Black Sunbird

SCI Name:  Leptocoma aspasia
Protonym:  Cinnyris aspasia Voy.Coq. 1 livr.7 pl.30 fig.4;15(1830) p.676
Taxonomy:  Passeriformes / Nectariniidae / Leptocoma
Taxonomy Code:  blksun1
Type Locality:  around harbor of Dorey, New Guinea.
Author:  Lesson & Garnot
Publish Year:  1828
IUCN Status:  Least Concern

DEFINITIONS

LEPTOCOMA
(Nectariniidae; Ϯ Maroon-bellied Sunbird L. brasiliana) Gr. λεπτος leptos  delicate, fine; κομη komē  hair; "Gen. LEPTOCOMA nov. gen. *) Sammethonigsauger.  568.  1. L. zeylonica Nob. - Certhia zeylonica Lin. Syst. Nat. No. 23. — Certhia quadricolor Scop. Sonn. Voy. tab. 30? — Certhia dubia Shaw? — Nectarinia zeylonica Jard. Sun Birds tab. 20. — Nectarinia philippensis Meyen. — Cinnyris sola Jerd. — Cinnyris nigralbus Less.   ...   569.  2. L. sperata Nob. — Certhia sperata Lin. Syst. Nat. No. 13. — Certhia affinis Shaw. Gen. Zool. VIII. p. 208. — Nectarinia coccinigaster Temm. Pl. col. 388. fig. 3. — Nectarinia affinis Jard. Sun Birds tab. 21.   ...   *) Von λεπτος, zart und κομη, ἡ  Haupthaar.  Kleine zierliche Formigen mit sammetartigem Gefieder, mittelmässigem, nicht stark gekrümmtem Schnabel, kurzen Läufen und kurzem fast geradem Schwanze.   Typus L. Hasselti. — Nectarinia Hasseltii Temm." (Cabanis 1853); "LEPTOCOMA Cabanis, 1851[=1853]  F — Nectarinia hasseltii Temminck, 1825; type by original designation = Certhia brasiliana J. F. Gmelin, 1788" (Dickinson & Christidis (eds.) 2014, 271).
Var. Leptcocoma.
Synon. Chalcostetha, Hermotimia, Nectarophila.

aspasia / aspasiae
Aspasia (fl. 520 BC), beautiful priestess of the sun, and mistress in turn to Cyrus II and Darius I, Kings of Persia (< Gr. ασπασιος aspasios welcome, longed for) (cf. Aspasia (fl. 450 BC) daughter of Axiochus, teacher of eloquence, mistress and wife to Pericles) (Leptocoma (see corinna), syn. Phaethornis griseigularis (Martin Schneider in litt.)).

SUBSPECIES

Black Sunbird (talautensis)
SCI Name: Leptocoma aspasia talautensis
talaudensis / talautenea / talautense / talautensis
Talaut Is., Dutch East Indies / Talaud Is., Indonesia.

Black Sunbird (sangirensis)
SCI Name: Leptocoma aspasia sangirensis
sanghirana / sanghirense / sanghirensis / sangirensis
Sanghir I., Dutch East Indies / Sangihe I., Indonesia.

Black Sunbird (grayi)
SCI Name: Leptocoma aspasia grayi
grayi / grayii
● John Edward Gray (1800-1875) English ornithologist (Amazilia, Ammomanopsis, Ardeola, Zosterops).
● George Robert Gray (1808-1872) English ornithologist, first Assistant Keeper at BMNH 1869 (subsp. Anthus correndera, syn. Anthus novaeseelandiae, subsp. Argusianus argus, syn. Chaetops pycnopygius, syn. Chalcopsitta cardinalis, Chenorhamphus, syn. Cisticola exilis rusticus, subsp. Crax fasciolata, Edolisoma, subsp. Leptocoma aspasia, Pipile, syn. Rallina tricolor, syn. Todiramphus chloris juliae, syn. Todiramphus chloris sordidus, Turdus).
● John Edward Gray (1800-1875) and his brother George Robert Gray (1808-1872) English ornithologists (syn. Campephilus pollens).

