232 
PROCEEDINGS OF THE CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES 
Series 4, Volume 64, No. 8 
Eumeces schneiderii schneiderii (Daudin, 1802: 291) 
An X [1802] Scincus Schneiderii, Daudin, Histoire Naturelle, Generale et Particuliere des Reptiles; 
Ouvrage faisant Suite aux Oeuvres de Leclerc de Buffon, et Partie du Cours Complet d’Histoire Naturelle 
Redige par C. S. Sonnini, Member de Plusieurs Societes Savants, Quatrieme Tome. F. Dufart, Paris, France. 
397 pp., pis. xlvi-lviii. 
Holotype.— MNHN 2961, “Egypte”//Brygoo (1985), stated as lost by Smid et al. (2014). 
Eumeces schneiderii aldrovandii (Dumeril and Bibron, 1839:701) 
1839 Plestiodon Aldrovandii Dumeril and Bibron, Erpetologie Generale ou Histoire Naturelle Complete 
des Reptiles. Tome Cinquieme, Contenant l’Histoire de Quatre-vingt-trois Genres et de Deuc Cent Sept 
Especes des Trois Demieres Families de l’Ordre des Sauriens, Savoir: les Lacertiens, les Chalcidiens et les 
Scincoi'diens. Librairie Encyclopedique de Roret, Paris, viii + 854pp., errata, 4 folding tables, pis. 37, 39, 
39bis, 41bis, 49, 51-54, 56-58. 
Syntypes: MNHN 2961, “Egypte” and two other specimens, all now lost (fide Guibe 1954; Brygoo 1985; 
Smid et al. 2014). The original description noted two specimens from “Egypte” and one from “Algerie ... de 
la province d’Alger.” As reviewed by Brygoo (1985), Dumeril and Dumeril (1851) could only locate one of 
the Egyptian syntypes and the one from Algeria. Guibe (1954), a century later, could not locate the latter spec¬ 
imen and incorrectly referred to the single surviving syntype as a holotype. This action does not constitute a 
valid lectotype designation under Article 74.5 of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN 
1999). According to Brygoo (1985) the surviving syntype (since lost; Smid et al. 2014) is also the holotype of 
Scincus Schneiderii Daudin, 1802. Following the taxonomy that recognizes E. s. aldrovandii as a taxon dis¬ 
tinct from the nominotypical form (e.g. Schleich et al. 1996; Sindaco and Jeremcenko 2008), potential nomen- 
clatural instability would be caused by the recognition of the surviving syntype of E. s. aldrovandii as the lec¬ 
totype, as this would result in the objective synonymy of E. s. schneiderii and E. s. aldrovandii and, as there 
are no other names in the synonymy of E. s. aldrovandii, the need to coin a new name for the taxon occurring 
from northeastern Algeria to the Nile. However, neither of the lost syntypes are good choices for lectotytpe 
designation either, as neither has been illustrated or explicitly described, and both come from areas near the 
edge of the presumed distribution of E. s. aldrovandii. Pending data establishing whether North African 
E. schneiderii are or are not distinct from populations east of the Nile Valley it may be advisable to petition 
the ICZN to set aside all members of the syntype series in favor of a neotype. 
Eumeces schneideri, Le Berre 1989:218. 
Eumeces schneiderii aldrovandii, Schleich, Kastle, and Kabisch 1996:351. 
Eumeces schneideri aldrovandii, Sindaco and Jeremcenko 2008:189. 
Distribution.— From the Algerian/Tunisian border region east to the Nile Valley (E. s. 
aldrovandii ) and from southern Sinai through the Levant, Cyprus, western Iraq and southeastern 
Turkey to the northern half of the Arabian Peninsula, and to Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Dagestan 
(Russia) through Iran to Pakistan, Afghanistan, parts of northern India and Middle Asia as far 
northeast as Kyrgystan (nominotypical form; Sindaco and Jeremcenko 2008). The subspecies E. s. 
barani occupies a disjunct area in the western portion of Asiatic Turkey (Kumluta§ et al. 2007). In 
Libya, all records are in Mediterranean portions of the country. 
Libyan Records (Map 41): TRIPOLITANIA: Zawiyah : 22: MCSN 2453. Murqub : 60: 
MZUF 874; Calabresi 1916; Zavattari 1934. Jabal al Gharbi : 154: Calabresi 1916; Zavattari 
1934. “Tripolitania settentrionale”: Zavattari 1937. CYRENAICA: Benghazi : 342: MCSN 2464. 
357: Zavattari 1922, 1929, 1930, 1934; Calabresi 1923. Marj : 385: Zavattari 1937. Darnah : 474: 
Vinciguerra 1927; Gestro and Vinciguerra 1931; Zavattari 1934. Butnan : 490: USNM 146801; 
Zavattari 1922, 1929, 1930, 1934; Calabresi 1923. 501: Vinciguerra 1927; Zavattari 1929, 1930, 
1934; Gestro and Vinciguerra 1931. 505: Zavattari 1929, 1930. 
