Pseudohemisus longimanus var. melanopleura Angel 1934

Pseudohemisus longimanus var. melanopleura Angel, 1934

Name-bearing type: Lectotype by present designation, MNHN 1933.149 from “Antsingy, prov. Menabe, 300 m ” according to the original description.

The original type series consisted of two syntypes. The second of these, MNHN 1933.148 has a new (red) label that erroneously reads “1933.0149”, but its identity can be clearly assessed based on its paper label. We here designate the larger of the two syntypes, MNHN 1933.149, as lectotype, to allow unambiguous definition of this nomen in case future studies reveal the existence of more than two species in the S. calcarata complex.

Morphology. The two original syntypes of this nomen (Frost 2020) are in a rather good state of preservation and are clearly assignable to Scaphiophryne based on the tarsal tubercle and enlarged inner metatarsal tubercle (Fig. 9). They bear clear diagnostic characters of the S. calcarata complex, particularly, a dorsolateral ridge running along the entire body.

Osteological examination of the lectotype revealed close resemblance to the other Pseudohemisus specimens examined here (Fig. 10, Supplementary Figs S2–S 3).

Assignment. As with Pseudohemisus longimanus, the type locality of this nomen is in an area between the known ranges of the western and the north-western lineage of S. obscura. While it is therefore not possible to assign the nomen to either of these intraspecific lineages, based on its provenance we propose considering Pseudohemisus longimanus var. melanopleura Angel, 1934 a junior synonym of Scaphiophryne obscura.