Black Sunbird (porphyrolaema)
SCI Name: Leptocoma aspasia porphyrolaema
PORPHYROLAEMA
(Cotingidae; Ϯ Purple-throated Cotinga P. porphyrolaema) Specific name Cotinga porphyrolaema Deville & P. Sclater, 1852; "a. Cotingeæ.   ...   53. PORPHYROLÆMA, Bp. — 116. phygas, Bp. (Cotinga porphyrolæma, Sclater.)" (Bonaparte 1854); "Porphyrolaema Bonaparte, 1854, Ateneo Italiano, 2 (11), p. 315 (= Consp. Voluc. Anisod., p. 5). Type, by monotypy, Cotinga porphyrolaema Deville and Sclater." (Snow in Peters 1979, VIII, 296).

Black Sunbird (auriceps)
SCI Name: Leptocoma aspasia auriceps
auriceps
L. aurum  gold; -ceps  -crowned  < caput, capitis  head.
● ex “Pacific Parrot, var. C” of Latham 1781 (Cyanoramphus).

Black Sunbird (auricapilla)
SCI Name: Leptocoma aspasia auricapilla
auricapilla / auricapillus
L. aurum, auri  gold; -capillus  -capped  < capillus  hair of the head.
● ex “Golden-crowned Honey-sucker” of Lewin 1808, and “Golden-crowned Honey-eater” of Latham 1822 (syn. Sericulus chrysocephalus).

Black Sunbird (proserpina)
SCI Name: Leptocoma aspasia proserpina
proserpina
Gr. myth. Proserpine, daughter of Ceres and Jupiter, and wife to Pluto, who carried her off to the lower world (subsp. Leptocoma aspasia).

Black Sunbird (aspasioides)
SCI Name: Leptocoma aspasia aspasioides
aspasioides
Specific name Cinnyris aspasia Lesson & Garnot, 1828; Gr. -οιδης -oidēs  resembling; "NECTARINIA ASPASIOIDES.  Nectarinia aspasia, pt., Müll.   This bird seems to agree with the figure given by Lesson in Voy. Coqu. t. 30. f. 2, in its general coloration, but the bill is much longer.   Amboyna (Wall. Coll.)" (G. Gray 1860) (subsp. Leptocoma aspasia).

Black Sunbird (chlorolaema)
SCI Name: Leptocoma aspasia chlorolaema
chlorolaema / chlorolaemus / chlorolaima / chlorolaimus
Gr. χλωρος khlōros green; λαιμος laimos throat.

Black Sunbird (aspasia)
SCI Name: Leptocoma aspasia aspasia
aspasia / aspasiae
Aspasia (fl. 520 BC), beautiful priestess of the sun, and mistress in turn to Cyrus II and Darius I, Kings of Persia (< Gr. ασπασιος aspasios welcome, longed for) (cf. Aspasia (fl. 450 BC) daughter of Axiochus, teacher of eloquence, mistress and wife to Pericles) (Leptocoma (see corinna), syn. Phaethornis griseigularis (Martin Schneider in litt.)).

Black Sunbird (vicina)
SCI Name: Leptocoma aspasia vicina
vicina
L. vicinus  very near  < vicus  town district, street.

