Uncovering hidden species diversity of alopoglossid lizards in Amazonia, with the description of three new species of Alopoglossus (Squamata: Gymnophthalmoidae)

Abstract

Alopoglossus is a Neotropical lizard genus the taxonomy of which has extensively evolved over the past decade. Previous works suggest that many species still remain unnamed in this genus. Here, we expand the knowledge of Alopoglossus diversity in Amazonian lowlands. Molecular phylogenetic relationships, and species boundaries, were inferred based on the variation of mitochondrial (Cytb and ND4) and nuclear (SNCAIP and PRLR) loci. Morphological variation was assessed through analyses of external morphology of 401 specimens, covering the entire distribution range of Alopoglossus angulatus and its closely related taxa, and hemipenes of five specimens were examined. Combined, our evidence supports the recognition of three new species. We describe these species and redefine A. amazonius sensu stricto, increasing the number of known Alopoglossus species to 18. Our study also presents the first detailed descriptions of hemipenes for the genus. © 2021 Wiley-VCH GmbH