Gray, J.E. (1863) - Descriptions of two new genera of lizards (Holaspis and Poriodogaster A. Smith MS). - Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London, 1863: 152-155.  Parrinha, D. & Marques, M.P. & Goncalves, F.M.P. & Tiutenko, A. & Bauer, A.M. & Ceriaco, L.M.P. (2025) - The genus Holaspis (Squamata: Lacertidae) in Angola: a tale of forgotten specimens and disappearing forests, with the description of a new species. - Salamandra, 61 (1): 53-69.   × The members of the Afrotropical lacertid genus Holaspis are strikingly specialized lizards, adapted for gliding in forest canopies, with serrated blue tails. Two species are currently recognized within the genus: Holaspis guentheri from West and Central Africa, and Holaspis laevis from East Africa. The currently known southern limits of H. guentheri are in the northern Angolan Guineo-Congolian habitats, which are remnants of forests connecting the country to West/Central Africa. The oldest record of the species in Angola, dating back to the 19th century, is based on a currently lost specimen collected by José d’Anchieta near Caconda, southwest Angola. Caconda is situated on the Angolan Central Plateau, which is part of the Great Escarpment of southern Africa. The loss of Anchieta’s specimen and its geographic context led most authors to disregard it, leaving its taxonomic identity dubious until now. The rediscovery of two additional specimens from Caconda, collected by William John Ansorge in the early 20th century and deposited in the Natural History Museum, London, allowed us to confirm the presence of the genus in the region, prompting targeted surveys and examination of additional material. Our surveys failed to locate any Holaspis near Caconda, with alarming rates of deforestation in the region raising the possibility that this population may already be extinct. The reexamination of the extant Caconda specimens and comparison with H. guentheri and H. laevis revealed consistent morphological differences that suggests that the Caconda population may represent a distinct taxonomic unit. Here we describe the Holaspis from Caconda as a new species, presumably endemic to the Angolan Central Plateau. These findings and their implications are discussed in the biogeographical context of the highlands of western Angola, a recognized hotspot of diversity and endemism for several taxonomic groups. Lobón-Rovira, J. & Vaz Pinto, P. & Cael, G. & Conradie, W. (2025) - Is morphological-based taxonomy still effective in modern times? A response to Parrinha et al. (2025). - Salamandra, 61 (3): 320-328. × We reevaluate the recent species description of Holaspis ngalangi from Angola by Parrinha et al. (2025), which was based solely on variable morphological characters, through comparative analysis of specimens across the genus’ range, including material previously examined but not reported by the original authors. Our analysis demonstrates that the proposed diagnostic traits of this species (precloacal scale morphology and ventral scale arrangement) are hyper- variable within both H. guentheri and H. laevis, showing neither biogeographic nor morphological consistency. Notably, specimens from Angola’s Dundo Museum, though examined by Parrinha et al. (2025), were omitted from their analysis despite exhibiting the same variable characteristics, strongly indicating these represent intraspecific variation rather than diagnostic species-lineage features. Consequently, we formally place Holaspis ngalangi Parrinha, Marques, Gonçalves, Tuitenko, Bauer & Ceríaco, 2025 as a junior synonym of Holaspis guentheri Gray, 1863, representing the second recent case of an Angolan reptile species description based solely on morphological data being synonymised within the last decade. These repeated cases highlight the inherent risks of morphology-only taxonomy, particularly when: (1) diagnostic characters show extensive overlap among taxa, and (2) multiple lines of evidence are not incorporated. Our findings also emphasize the critical need for robust, integrative species delimitation approaches in understudied regions like Angola, where high levels of cryptic diversity and phenotypic plasticity are likely to complicate taxonomic assessments.
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