by Holbrook during his visit in the 1840s. We designate it as the lectotype. The other primary syntypes thereby become paralectotypes, including MNHN-RA 0.4667 and MNHN-RA 2008.315 from Harlan, and others from Milbert.

The type locality of Plethodon variolosum was given as “l’Amérique sept. ( Etats-Unis)” by Duméril et al. (1854) and restricted to “ Caroline du Sud ” by Thireau (1986), based on Holbrook’s residence, as with many of his names ( Schmidt 1953; Adler 1976). Concomitantly, MNHN-RA 0.4666 may also be one of Holbrook (1838b) ’s original specimens from his Salamandra glutinosa account, collected in Virginia or “the Carolinas.” Thus , it is difficult to determine if P. variolosum is properly considered a junior subjective synonym of P. chlorobryonis Mittleman, 1951 , P. cylindraceus , P. glutinosus , or P. variolatus (see Highton et al. 1989). Curiously , Duméril et al. (1854) also considered it a synonym of S. porphyritica Green, 1827 , based on a misinterpretation of Green’s description by Tschudi .

Figures

FIGURE 2. A Holbrook specimen of Plethodon glutinosus sensu lato (MNHN-RA 0.4666), used as a primary syntype of Plethodon variolosum Duméril, Bibron, and Duméril, 1854 in dorsal (a), lateral (b), and ventral (c) views, here designated as the lectotype. The other syntypes thereby become paralectotypes, including MNHN-RA 0.4667 and MNHN-RA 2008.315 from Harlan, and others from Milbert. Images courtesy of A. Ohler, A. Fraysse, and the MNHN. No fixed scale-bar available