A genus-level classification of the family Thraupidae (Class Aves: Order Passeriformes)
Author
Burns, Kevin J.
Author
Unitt, Philip
Author
Mason, Nicholas A.
text
Zootaxa
2016
4088
3
329
354
journal article
10.11646/zootaxa.4088.3.2
fcf25fb0-17d2-4892-bd42-2dffdb549763
1175-5326
266311
201C6F0F-D061-427D-96A2-50879D46D32D
32.
Stilpnia
,
new genus
(
Fig. 5
).
Type species.
Aglaia cyanoptera
Swainson, 1834
(currently recognized as
Tangara cyanoptera
).
Included species.
Stilpnia larvata
(du Bus, 1846),
S. nigrocincta
(Bonaparte, 1838)
,
S. cyanicollis
(d’Orbigny & Lafresnaye, 1837),
S. preciosa
(Cabanis, 1850)
,
S. peruviana
(Desmarest, 1806)
,
S. meyerdeschauenseei
(Schulenberg & Binford, 1985)
,
S. vitriolina
(Cabanis, 1850)
,
S. cucullata
(Swainson, 1834)
,
S. cayana
(Linnaeus, 1766)
,
S. cyanoptera
(Swainson, 1834)
,
S. viridicollis
(Taczanowski, 1884)
,
S. phillipsi
(Graves & Weske, 1987)
,
S. argyrofenges
(Sclater & Salvin, 1876)
, and
S. heinei
(Cabanis, 1850)
(
Fig. 5
). These species are currently placed in the genus
Tangara
Brisson, 1760
. Although Burns
et al.
(2014) did not sample
T. peruviana
, the morphological similarities between this species and
T. preciosa
(Isler & Isler 1999, Hilty
et al.
2011) imply that
T. peruviana
also belongs to this genus.
Diagnosis. Morphologically, these species can be separated from other members of the genus
Tangara
by their plumage patterns. Most species have either a cap or a hood that is set apart from the rest of the plumage. A black crown or cap is present in
S. cyanoptera
,
S. viridicollis
,
S. phillipsi
,
S. argyrofenges
, and
S. heinei
. In addition, all of these species except for
S. cyanoptera
have green or gold ear coverts and throats. In addition, females of all five of these species have dusky caps that contrast with green backs (Graves & Weske 1987; Isler & Isler 1999). A rufous crown or cap is present in
S. preciosa
,
S. vitriolina
,
S. cucullata
, and
S. cayana
. Although the crown of
S. meyerdeschauenseei
is not similarly rufous, it appears buffy and differs in color from the rest of the back (Schulenberg & Binford 1985). The three remaining species (
S. larvata
,
S. nigrocincta
, and
S. cyanicollis
) have blue or golden hoods that contrast with their black mantles, breasts, and eye masks (Isler & Isler 1999). Additionally, we have identified five molecular synapomorphies for cyt
b
(numbered by their position in the gene alignment): C12T, A72G, A210G, C774A, and T801C. Cladistically, we define this genus as the descendants of the common ancestor of
Stilpnia cyanoptera
and
Stilpnia cucullata
.
Etymology. The name, feminine in gender, is derived from the Greek στιλπνή, the feminine form of the adjective meaning “glittering” or “glistening,” alluding to the glossiness of the plumage of these colorful tanagers. Comments.
Euschemon
Sclater, 1851
(type species
Tanagra flava
Gmelin, 1789
, currently
Tangara cayana flava
), is preoccupied by
Euschemon
Doubleday, 1846
, the name of an Australian butterfly, and so not available.