Tracking down the lizards from Gravenhorst's collection at the University of Wrocław: type specimens ofCallopistes maculatusGravenhorst, 1838 and threeLiolaemusspecies rediscovered

Abstract

Johann Ludwig Christian Gravenhorst’s herpetological collection at the Museum of Natural History, University of Wrocław included numerous important specimens of amphibians and reptiles. The majority, if not the entirety, of this collection has long been thought to be lost. However, we were able to rediscover some type specimens of lizards. The rediscovered specimens include the holotypes ofLiolaemus conspersusandL. hieroglyphicus, one syntype ofCallopistes maculatus(here designated as the lectotype) and two syntypes ofL. lineatus(one of which is herein designated as the lectotype). Reexamination of these specimens indicates that previous synonymies proposed forL. conspersusand two syntypes ofL. hieroglyphicusare problematic; furthermore, more complex taxonomic work is needed to resolve this issue. Two rediscovered syntypes ofL. lineatusdiffer in several scalation traits and are possibly not conspecific. The type specimens of several other species of lizards from Gravenhorst’s collection (Liolaemus marmoratus,L. unicolorand two other syntypes ofL. lineatus,Leiocephalus schreibersiiandChalcides viridanus) were not found and are probably lost.