Melanoseps poensis (Bocage, 1895)

Scelotes poensis Bocage, 1895b: 16 . Type locality: “Bissé, nas faldas do Pico de Santa Isabel ”. Basilé, foothill of Pico Basilé.

Melanoseps poensis (Bocage, 1895): Brygoo & Roux-Esteve 1982: 1171.

Distribution. Endemic to Bioko. This taxon is only known from the type locality, close to Basilé, Bioko (Bocage 1895b, 1897, 1903; Boulenger 1906) (Map 16A).

Comments. Treated as a synonym of Melanoseps occidentalis by Mertens (1964) without providing any justification. Morphologically allied and likely conspecific to Melanoseps occidentalis (Brygoo & Roux-Esteve 1982), being the only difference between them is the number of supraciliary scales, five in M. poensis and four in M. occidentalis . Unfortunately, the types of Scelotes poensis were lost during the fire suffered in the Museu Bocage of Lisbon in 1977 (Brygoo & Roux-Esteve 1982), hampering the solution of this taxonomic problem. The study of further collected topotypic specimens will be required in order to resolve its identity. Brygoo & Roux-Esteve (1982) tentatively treated M. poensis as a valid species until more data are available but suggesting the likely conspecificity of both taxa.

Specimens examined. No specimens of this species have been found in the collections examined.