Integrative approach to resolve the Calotes mystaceus Duméril & Bibron, 1837 species complex (Squamata: Agamidae)

The genus Calotes Cuvier, 1816 “1817” currently contains 25 species, which are widely distributed in Asia and have been introduced in Africa and America. The genus includes several species complexes, for example, Calotes versicolor and Calotes mystaceus. The latter was partly resolved by describing Calotes bachae as a distinct species, but it became obvious that C. mystaceus still consists of several lineages. This study was done to resolve those lineages and we herein restrict Calotes mystaceus to southern coastal Myanmar, while describing three new species occurring in Cambodia, China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and India. The new species are distinguishable from each other by male coloration with C. goetzi sp. n. having prominent dark brown dorsolateral blotches, C. geissleri sp. n. having orange to light brown blotches and a whitish stripe from snout-tip to hind limb insertion and C. vindumbarbatus sp. n. having a whitish stripe from tip of snout continuing to beyond limb insertion. Mean uncorrected p-distances for COI between C. mystaceus and other taxa are: C. goetzi sp. n. (=0.0603); C. vindumbarbatus sp. n. (=0.0656) and C. bachae (=0.1415). Mean uncorrected p-distances for 12S between C. mystaceus and other taxa are: C. goetzi sp. n. (=0.0291), C. vindumbarbatus sp. n. (=0.0375), C. bachae (=0.0548) and C. geissleri sp. n. (=0.0457).