Multiple lines of evidence show that Phymaturus agilis Scolaro, Ibargüengoytía & Pincheira-Donoso, 2008 is a junior synonym of Phymaturus spectabilis Lobo & Quinteros, 2005.

LOBO, F. F. CRUZ Y ABDALA C. S.

CUADERNOS DE HERPETOLOGíA

ASOCIACIÓN HERPETOLÓGICA ARGENTINA

Año: 2012 vol. 26 p. 21 - 27

0326-551X

Phymaturus has recently received more attention and several species were described recently. Among them P. spectabilis was described as a dorsally ornamented species with variation in this dorsal pattern. Later a new and sympatric species (P. agilis), was described considering differences in meristic characters with P. spectabilis, and fundamentally by the lack of an ornamented dorsal pattern. In the present study we report a gravid female of Phymaturus spectabilis giving birth two newborns, one showing the brown homogeneous pattern of the species described as P. agilis and the other the ocellated pattern typical of P. spectabilis. We also show non significant differences among formerly studied meristic characters. These combined bodies of evidence, leaded us to consider P. agilis as a junior synonym of P. espectabilis. Finally we add commentaries on the taxonomy and systematics of these closely related species of northern Patagonia.