Homonota visdistinguenda SÁNCHEZ, LÓPEZ, SITES, AVILA & MORANDO, 2026
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| Higher Taxa | Phyllodactylidae, Gekkota, Sauria, Squamata (lizards: geckos) |
| Subspecies | |
| Common Names | |
| Synonym | Homonota visdistinguenda SÁNCHEZ, LÓPEZ, SITES, AVILA & MORANDO 2026 Homonota underwoodi — CEI 1978 Homonota underwoodi — MORANDO et al. 2014 Homonota underwoodi — SÁNCHEZ et al. 2020 |
| Distribution | Argentina (La Rioja) Type locality: Capayán ruins, 1 km east of National Road 40 (29.05S, 67.44W, 1049 m a.s.l., Chilecito Department, La Rioja province, Argentina |
| Reproduction | |
| Types | Holotype: LJAMM-CNP 14796, adult male collected by L.J. Avila, T.I. Avila, and M. Morando on 9 February 2012). Paratypes: LJAMM-CNP 14797–8, adult male and female, same data as holotype. LJAMM-CNP 14376–7 from old road Anillaco-Aminga, in a dry riverbed (28.82S, 66.94W, 1394 m a.s.l., Castro Barros Department, La Rioja Province, Argentina; collected by L.J. Avila, T.I. Avila, and M. Morando on 21 April 2011). LJAMM-CNP 16446–7 from Quebrada La Troya and National Road 60, 11 km north of Anillaco, between Tinogasta and Fiambalá (27.86S, 67.67W, 1471 m a.s.l., Tinogasta Department, Catamarca Province, Argentina; collected by L.J. Avila and R.J. Avila on 14 February 2015). LJAMM-CNP 12625 from National Road 40, 7.2 km east of Pituil (28.54S, 67.38W, 1261 m a.s.l., Famatina Department, La Rioja Province, Argentina; collected by L.J. Avila, A. Camargo, and C.H.F. Perez on 11 December 2009). LJAMM-CNP 14789–94 from Provincial Road 11, between Campanas and Santa Cruz, 3 km north of Campanas (28.51S, 67.64W, 1660 m a.s.l., Famatina Department, La Rioja Province, Argentina; collected by L.J. Avila, T.I. Avila, and M. Morando on 8 February 2012). LJAMM-CNP 2363 from Provincial Road 34, 16 km south of Palo Blanco (27.45S, 67.68W, 1775 m a.s.l., Tinogasta Department, Catamarca Province, Argentina; collected by L.J. Avila, L. Belver, and N. Frutos, 18 February 2000). |
| Diagnosis | Diagnosis: Homonota visdistinguenda sp. nov. is a small species of Homonota (maximum SVL = 47.81 mm) assigned to the H. horrida species group (comprising H. horrida, H. itambere Cabral and Cacciali 2021, H. marthae, H. septentrionalis, and H. underwoodi) based primarily on molecular evidence. However, it also exhibits subtle but consistent morphological differences and a geographically restricted distribution that support its recognition. The new species can be distinguished from other species of the group, except H. underwoodi, by the following combination of characters: smooth dorsal body scales [strongly keeled on the dorsal surface and non-imbricated in Homonota fasciata (currently considered species inquirenda, Cacciali et al. 2017), H. horrida, H. itambere, H. marthae, and H. septentrionalis], dorsal reticulated dark pattern on a whitish background (a colour pattern composed of a white vertebral line and five to seven transverse white lines appearing as banded on a greyish background in Homonota fasciata, H. horrida, H. itambere, H. marthae, and H. septentrionalis), and absence of chromatophores in the belly. The distinguishing traits between this lineage and other species in the genus are equivalent to those that differentiate H. underwoodi from its congeners. Although H. visdistinguenda sp. nov. is nearly indistinguishable from H. underwoodi in overall coloration and morphology, it consistently differs in the shape of the dorsal snout marking: a V-shaped mark in H. underwoodi is replaced by a Y-shaped mark in nearly all specimens of the new species. Furthermore, in adult specimens of the new species some loreal scales are lightly bulged and concave compared to those in H. underwoodi. (Sánchez et al. 2026) Unfortunately we had to temporarily remove additional information as this was scraped by multiple AI companies who sell that data. However, these details, e.g. detailed descriptions (about between half a page and a page) are available for collaborators and contributors. Please contact us if you need any of this material. |
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