Notes on the occurrence of Riama simotera (Squamata, Gymnophthalmidae) in Colombia

We document for the first time the presence of Riama simotera in Colombia. We demonstrate that previous claims about the occurrence of this species in Colombia were based on misidentified specimens or unsubstantiated reports. The new records are from Nariño department, southwestern Colombia, close to previously known records from Ecuador. o (1879) described Emphrassotis simoterus on the basis of a single specimen from Intac [=Intag, Imbabura], Ecuador. Boulenger (1885) used the combination Proctoporus simoterus for the first time and a century later ayala (1986) included this species in his list of the lizards of Colombia. Ayala (1986) did not cite specimens to substantiate that claim and among the collections that he listed only the instituto de Ciencias Naturales (iCN, universidad Nacional de Colombia) actually includes Colombian specimens of this species in its holdings. The material in all of the other collections ayala (1986) listed corresponds to another species (SJSp, pers. obs.). Kizirian & Coloma (1991) and Kizirian (1995) reported additional material from northern Ecuador, and Kizirian (1996) redescribed the species based on the holotype and additional specimens, most of which originate from near the border of Colombia. Kizirian (1996) stated: “all species treated herein are endemic to Ecuador except Proctoporus simoterus, which also occurs in Colombia but may comprise more than one species.” In his list of specimens examined he did not include the Colombian material because other workers claimed to be revising the species of Colombia at that time. The revision was not published but this statement was based on three specimens (KU University of Kansas, Museum of Natural History 169943-45) from 8 km NE Pasto, Nariño department, Southwestern Colombia (d.a. Kizirian, pers. comm.). finally, doan (2003) and doan & Castoe (2005) included the same Ku specimens in the phylogenetic analysis of Proctoporus sensu lato and the phylogenetic taxonomy of the Cercosaurini respectively (the former including the new combination Riama simotera). Because doan (2003) recorded these specimens in her list of examined specimens, we consider this to be the actual “first record” of Riama simotera from Colombia. However, our examination of the only specimens associated with such claims (Ku 169943-45) lead us to conclude that they represent an undescribed species (Sánchez-pacheco & Kizirian, in prep.) that is differentiated from R. simotera by the following traits (condition of R. simotera in parentheses): superciliary series incomplete (complete), postparietals in contact