| Yarkand and Chotan; “China, South Kashgaria, Sampoula Oasis” fide I. Doronin, pers. comm., 21 Oct 2018. |
Bedriaga, J. von (1907) - Verzeichnis der von der Central-Asiatischen Expedition unter Stabs-Kapitän W. Roborowski in den Jahren 1893-1895 gesammelten Reptilien. - Annu. Mus. Zool. Acad. Impér. Sci. St.-Petersbourg, 10 (3-4): 159-200 [1905] Orlova, V.F. & Poyarkov, N.A. & Chirikova, M.A. & Nazarov, R.A. & Munkhbataar, M. & Munkhbayar, K. & Terbish, K. (2017) - MtDNA differentiation and taxonomy of Central Asian racerunners of Eremias multiocellata-E. przewalskii species complex (Squamata, Lacertidae) - Zootaxa 4282 (1): 1-42. × We provide an integrative analysis of the diversity of the E. multiocellata—E. przewalskii species complex in Central and Middle Asia using morphological and molecular (COI DNA-barcoding) data. We report preliminary data on mtDNA variation within this group and clarify the taxonomic status and distribution of the members of the species complex. We also provide a description of a new Eremias species from Eastern Kazakhstan and western Mongolia, where it occurs in sympatry with E. multiocellata sensu stricto, from which it can be clearly differentiated using both morphological and molecular characters. The new species, described as Eremias dzungarica sp. nov., is assigned to the subgenus Pareremias on the basis of the following features: subocular not reaching mouth edge; one frontonasal; two supraoculars; the row of small granular scales between supraoculars and frontal with frontoparietals absent; distance between the femoral pore rows being wide; femoral pore rows not reaching knee-joint; coloration pattern with light colored ocelli with black edging. The new species can be distinguished from its congeners on the basis of the following morphological attributes: a mediumsized lacertid lizard, maximum snout-vent length (SVL) = 64.5 mm, tail being ca. 1.5 times longer than body length (SVL), hindlimbs relatively long (hindlimb length to SVL ratio 0.46); subocular scale not reaching mouth edge, in touch with 6–8 supralabials; males with bright coloration consisting of 2–3 dorsolateral rows of light-colored ocelli with thick black edging; the ventral row of ocelli in life is greenish to bluish; dorsal pattern consisting of black irregular blotches along the middorsal line. We also report on the high genetic and morphological diversity of E. multiocellata in Mongolia and China, synonymize E. m. bannikowi with the nominative form E. m. multiocellata, discuss variation within E. przewalskii, synonymize E. p. tuvensis with the nominative form E. przewalskii, provide new data on E. cf. reticulata and E. m. tsaganbogdensis, confirm validity and clarify distribution ranges of E. stummeri, E. szczerbaki and E. yarkandensis and discuss further progress on taxonomic studies of the E. multiocellata—E. przewalskii species complex. Milto, K.D. & Ananjeva, N.B. (2022) - On the composition of the type series of the Kashgar Racerunner, Eremias buechneri Bedriaga, 1907 (Sauria, Lacertidae) - Proceedings of the Zoological Institute RAS, 326 (4): 250–258. × The Kashgar Racerunner Eremias buechneri Bedriaga, 1907 is a member of the taxonomically most complicated group, i.e. E. multiocellata – E. przewalskii complex, together with about a dozen of other species inhabiting predominantly arid landscapes of Central Asia. Eremias buechneri is one of the poorly studied representatives of this diverse group of species. This species was described in 1907 by Jakob von Bedriaga based on the study of specimens collected in Central Asia by N.M. Przewalsky and M.W. Pewzow. This species is practically not present in the collections of museums around the world and is known from a limited number of specimens. We clarify the composition of the type series used in in the original description of this species in accordance with article 72.4.1 of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature and we propose to consider as a type series the specimens mentioned by the author in his description of 1907, with catalogue numbers in the collection of the Zoological Museum (since 1931, the Zoological Institute) clarified from the results of the N.M. Przewalsky expedition reported by Bedriaga (1912) and thus to expand the type series to 59 specimens (1 lectotype and 58 paralectotypes). Of these, four paralectotypes are lost (ZISP 7264.9, 7279.6, 7089.4 and 7264.4) and four specimens are in very poor condition, almost destroyed (ZISP 8286.1–4). Thus, the actual number of specimens currently stored at the Zoological Institute is 55. The paratype E. buechneri ZISP 9131 has been genotyped. Molecular genetic identification of specimens in the type series from different parts of the range appears promising as a future avenue of research.
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