Species:

Eremias isfahanica  RASTEGAR-POUYANI et al., 2016

Common names:

Isfahan Racerunner (English)
Isfahan Wüstenrenner (German)

Types:

Holotype: SUHC 3012, male, collected during August 2009 by S. Rafiei. Paratypes. Four males (SUHC 3008, 3009, 3013, 3014) and two females (SUHC 3016, 3017) were collected from the same locality as the holotype.

Terra Typica:

54 km northwest of Isfahan city, near Hassanije village within the Ghomishloo National Park (32.84° N, 51.10° E; 1200 m elevation).

Taxonomic notes:

Subgenus Aspidorhinus

Relevant taxonomic literature:

• Rastegar-Pouyani, E., S. Hosseinian, S. Rafiee, H.G. Kami, M. Rajabizadeh & M. Wink (2016) -  A new species of the genus Eremias Fitzinger, 1834 (Squamata: Lacertidae) from Central Iran, supported by mtDNA sequences and morphology -  Zootaxa 4132 (2): 207–220     

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  A new species of the lacertid genus Eremias Fitzinger, 1834 is described from northwest of Isfahan province, Central Iran. Two mitochondrial genes (cyt b and 12S DNA) were sequenced and analyzed as reliable molecular markers for the separation of this newly discovered species from closely related species within the genus Eremias: E. velox, E. persica, E. papenfussi, E. lalezharica, E. montana, E. strauchi, E. kopetdaghica and E. suphani. Genetic distances (K2-p) between any of these species with the newly described species are relatively high (27.5–32.8% for cyt b and 5.2–10.4% for 12S DNA). Phylogenetic analyses (MP, ML and BI) generated trees with very similar topologies. According to molecular and morphological data, Eremias isfahanica sp. nov. belongs to the subgenus Aspidorhinus, and is closely related to E. papenfussi. Because several new Eremias species have recently been described from the Iranian Plateau, we additionally provide an updated identification key.