Black Sunbird (mariae)
SCI Name: Leptocoma aspasia mariae
mariae
• Female eponym; dedicatee not yet identified; "LE C. DE MARIE.  T. MARIÆ.  ...  Patrie: Vénézuela." (Bourcier & Mulsant, 1846, Ann. Sci. Phys. Nat. Agric. Ind. Lyon, IX, p. 319); the possibilities are legion: Mulsant's mother was Marie Anne Victoire Mulsant née Jacquetton (1777-1854), his five daughters included Marie Rosalie Mulsant (1817-1841), Pauline Marie Mulsant (b. 1829), Marie Joséphine Caroline Mulsant (1833-1841), and Marie Jules Victorine Mulsant (b. 1842), his favourite grand-daughter was Marie Françoise Victoire Deduit (fl. 1846) who accompanied her grandfather on trips, his aunt was Marie Rosalie Etiennette Tuffet née Mulsant (d. 1834), and then we have Maria Sybilla Merian (1647-1717) Swiss-German botanical artist and entomologist in Surinam 1699-1701, and Marie-Rose Wachanru née Gaudemard (1821-1853) French entomologist, both of whom Mulsant admired (see julie) (syn. Amazilia beryllina).
• Marie Duclos (fl. 1850) mother of French zoologist Jean-Paul Coinde (syn. Bombycilla cedrorum).
• Margit Mária von Madarász née Ligeti (1862-1951) wife of Hungarian ornithologist Gyula von Madarász (subsp. Bradypterus lopezi).
• Mary Alexander (1843-1905) mother of explorer Capt. Boyd Alexander (syn. Calonectris edwardsii, subsp. Urolais epichlorus).
• Maria Madre I., Tres Marias Is., Mexico (subsp. Cardinalis cardinalis).
• Florence Mary Benson née Lanham (1909-1993) South African botanist, artist, wife of English ornithologist Constantine Benson (Björn Bergenholtz and Laurent Raty in litt.) (syn. Cisticola njombe, Nesillas, subsp. Zoonavena grandidieri).
• Mary Jane Hargitt (1832-1907) sister of Scottish ornithologist Edward Hargitt (cf. his mother Mary Hargitt née Bagley (1811-1853)) (Paul Scofield in litt.) (syn. Colaptes melanochloros).
• Mary Ella Terry née McLennan (1888-1967) wife of US geologist Robert A. Terry (subsp. Colinus cristatus).
• Marie-Izabel Ottonia von Jenisch Baronin von Plessen (1906-1971) wife of German ornithologist Victor Baron von Plessen (syn. Dicaeum maugei neglectum).
• Dr Stella Marie Aglaé Leche Deignan (1901-1993) US anthropologist, wife of ornithologist H. G. Deignan (subsp. Kurochkinegramma hypogrammicum).
• Lady Mary Jane Macgregor née Cocks (1863-1919) wife of colonial governor and explorer Sir William Macgregor (syn. Loria loriae).
• Female eponym; dedicatee not yet identified (Dementiev, 1932, Alauda, 4, p. 7) (OD per Björn Bergenholtz); perhaps after a relative of the Russian ornithologists Georgiy P. Dementiev or Sergei A. Buturlin, or the collector Brzesinski (syn. Loxia curvirostra guillemardi).
• Édouard Auguste Marie (1835-1889) French commissariat civil servant in New Caledonia 1869, conchologist, collector (Megalurulus).
• Elizabeth Mary La Touche (1907-1973) daughter of Irish ornithologist J. D. Digues La Touche (subsp. Minla ignotincta).
• Mary Moncrieffe Ripley née Livingston (1914-1996) US amateur botanist, entomologist, wife of ornithologist Dr Sidney Dillon Ripley II (subsp. Leptocoma aspasia, subsp. Lonchura teerinki, subsp. Pericrocotus ethologus, syn. Phylloscopus fuscatus).
• Mary Alice Ramsay née Hogg (d. 1951) wife of ornithologist Col. R. G. W. Ramsay (syn. Pomatorhinus ferruginosus albogularis).
• Grand Duchess Maria Nikolayevna (1819-1876) eldest daughter of Tzar Nicholas I of Russia and wife of Maximilian de Beauharnais Prince of Eichstädt and 3rd Duke of Leuchtenburg (subsp. Pteroglossus azara).
• Marie Jacquinot (born Sylvie Eugénie Pinot or Pinault or Pinaud) (1794-1857) mother of French surgeon-naturalist Honoré Jacquinot (subsp. Ptilinopus perousii).
• Mary Elizabeth Baker née Waddell (1913-2000) wife of US zoologist and biogeographer Lt. Rollin Harold Baker (subsp. Rhipidura rufifrons).

