Sphaerodactylus lineolatus LICHTENSTEIN & MARTENS, 1856
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Sphaerodactylus lineolatus
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| Higher Taxa | Sphaerodactylidae, Gekkota, Sauria, Squamata (lizards: geckos) |
| Subspecies | |
| Common Names | E: Panama Least Gecko |
| Synonym | Sphaerodactylus lineolatus LICHTENSTEIN & VON MARTENS 1856 Sphaerodactylus casicolus COPE 1862: 499 (fide BARBOUR 1921) Sphaerodactylus lineolatus — BOULENGER 1885: 221 Sphaerodactylus casicolus — BOULENGER 1885: 222 Sphaerodactylus lineolatus — BURT & MYERS 1942 Sphaerodactylus lineolatus — TAYLOR 1956: 40 Sphaerodactylus lineolatus — WERMUTH 1965: 169 Sphaerodactylus lineatus — RUIBAL 1968 (in error) Sphaerodactylus lineolatus —HARRIS & KLUGE 1984: 9 Sphaerodactylus lineolatus — KLUGE 1993 Sphaerodactylus lineolatus — KÖHLER 2000: 51 |
| Distribution | W Panama, NW Colombia Type locality: Veragua, Panama. |
| Reproduction | oviparous |
| Types | Types: ZMB 417; (restricted by Dunn, 1940). Paralectotypes: ZMB 3 6 2 9 7 k . Collector:J. von Warszewicz. |
| Diagnosis | |
| Comment | Distribution: According to Villa et al. (1988), reports of lineolatus from Yucatán to Costa Rica are based on specimens of other species. See also Harris & Kluge (1984) for details. Stuart 1948, 1963 reported this species from Guatemala, Taylor 1956 reported it from Veracruz (Mexico). Types: “Sphaerodactylus lineolatus was based on three syntypes ("stuck 3 7 , however, according to Gunther Peters (pers. comm.): "In the general catalogue of [ZMB] under the number 417, four specimens of S. lineolatus are noted by Lichtenstein. Three of them much later had been transferred by Wermuth to number 36297." We have identified three of the specimens as belonging to the same species, S. lineolatus, but the fourth, ZMB 36297a, appears to be of S. graptolaemus. [...] Stuart (1963:56) later called ZMB 417 the lectotype of S. lineolatus "fide H . Wermuth (in litt.)." Alternatively, Taylor (1956b:41) stated: "I designate this specimen redescribed by Bocourt as the type (lectotype) of the species [S. lineolatus]." Bocourt's (1873:46) specimen was said to have had lines on the head, which disappeared at the beginning of the sides, and a series of large scales below the tail, characters that correspond best to the exceptional specimen, ZMB 36279a, although it is now missing its tail. Our recognition of the species to which ZMB 36297a belongs is based principally on dorsal scale size--color pattern is obscure in all the specimens and one other specimen is missing its tail as well. Therefore, it is only by weak in- ference that we are able to assume which specimen is Taylor's "lectotype. [...] We conclude that Dunn (1940) effectively designated the lectotype of S. lineolatus of Lichtenstein and von Martens and that Taylor's (1956) subsequent designation of a lectotype was confusing because the identity of the specimen could only be surmised inferentially, but moreover was invalid because the designated specimen in our estima- tion is not a syntype.” [HARRIS & KLUGE 1984: 7-9] |
| Etymology | Named after Latin lineola, little line, thread + Latin -atus, having the nature of. [“...capite supra linea mediana et utrinque tribus lateralibus nigricantibus ornato...”]. |
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