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The description of a new subspecies of rock lizards Darevskia saxicola complex, inhabited the territory of Pitsunda-Myussera Reserve and in the Gagra (Republic of Abkhazia) is given. Myussera lizard, Darevskia brauneri myusserica ssp. nov., differs from other taxa of the complex by the following combination of morphological characters: (1) large or very large masseteris scute; (2) interrupted series of ciliated grains between supraciliar and supraocular scutes; (3) presence of additional scutes lying on either side of occipital and interparietal scutes or splitting of the latter; (4) net color pattern on the back (in females fuzzy); (5) dominance of gray and light gray color in the coloration of the back of females; (6) white throat and belly. In addition, these subspecies differs by some peculiarities of biology: biotopical preference to coastal pebble conglomerates and a relatively low population size. Probably, the taxon was formed during the Pleistocene. Formation of the coastal plains of Pitsunda Peninsula by alluvial and marine accumulation in the Late Neopleistocene – Holocene divided the area of Myussera lizard into the Gagra and Myussera plots. This area is situated within the Black Sea refuge of Eastern Mediterranean species of herpetofauna.

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To study the habitats and potential spread of the rock lizards from the Darevskia (saxicola) complex, the Maxent 3.3.3e program was used. Our analysis has found that currently in the Ciscaucasia (on the Stavropol Upland) there are no favorable climatic conditions for habitation of D. saxicola but it can be found on the territory of North Ossetia-Alania (in the Digorskoe Gorge), there are no clear boundaries between the habitats of D. b. brauneri and D. b. darevskii. This is further evidence in favor of their conspecificity; the habitat of D. [brauneri] szczerbaki has been stable in recent decades and no significant movement of its borders has taken place, in Abkhazia there is very limited territory suitable for habitation of D. b. myusserica. Bioclimatic factors affecting the habitat of the lizards from the complex were analyzed.

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1. Sexual dimorphism and geographical variability in signs of external morphology are revealed in the species of the studied complexes of rock lizards. The most important for their diagnosis are the features of folidosis of the head. Interspecific and intraspecific differences in morphometric features, color and pattern of the body were detected. 2. In the phylogenetic analysis, the Darevskia (caucasica) samples were divided into the group of the northern slope of the Central Caucasus (D. caucasica), the East Caucasus (D. daghestanica), the Western Caucasus (D. alpina), the northern slope of the Central and Western Caucasus (D. alpina ). Reliable identification and significant genetic differences of D. caucasica and D. daghestanica samples favor their attribution to different species. Within D. alpina two groups with high genetic differences (distances) were identified. Inside Darevskia (saxicola) two lines are described, one of which is connected with the Crimea and the Western Caucasus (D. lindholmi-D. Brauneri), and the second - with the North and West Caucasus (D. saxicola-D. Szczerbaki). 3. As a result of the nomenclatural revision, the lectotype Lacerta praticola pontica, L. saxicola brauneri, L. saxicola daghestanica, L. saxicola lindholmi, and the neotype L. saxicola; Specific locations, years and authors of the description of a number of taxa have been refined. 4. It has been established that the studied supernumerary complexes include the following valid taxa: Darevskia (praticola) - D. pontica pontica, D. pontica hungarica, D. praticola praticola, D. praticola hyrcanica, D. praticola loriensis; Darevskia (caucasica) - D. alpina, D. caucasica caucasica, D. caucasica vedenica, D. daghestanica; Darevskia (saxicola) - D. brauneri brauneri, D. brauneri myusserica, D. saxicola, D. szczerbaki, D. lindholmi. Lacerta saxicola darevskii is regarded as a minor synonym for Lacerta saxicola brauneri. 5. For the first time accurate inventories of findings (1,443 locations) and GIS maps of species arealways were compiled, reliably characterizing the features of their distribution; The structure of areals, the current trends of their changes and the factors influencing the distribution of rock lizards are revealed. It is recommended to carry out conservation measures of international and national level in order to preserve the populations of D. alpina, D. brauneri myusserica and D. szczerbaki, especially in typical territories. 6. The first and only reliable paleontological find of Darevskia sp. - Darevskia sf. brauneri from the Pleistocene site, the caves of Mezmaiskaya. A hypothesis is proposed for the formation of species of complexes, according to which the isolation of their common ancestor from a hypothetical form it is logical to associate with the Miocene and Pliocene boundaries, or with the Cimmerian century of the Pliocene, 153 and the radiation of modern species - with the Akchagylian age, corresponding to the Piacenza and Gelazian tiers. The parallel formation of several Darevskia (praticola) and Darevskia (caucasica) lines around the Greater Caucasus is assumed in the early Pliocene. At the end of the Pontian age, the primary area of ​​the ancestor of the modern forms of Darevskia (saxicola) and the subsequent formation in the Mediterranean landscapes of the Black Sea coast, along the surviving cliff, D. szczerbaki, and the cuestas of the North Caucasus - D. saxicola, could have occurred at the periphery of the Caucasian peninsula.

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The results of statistical analysis of morphological characters and the study of the cytochrome b gene variability (mtDNA) of rock lizards of the Darevskia (saxicola) complex distributed in the Caucasus and the Crimea, have shown significant differentiation within this complex, assuming specific independence of D. szczerbaki (Lukina, 1963) and subspecific status of recently described D. brauneri myusserica Doronin, 2011. According to our data, within D. brauneri (Méhely, 1909) only two forms of subspecific status can be distinguished, namely D. b. brauneri and D. b. myusserica. In our opinion, Lacerta saxicola darevskii Szczerbak, 1962 (= D. brauneri darevskii) should be considered to be a junior synonym of D. b. brauneri. The possible scenarios of range formation in the Darevskia (saxicola) complex are discussed.