Eumeces schneiderii aldrovandii (Duméril and Bibron, 1839:701)

Bauer, Aaron M., DeBoer, Jonathan C. & Taylor, Dylan J., 2017, Atlas of the Reptiles of Libya, Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences 64 (8), pp. 155-318 : 232-234

Eumeces schneiderii aldrovandii (Duméril and Bibron, 1839:701)

1839 Plestiodon Aldrovandii Duméril and Bibron, Erpétologie Générale ou Histoire Naturelle Complète des Reptiles. Tome Cinquième, Contenant l’Histoire de Quatre-vingt-trois Genres et de Deuc Cent Sept Espèces des Trois Dernières Familles de l’Ordre des Sauriens, Savoir: les Lacertiens, les Chalcidiens et les Scincoïdiens. Librairie Encyclopédique de Roret, Paris. viii + 854pp., errata, 4 folding tables, pls. 37, 39, 39bis, 41bis, 49, 51–54, 56–58.

Syntypes: MNHN 2961, “ Égypte ” and two other specimens, all now lost (fide Guibé 1954; Brygoo 1985; Šmíd et al. 2014). The original description noted two specimens from “ Égypte ” and one from “ Algérie … de la province d’Alger.” As reviewed by Brygoo (1985), Duméril and Duméril (1851) could only locate one of the Egyptian syntypes and the one from Algeria. Guibé (1954), a century later, could not locate the latter specimen and incorrectly referred to the single surviving syntype as a holotype. This action does not constitute a valid lectotype designation under Article 74.5 of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature ( ICZN 1999). According to Brygoo (1985) the surviving syntype (since lost; Šmid et al. 2014) is also the holotype of Scincus Schneiderii Daudin, 1802 . Following the taxonomy that recognizes E. s. aldrovandii as a taxon distinct from the nominotypical form (e.g. Schleich et al. 1996; Sindaco and Jeremčenko 2008), potential nomenclatural instability would be caused by the recognition of the surviving syntype of E. s. aldrovandii as the lectotype, as this would result in the objective synonymy of E. s. schneiderii and E. s. aldrovandii and, as there are no other names in the synonymy of E. s. aldrovandii, the need to coin a new name for the taxon occurring from northeastern Algeria to the Nile. However, neither of the lost syntypes are good choices for lectotytpe designation either, as neither has been illustrated or explicitly described, and both come from areas near the edge of the presumed distribution of E. s. aldrovandii. Pending data establishing whether North African E. schneiderii are or are not distinct from populations east of the Nile Valley it may be advisable to petition the ICZN to set aside all members of the syntype series in favor of a neotype.

Eumeces schneideri, Le Berre 1989:218 .

Eumeces schneiderii aldrovandii, Schleich, Kästle, and Kabisch 1996:351 .

Eumeces schneideri aldrovandii, Sindaco and Jeremčenko 2008:189 .

DISTRIBUTION.— From the Algerian/Tunisian border region east to the Nile Valley (E. s. aldrovandii) and from southern Sinai through the Levant, Cyprus, western Iraq and southeastern Turkey to the northern half of the Arabian Peninsula, and to Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Dagestan ( Russia) through Iran to Pakistan, Afghanistan, parts of northern India and Middle Asia as far northeast as Kyrgystan (nominotypical form; Sindaco and Jeremčenko 2008). The subspecies E. s. barani occupies a disjunct area in the western portion of Asiatic Turkey ( Kumlutaş et al. 2007). In Libya, all records are in Mediterranean portions of the country.

