First record of Hemidactylus gramineus (Gekkonidae) in Angola, with notes on its morphology, ecology and natural history

Abstract

The Hemidactylus bayonii species group is the most diverse clade of Angolan gekkonids, currently comprising three endemic species ( H. bayonii , H. vernayi and H. nzingae ) and one species known from the Democratic Republic of the Congo ( H. gramineus ). The taxonomic validity of H. gramineus has previously been questioned because of its description from only two specimens with low mitochondrial divergence from its closest relative, H. nzingae . Here, we report the first confirmed record of H. gramineus from Angola, based on a newly discovered population near Quinguengue, Malanje Province, occurring within the Western Congolian Forest/Savanna Mosaic ecoregion. Integrating mitochondrial ( ND2 ) and nuclear ( RAG-1 ) sequence data with multivariate morphometric analyses, we recover four well-supported lineages corresponding to the four recognised species of the group. Nevertheless, given the marked morphological conservatism within the group, the relatively low levels of genetic divergence, and the limited genetic and geographic sampling currently available, further investigation is warranted to determine whether these lineages truly represent independently evolving units. The Quinguengue material clusters unambiguously with nominotypical H. gramineus , showing negligible intraspecific mitochondrial divergence (<0.5%) and no nuclear allele sharing with H. nzingae . Morphometric analyses reveal significant multivariate differentiation among species, with the number of ventral scale rows confirmed as a reliable diagnostic character separating H. gramineus from H. nzingae , while dorsal coloration is shown to be variable within species and thus unreliable for identification. These findings raise the number of Hemidactylus species recorded from Angola to twelve, reinforcing the country’s significance as a major centre of gekkonid diversification in sub-Saharan Africa.