Senczuk et al. (2019) proposed recognising the mtDNA-divergent Western Pontine lineage of Podarcis siculus (a recognized species complex in which they suggest diversity may have been underestimated) as a distinct species, for which the name Podarcis latastei is available.

Speybroeck et al. (2020) recommend refraining from adopting this scheme pending nuclear DNA research and a fuller revision of this likely species complex. In a response to this arrangement Castiglia et al. (2021) pointed out that nuclear data had previously been reported by Senczuk et al. (2018) and was consistent with patterns between "accepted species pairs" of Podarcis. Castiglia et al. (2021) further supported an argument for species status by pointing to consistent morphological differences and an estimated divergence date of 4 million years ago.

This species is endemic to Europe, where it is restricted to the Western Pontine Islands, part of an archipelago in the Tyrrhenian Sea, with an extent of occurrence of approximately 100 km². It is presently abundant and widespread on these islands, does not occur as a severely fragmented population, and appears to be subject to no major ongoing threats. It nevertheless faces plausible future threats from the potential introduction of invasive predators or competitors, or from climate change or habitat alteration. Should these threats become active the species is likely to warrant immediate reassessment in a threatened category, but may not be sufficient to rapidly drive the species to Critically Endangered or Extinct. As such it is listed as Near Threatened on the basis that it is close to, but does not fully qualify for listing as, Vulnerable applying Criterion D2.

This species is endemic to Europe, where it is now restricted to the western Pontine Islands (the main islands of Palmarola, Ponza and Zannone, and the nearby islets of Gavi, Scoglio Cappello, Scoglio della Madonna and Faraglioni di Mezzogiorno), off the west coast of peninsular Italy (Senczuk et al. 2019).

The species bears a close morphological resemblance to material from Santo Stefano Island collected between 1878 and 1917, originally described as the distinct subspecies Podarcis siculus sanctistephani (Mertens, 1926), and it is consequently possible that the Pontian Wall Lizard once occurred in the eastern Pontines (Senczuk et al. 2018, Castiglia et al. 2021). Specimens collected from Santo Stefano in 1954 and 1966 exhibit "significant differences" from the 1878 material but appear to be morphologically similar to mainland Italian Wall Lizards (Senczuk et al. 2019), implying that the native San Stefano subpopulation became extinct early in the 20th Century following the arrival of animals from the mainland or neighbouring Ventotene (Senczuk et al. 2018, Castiglia et al. 2021).

The EOO is less than 100 km². The area of occupancy (AOO) has not been estimated due to the paucity of georeferenced locality records.

This species is abundant on all islands, but there are no data on population trends (C. Corti pers. comm. 2022).

This species is found in any available habitats on the islands, including natural shrubland, oak woodland (characterised as meso- and supra-Mediterranean Holm Oak forest) and rocky areas, as well as anthropogenic areas.

Ponza is the only island in the western Pontine group with a human population. At present no threats are known to this species (R. Castiglia and C. Corti pers. comm. 2022).

If, as hypothesised by Senczuk et al. (2018) and Castiglia et al. (2021), this species once occurred in the eastern Pontine islands, it appears to have become extinct on San Stefano following the introduction of the Italian Wall Lizard, with competition and a corresponding reduction in reproductive success the presumed driver (Senczuk et al. 2018). There is no apparent evidence of hybridisation from known specimens based on morphology, although this has not been verified with genetic data (Senczuk et al. 2018). On San Stefano the local morphotype of the Podarcis siculus complex (hypothesised to represent P. latastei) appears to have been replaced within a period of about 40 years, as it was apparently last reported in 1917 (the date the holotype was collected) and no longer detected by the mid-20th Century (Senczuk et al. 2019). Pathogens or other invasive species have been speculatively implicated in the decline of the Santo Stefano lizard, but Senczuk et al. (2019) suggest that this is unlikely as there were no novel anthropogenic pressures or significant habitat loss during, or over the century preceding, this apparent decline to extinction. The species' absence from Ventotene - from which only Italian Wall Lizards have been recorded - may reflect an earlier extinction, speculatively in Roman times as Ventotene served as a Roman port (Senczuk et al. 2018).

It is consequently plausible that the introduction of Podarcis siculus to the Western Pontines, should it take place, would represent a threat to the survival of the native lizard, but the likelihood of this is unknown. It is possible that, although the species is considered a good coloniser, it may not adapt as well to insularity as native species: C. Corti (pers. comm. 2022) has observed the species being introduced to, but failing to establish, on both islets and larger islands. Of the islands where P. latastei, occurs, Ponza is heavily touristed and in constant contact with mainland Europe, but no P. siculus population has become established or is known to have been introduced (C. Corti pers. comm. 2022).

Additional potential future threats may exist from the potential introduction of predators such as snakes, which have resulted in declines in other Mediterranean island lizards, as well as habitat loss and climate change (C. Corti pers. comm. 2022).

There is no use of or trade in this species.

This species occurs on Zannone, which lies within Circeo National Park.

The Western Pontine islands have a number of conservation designations, two of which are relevant to the islands on which this species occurs:

• Birds Directive Sites (SPA): Isole di Ponza, Palmarola, Zannone, Ventotene e S. StefanoIsole di Ponza, Palmarola, Zannone, Ventotene e S. Stefano (SiteCode: IT6040019)
• SIC Isole di Palmarola e Zannone (SiteCode: IT6040020)