Libyan Records (Map 41): TRIPOLITANIA: ZAWIYAH: 22: MCSN 2453. MURQUB: 60: MZUF 874; Calabresi 1916; Zavattari 1934. JABAL AL GHARBI: 154: Calabresi 1916; Zavattari 1934. “ Tripolitania settentrionale ”: Zavattari 1937. CYRENAICA: BENGHAZI: 342: MCSN 2464. 357: Zavattari 1922, 1929, 1930, 1934; Calabresi 1923. MARJ: 385: Zavattari 1937. DARNAH: 474: Vinciguerra 1927; Gestro and Vinciguerra 1931; Zavattari 1934. BUTNAN: 490: USNM 146801; Zavattari 1922, 1929, 1930, 1934; Calabresi 1923. 501: Vinciguerra 1927; Zavattari 1929, 1930, 1934; Gestro and Vinciguerra 1931. 505: Zavattari 1929, 1930.

COMMENTS.— The specific epithet schneiderii was originally spelled with a double terminal “i,” but this has been commonly incorrectly spelled schneideri by many modern authors.

Sindaco and Jeremčenko (2008) noted that there are six typically recognized subspecies.

Five of these, including the nominate form occur outside of Africa west of the Suez Canal.

Eumeces algeriensis meridionalis Doumergue ,

1900 from eastern Morocco and adjacent northwestern Algeria may also belong within

E. schneiderii (Sindaco and Jeremčenko 2008) .

The North African Eumeces s. aldrovandii was not accepted by Baha El Din (2006a), who considered the nominate form, E. schneiderii ( Daudin, 1802) to occur in Egypt, both West of the Nile Delta and in Sinai and, by extension, MAP 41. Distribution of Eumeces schneiderii in Libya. also in Libya. Molecular phylogenetic work on E. schneiderii has not resolved the issue of the distinctiveness of E. s. aldrovandi, as sampling to date has not included any specimens from between northeastern Algeria and the Nile, the presumed distribution of this subspecies ( Carranza et al. 2008; Perera et al. 2012).

IUCN THREAT STATUS.— Not assessed, but assumed to be Least Concern.

Heremites vittatus (Olivier, 1804:103 [8 to ed.], 59 [4 to ed.], pl. 29, fig. 1 [ Atlas ])

An XII [1804] Scincus vittatus Olivier, Voyage dans l’Empire Othoman, l’Egypte et la Perse, fait par ordre du Gouvernement, pendant les six premiéres années de la République, 8 to edition, Tome Troisème. H. Agasse, Paris, France. [iv] + [1] + 359, 1 p. errata; An XII [1804] Scincus vittatus Olivier, Voyage dans l’Empire Othoman, l’Egypte et la Perse, fait par ordre du Gouvernement, pendant les six premiéres années de la République, 4 to edition. Tome Second. Henri Agasse, Paris, France. [ii] + 466 pp. + 1 p. errata; An XII [1804] Scincus vittatus Olivier, Atlas pour server au Voyage dans l’Empire Othoman, l’Egypte et la Perse, fait par ordre du Gouvernement, pendant les six premiéres années de la République. Deuxième Livraison. H. Agasse, Paris, France. vii pp., pls. 18–33.

HOLOTYPE.— Presumably MNHN 197 fide Guibé (1954), Brygoo (1985), and Šmíd et al. (2014) “sur les sables à l’ouest de Rosette” [= on the sands to the west of Rosette (Rachid), Egypt]. This presumably corresponds to the specimen illustrated by Olivier on plate 29, figure 1 of his Atlas . The description itself does not make it clear if one or more specimens were associated with the description (see also Bauer and Adler 2003).

Mabuia vittata, Le Berre 1989:142 .

Mabuya vittata, Schleich, Kästle, and Kabisch 1996:354 .

Mabuya vittata, Sindaco and Jeremčenko 2008:195 .

DISTRIBUTION.— Northeastern Algeria through northern Libya and Egypt, northern Sinai, the Levant, Anatolia, Iraq, western Iran ( Fattahi et al. 2013), and Cyprus ( Tok et al. 1999). In Libya it occurs in both Tripolitania and Cyrenaica.

