Juan Manuel Díaz Gómez

Two New Species of Liolaemus (Iguania: Liolaemidae) of Central West Argentina

Abstract We describe two new species of lizards of the genus Liolaemus belonging to the chiliensis group, one found in southwestern Catamarca, and the other in central western Argentina, in Mendoza, San Juan and Catamarca provinces. The species from southwestern Catamarca has morphological characteristics that may relate it to the species of the capillitas group, a northern clade of the elongatus group, whereas the other species has characters that relate it to the southern clade of the elongatus group. Both species exhibit diagnoistic character states in their maximum snout-vent length, squamation, and dorsal and ventral colors, which differentiate them from the other species of the chiliensis group.

From the far reaches of Patagonia: new phylogenetic analyses and description of two new species of the Liolaemus fitzingerii clade (Iguania: Liolaemidae)

Within the Liolaemus boulengeri group or ‘patch’ group, there is a monophyletic clade named Liolaemus fitzingerii group.This clade is composed of large Liolaemus individuals, mostly psammophilus, oviparous and mainly insectivorous, dis-tributed from central Rio Negro and Neuquen to the south of Santa Cruz in Argentine Patagonia. We make a taxonomicand phylogenetic revision of the L. fitzingerii clade, describe two new species of the group, compare these results withphylogenetic hypotheses from the literature, and discuss the geographic distribution of species of the L. fitzingerii clade.The new species described here inhabit central and central-eastern Chubut Province, Argentina. These new species areeasily distinguished from the other species of the L. fitzingerii group by a combination of morphological characters. Thephylogenetic analyses support the description of these new species, because they are not closely related to the species withwhich they were previously confused. According to a new phylogenetic analysis of the L. fitzingerii clade, one of the newspecies, L. camarones sp. nov., has a relatively basal position within the group, whereas the other new species, L. shehuen sp. nov., is sister taxon of L. chehuachekenk. With these two new species, the L. fitzingerii clade is now composed of nine species, all of which are distributed in Argentine Patagonia.

Figure 9 In From The Far Reaches Of Patagonia: New Phylogenetic Analyses And Description Of Two New Species Of The Liolaemus Fitzingerii Clade (Iguania: Liolaemidae)

FIGURE 9. Liolaemus camarones. Holotype. Adult male collected at a beach 3 km south of Camarones, Bahia Camarones, Florentino Ameghino Department, Chubut Province, Argentina. FML 23301.

Figure 8 In From The Far Reaches Of Patagonia: New Phylogenetic Analyses And Description Of Two New Species Of The Liolaemus Fitzingerii Clade (Iguania: Liolaemidae)

FIGURE 8. Map showing the localities for the Liolaemus fitzingerii group from Chubut and Santa Cruz provinces, Argentina. Black square: Liolaemus shehuen sp. nov. Black triangle: L. camarones sp. nov. Black circle: L. fitzingerii. Black diamond: L. xanthoviridis (Black diamond with red center corresponds to the record of L. xanthoviridis by Minoli and Avila, 2011). Black star: L. chehuachekenk. White pentagon: L. melanops. White circle: L. canqueli. White diamond: Liolaemus sp. 14. White triangle: Liolaemus sp. 15.

Figure 4. Liolaemus Shehuen. Holotype. Adult Male Collected 60 In From The Far Reaches Of Patagonia: New Phylogenetic Analyses And Description Of Two New Species Of The Liolaemus Fitzingerii Clade (Iguania: Liolaemidae)

FIGURE 4. Liolaemus shehuen. Holotype. Adult male collected 60 km west of Telsen, Telsen Department, Chubut Province, Argentina. FML 22191

Figure 3 In From The Far Reaches Of Patagonia: New Phylogenetic Analyses And Description Of Two New Species Of The Liolaemus Fitzingerii Clade (Iguania: Liolaemidae)

FIGURE 3. Phylogenetic relationships within the Liolaemus boulengeri group based on the analysis made in the present study. In red, the L. fitzingerii clade in detail. Numbers above branches are values of symmetric resampling; numbers below branches show values of Jackknifing.

Figure 20 In From The Far Reaches Of Patagonia: New Phylogenetic Analyses And Description Of Two New Species Of The Liolaemus Fitzingerii Clade (Iguania: Liolaemidae)

FIGURE 20. Adult male of Liolemus xanthoviridis from type locality, 18 km north of Dos Pozos, Chubut Province, Argentina.

Figure 2 In From The Far Reaches Of Patagonia: New Phylogenetic Analyses And Description Of Two New Species Of The Liolaemus Fitzingerii Clade (Iguania: Liolaemidae)

FIGURE 2. Phylogenetic relationships within the Liolaemus boulengeri group, following Abdala (2007). In red, the L. fitzingerii clade in detail.

Figure 19 In From The Far Reaches Of Patagonia: New Phylogenetic Analyses And Description Of Two New Species Of The Liolaemus Fitzingerii Clade (Iguania: Liolaemidae)

FIGURE 19. Adult male of Liolaemus sp. 15 collected 20 km south of Trelew, National Road 3, Chubut Province, Argentina.

Figure 18 In From The Far Reaches Of Patagonia: New Phylogenetic Analyses And Description Of Two New Species Of The Liolaemus Fitzingerii Clade (Iguania: Liolaemidae)

FIGURE 18. Adult male of Liolaemus sp. 14 from 22 km north of Dos Pozos, Chubut Province, Argentina.