Species:

Darevskia arribasi  TUNIYEV, PETROVA & LOTIEV, 2023

Synonyms:

Darevskia saxicola  (EVERSMANN, 1834)

Darevskia brauneri  (MEHELY, 1909)

Types:

Holotype: Herpetological collection of the Sochi National Park. Sochi. SNP No. 1928. Adult male. Republic of South Ossetia, Ertso Lake (1720 m above sea level). Rocks near Lake. 17.06.2015. Collector B. S. Tuniyev.

Paratypes: 22 specimens. Herpetological collection of the Sochi National Park. Sochi, Russia. SNP (12 specimens) No. 1696 (seven specimens). Ertso Lake, South Ossetia. 17.06.2015. Collector B. S. Tuniyev, I. N. Timukhin, Kh. U. Aliev, K. Yu. Lotiev; No. 1705 (one specimen). Mt. Syrkhlabyrdta, ridge Dagerula, South Ossetia. 19.06.2015. Collector I. N. Timukhin; No. 1776 (four specimens). Kvirila River, vicinity of Sinagur village, South Ossetia. 20.09.2017. Collector B. S. Tuniyev; Herpetological collection of the Zoological Institute of the RAS. St. Petersburg, Russia. ZISP No. 19433 (10 specimens). Ertso Lake, South Ossetia. 07.08.1979. Collector I. S. Darevsky.

Terra Typica:

Ertso Lake.

Relevant taxonomic literature:

• Tuniyev, B.S. & Petrova, T.V. & Lotiev, K.Yu. (2023) -  A new species of the genus Darevskia ARRIBAS, 1999 from South Ossetia (Reptilia: Sauria: Lacertidae). -  Russian Journal of Herpetology, 30 (4): 237–248.    

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  A new species of rock lizards of the genus Darevskia Arribas, 1999 — Darevskia arribasi sp. nov. is described from vicinity of Ertso Lake in South Ossetia. In comparison of Darevskia arribasi sp. nov. with other species of the “saxicola-brauneri” complex [D. lindholmi (Szczerbak, 1962), D. saxicola (Eversmann, 1834), D. brauneri (Mehely, 1909) (including D. b. brauneri, D. b. myusserica Doronin, 2011, D. b. darevskyi (Szczerbak, 1962), and D. szczerbaki (Lukina, 1963)], the new species is characterized by the smallest body size among all representa- tives of this complex Lxx — 55 – 62 mm; }} — 58 – 63 mm. The number of scales around the middle of the body (Sq.) in D. arribasi sp. nov. (52 – 58, more often 54 – 56) also significantly less than for D. saxicola sensu lato in generally. Along the throat from ear to ear fold there are 36 – 42 scales, less than in D. saxicola sensu lato. Two large preanal shields present in front of the anal shield in half of the individuals examined; in a quarter of in- dividuals on both sides of the small central preanal there are by one enlarged lateral preanal shield, in another quarter all preanal shields are of the same size. Central temporal (Massetericum) always developed; always six pair of mandibulars, three in contact; collar straight, extremely rarely slightly serrated; ribs on the caudal scales are expressed to some extent; rostral usually separated from frontonasal by nasal shields. The coloration of adult males is olive-lettuce, or olive-brown from above; adult females are grey-brown; juvenile coloration coffee-brown with the blue and black spots on the edge of the outer ventral shields at the middle of trunk. Taxonomical status of new species is well supported with result of analysis of the mitochondrial cytochrome b data.