However, several molecular analyses of mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequences in the 2010s have found that this supposed species was actually paraphyletic, with the Ibity ground gecko nested among several distinct mitochondrial lineages assigned to Mocquard's Madagascar ground gecko.

One of the cryptic lineages was reclassified by Miralles et al. (2021) as Paroedura guibeae, originally described in 1974 and later synonymized with P. bastardi, with the study supporting its resurrection as a separate species.

[8][9] The Mocquard's Madagascar ground gecko is a moderately-sized species which may attain a snout-to-vent length (SVL) of approximately 7.1–7.3 cm (2.8–2.9 in).

Like its closest relatives, the dorsal surface of this species has enlarged keeled scales arranged in longitudinal rows.

[8] This gecko is a terrestrial species capable of climbing, and can be seen on the ground or on vertical wooden surfaces such as tree trunks.

[1] However, this assessment occurred before the Paroedura bastardi species complex was split into several lineages, and its range is now known to be more restricted than originally thought.

Severe deforestation and slash-and-burn practices since the 1950s have drastically changed the landscape in south-central Madagascar, and some related species are known to be threatened by the resulting habitat loss.