Nactus erugatus, Zug, 2020

Nactus erugatus View in CoL group

This clade of large-bodied species includes at least three described species, and a suite of additional moderately divergent lineages ( p -distances> 10%) from the eastern tip of the Papuan Peninsula and D’Entrecasteux Islands, suggesting that several candidate taxa noted by Zug (2020) but undiagnosed may indeed be distinct species. In contrast, specimens from the respective type series of N. erugatus and N. notios from the far eastern tip of the Papuan Peninsula show very low divergence ( p -distances <3%) and the only character postulated by Zug (2020) to differentiate them is whether the subcaudal scales are completely smooth or keeled towards the distal end of the tail. Furthermore, they occur in very close proximity (less than 20 km apart). Accordingly, we consider N. erugatus and N. notios conspecific. As first revisers, we assign N. erugatus the senior name on the basis that it is a more euphonious.