A review of the genus Homopholis Boulenger (Reptilia: Squamata: Gekkonidae) in southern Africa

Abstract

On the basis of molecular data, the gekkonid lizard Homopholis arnoldi Loveridge is revived as a full species. Morphologically it is usually distinguishable from H. wahlbergii on the basis of its striped dorsal colour pattern. Homopholis arnoldi has a wide distribution from south-eastern Botswana through Zimbabwe to central Mozambique, and the southern margin of its range covers the western and northern parts of Limpopo Province, South Africa north of the Soutpansberg (where it is at least parapatric, and possibly sympatric with both H. wahlbergii and H. mulleri), extending east to the Mozambique coast north of the Limpopo. A key is provided for the four currently recognised species of Homopholis and a neotype from KwaZulu-Natal is designated for H. wahlbergii, helping to stabilise the use of this name in light of the resurrection of H. arnoldi.

Key words:

• Gekkonidae
• Homopholis
• south-eastern Africa
• phylogeny

Acknowledgements

We are grateful to P.L. Mashinini and L.M. Mahlangu of the Ditsong (formerly Transvaal) Museum for facilities made available to DGB. Thanks are due to R.A. Sadlier for providing JPG images of two Zimbabwean specimens of Homopholis arnoldi deposited in the Australian Museum, to W.R. Branch for similar images of Zimbabwean material originally deposited in the Albany Museum by the Rev. K. Tasman and for the life photo of and data for the neotype of H. wahlbergii and to J. Marais for the life photo of H. arnoldi. J. Kersten (Bulawayo) kindly assisted with mapping. M.F. Bates provided Virtual Museum records and detailed comments on an earlier version of the manuscript. Authorisation for collection of new material was granted to DGB and AMB by the relevant authorities in Zimbabwe and South Africa, respectively. AMB was supported by grant DEB 1019443 from the National Science Foundation (USA) and by the Barbour Fund of the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University.