Hemidactylus robustus Heyden, 1827

Hemidactylus robustus Heyden, 1827: 19 —Locus typicus “ Egypten, Arabien, und Abyssinien”. Hemidactylus turcicus [partim].— Boulenger 1903: 82.

Hemidactylus t. turcicus [partim].— Loveridge, 1947: 101, 142, Tab. [104]. Hemidactylus turcicus "subsp.".—Rösler, 1998: 34.

Hemidactylus turcicus .— Wranik, 1998b: 150.

Hemidactylus turcicus parkeri Loveridge, 1936 .— Rösler & Wranik 1998: 119 [132], Tabs 3–4, Fig. 2. Hemidactylus turcicus .— Joger, 2000: 340. Hemidactylus sp. A.- Rösler & Wranik, 2004: 516, pl. 19. Hemidactylus form A.- Rösler & Wranik, 2006: 126, Tab. 1.

Socotran specimens of this taxon have been doubtfully assigned to H. turcicus / H. robustus or alternately to an undescribed new taxon “sp. A” (Rösler & Wranik, 1998; Wranik, 1998b, 2004; Schätti & Desvoignes, 1999). The specific identities of H. turcicus and H. robustus were demonstrated by the discovery of an area of simpatry along the Red Sea coast of Egypt (Baha El Din, 2005) and by their high genetic divergence (Carranza & Arnold 2006).

Original data. Fig. 14. Socotra Island: Qalansiyah, Kadheb E, Hadiboh plain, Howlef. Samha Island. In Socotra we observed H. robustus at low altitude only in coastal areas (up to 50 m a.s.l.) around the two main villages (Hadiboh, Qalansiyah) and the harbour of Hadiboh. In Samha Island the species was observed in and near the main village (Khaysat).

Original data. Socotra: Hadiboh plain, Howlef, Qalansiyah. Samha: Khaysat village.

Bibliographic data. Boulenger (1903), Loveridge (1947), Rösler & Wranik (1998, 2003, 2004), Wranik (1998b), Schätti & Desvoignes 1999.

General distribution. NE Afrotropical, from SE Egypt to Somalia and NE Kenya, most of the Arabian Peninsula, southern Iran and Pakistan (a distribution map was published by Sindaco & Jeremčenko, 2008). In the Socotran Archipelago it is likely introduced.

Remarks. H. robustus is here reported for the first time from Samha.

The record of “ H. turcicus subsp.” by Rösler (1998a) from “Dixan” (sic!) at 680 m a.s.l. very probably refers to H. inintellectus .