Libyan Records (Map 42): TRIPOLITANIA: ZAWIYAH: 16: BMNH 1954.1.6. 99. 17: BMNH 1954.1.7. 1–16. TRIPOLI: 39: FMNH 82958–60. 45: MCSN 2415; Werner 1909; Ghigi 1913; Zavattari 1934. MURQUB: 71: MCSN 3035. JABAL AL GHARBI: 141: MNHN 1990.382. 149: MCSN 2285. “ Tripolitania settentrionale ”: Zavattari 1937. CYRENAICA: BENGHAZI: 357: MTKD 17228;

MZUF 00886; Werner 1909; Ghigi 1913, 1920;

Calabresi 1923; Zavattari 1929, 1930, 1934;

Vinciguerra 1927. 358: MZUT R422; Calabresi 1923. 362: SMF 37244. 367: Calabresi 1923;

Zavattari 1929, 1930, 1934. MARJ: 385:

BMNH 1954.1.6. 98 ; MZUT R448 ; Calabresi

1923; Zavattari 1929, 1930, 1934, 1937. 405:

BMNH 1987.1025. 408: MZUT R461; Calabresi 1923; Zavattari 1929, 1930. 457ac:

Schleich 1987. 457af: Schleich 1987. 457v:

Schleich 1987. JABAL AL AKHDAR: 412: FMNH

214965; Resetar 1981. 417: Zavattari 1922,

1929, 1930, 1934; Calabresi 1923. 419: ZSM

126/1983/1–4; Schleich 1987; Frynta et al.

2000. 420: NHMC 80.3.81.1. 421: Zavattari

1929, 1930, 1934. 428: KNP 1981/[no specific number given]; ZSM 1983/126; Schleich 1987.

430: MZUF 00885; MZUT R468; Calabresi MAP 42. Distribution of Heremites vittatus in Libya. 1923; Zavattari 1929, 1930, 1934. 431: BMNH 1965.1197–98; ZSM 1983/127; Schleich 1987. 437: BMNH 1965.1195. 447: CUP R 041–042, 067; Frynta et al. 2000. 450: Schleich 1987. 457an: Schleich 1987. 457aq: Schleich 1987. 457ar: Schleich 1987. 457bw: Schleich 1987. 457bz: Schleich 1987. 457cb: Schleich 1987. 457cc: Schleich 1987. 457cd: Schleich 1987. 457ce: Schleich 1987. 457cf: Schleich 1987. 457cg: Schleich 1987. 457cl: Schleich 1987. 457co: Schleich 1987. 457ct: Schleich 1987. 457cv: Schleich 1987. DARNAH: 462: Zavattari 1929, 1930. 464. MZUT R427. 465: Calabresi 1923; Zavattari 1929, 1930. 466: MZUT R441; NHMW 16210; Werner 1909; Ghigi 1913; Calabresi 1923; Zavattari 1929, 1930, 1934. 467: Zavattari 1929, 1930. 474: MSNG 28422; Vinciguerra 1927; Zavattari 1929, 1930, 1934. AL WAHAT: 537: SMNS 1293. 540: BMNH 1965.1196. “ Cyrenaica ”: Condorelli-Francaviglia 1896; Werner 1909; Calabresi 1923. COMMENTS.— Fattahi et al. (2013) plotted three localities in northern Libya, presumably based on BMNH material, but did not provide details. Karin et al. (2016) demonstrated that this species and other “ Trachylepis ” in North Africa, Turkey and the Middle East are not part of the same clade as true (sub-Saharan African) Trachylepis and resurrected the name Heremites Gray, 1845 for this group. Bauer and Adler (2003) provided bibliographic details for Olivier’s “ Voyage “ The quarto and octavo versions of the work were apparently published simultaneously and a single version of the “ Atlas “ complemented both text editions. A number of published records of Trachylepis quinquetaeniata from Libya are assumed to represent this species (e.g., localities 357 and 417).

IUCN THREAT STATUS.— Least Concern.