On nomenclature of the Siberian newts, Salamandrella Dybowski, 1870 (Caudata: Hynobiidae)

A brief analysis of recent changes in nomenclature of Siberian newts is given. The name Isodactylium schrenckii Strauch, 1870 was published as a junior synonym of Salamandrella keyserlingii Dybowski, 1870. It is unavailable for the Far Eastern form of Siberian Newt, because specimens upon whom A.A. Strauch founded I. schrenckii (the type series) should be considered as lost, and the lectotype was designated invalidly. The type territory of I. schrenckii should be Nizhnii Tagil (Nischne Tagilsk) Town in Sverdlovskaya Province (Urals) but not the Far East. Valid name for the Far Eastern form, by priority, should be S. keyserlingii tridactyla Nikolsky, 1905 (type territory: Orlinoe Gnezdo Hill, Vladivostok City, Russia; holotype: ZISP 2279, coll. N. Palchevskii, 20 September 1903). Problems of hybridization and gene exchange between the nominative and the Far Eastern forms, as well as geographic margin between them, remain open. At present, Salamandrella should be considered as a monotypic genus, with one species: S. keyselringii Dybowski, 1870 and two subspecies, S. keyserlingii keyserlingii Dybowski, 1870 and S. keyserlingii tridactyla Nikolsky, 1905.