More Knowledge, Fewer Species: New Insights into the Systematics of Lygodactylus heeneni de Witte 1933 (Gekkota: Gekkonidae) of Central Africa

The genus Lygodactylus includes a highly diverse and morphologically cryptic radiation of African dwarf geckos. Within the poorly known L. angularis group, the taxonomic distinction between L. heeneni and L. paurospilus has long been uncertain and controversial. Using newly available material from multiple localities of these taxa, combined with morphological and mitochondrial (16S rRNA) data, this study reveals that both taxa form a single, well-supported genetic lineage. Genetic divergence values between these taxa fall below the 6% interspecific threshold noted in previous studies for Lygodactylus, and previously proposed diagnostic morphological traits completely overlap with each other. These findings indicate that L. paurospilus represents a junior synonym of L. heeneni, which is now recognized as a widespread and morphologically variable species inhabiting diverse environments in southeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo and northern Zambia. This study highlights the importance of integrative approaches for resolving species boundaries in cryptic reptile groups.