Black Sunbird (cochrani)
SCI Name: Leptocoma aspasia cochrani
cochrani
Capt. Henry L. Cochrane (1871-1949) Royal Navy (subsp. Leptocoma aspasia).

Black Sunbird (maforensis)
SCI Name: Leptocoma aspasia maforensis
mafoorana / maforense / maforensis
Mafor I. (= Numfoor), Geelvink Bay, New Guinea.

Black Sunbird (salvadorii)
SCI Name: Leptocoma aspasia salvadorii
salvadori / salvadoriana / salvadorianus / salvadorii
Adelardo Tommaso Conte Salvadori Paleotti (1835-1923) Italian doctor, participated in Garibaldi’s second expedition to Sicily 1860, ornithologist at Museum of Zoology, Turin University 1863-1923 (syn. Acrochordopus burmeisteri, subsp. Aegotheles albertisii, syn. Amazilia cyanura, subsp. Argya caudata, syn. Bradypterus cinnamomeus, subsp. Caligavis subfrenata, subsp. Caprimulgus macrurus, syn. Casuarius casuarius, subsp. Chalcites crassirostris, syn. Chauna torquata, syn. Corvus orru, syn. Crateroscelis robusta, Cryptospiza, subsp. Dicaeum maugei, Ducula, subsp. Edolisoma morio, subsp. Eremomela icteropygialis, subsp. Eudynamys orientalis, syn. Gerygone sulphurea, subsp. Leptocoma aspasia, syn. Lichmera squamata, syn. Loriculus philippensis apicalis, subsp. Lorius lory, subsp. Lybius undatus, subsp. Merops philippinus, syn. Micropsitta pusio beccarii, syn. Nectarinia johnstoni nyikensis, syn. Nothocercus julius, subsp. Nothura darwinii, Onychognathus, subsp. Pachycephala hyperythra (ex Pachycephala sharpii Salvadori, 1896), syn. Papualestes cyanus subcyaneus, subsp. Paradisaea raggiana, syn. Pitohui kirhocephalus, syn. Platycercus icterotis, syn. Podiceps major, syn. Probosciger aterrimus goliath, syn. Psittacula derbiana, Psittaculirostris, subsp. Ptilinopus viridis, syn. Pycnonotus erythropthalmos, Salpornis, subsp. Sphecotheres vieilloti, syn. Spilornis cheela asturinus, subsp. Tanygnathus lucionensis, subsp. Tanysiptera sylvia, syn. Tregellasia leucops melanogenys, subsp. Treron calvus, subsp. Zenaida aurita, Zosterops) (see Soter).

Black Sunbird (mysorensis)
SCI Name: Leptocoma aspasia mysorensis
mysorensis / mysoriense / mysoriensis
Mysori / Mysor / Mysore I., Geelvink Bay, Dutch New Guinea / Biak I., Papua, Indonesia.

Black Sunbird (nigriscapularis)
SCI Name: Leptocoma aspasia nigriscapularis
nigriscapularis
L. niger  black; Mod. L. scapularis  shoulder, scapular  < Med. L. scapulare  scapula, shoulder cloak, mantle  < Late L. scapula  shoulder  < L. scapulae  shoulders.

Black Sunbird (veronica)
SCI Name: Leptocoma aspasia veronica
veronica
Veronica Joan Mees-Balchin (fl. 1965) wife of Dutch ornithologist Gerlof F. Mees (Justin Jansen in litt.) (subsp. Leptocoma aspasia).

Black Sunbird (cornelia)
SCI Name: Leptocoma aspasia cornelia
cornelia
● Cornelia Schlegel née Buddingh’ (1815-1864) Dutch first wife of German ornithologist Hermann Schlegel (subsp. Eclectus roratus).
● Eponym (Salvadori 1878, Atti Reale Accad. Sci. Torino, 13, 319) (OD per Björn Bergenholtz); probably after a relative of Count Salvadori, or an inference to the Cornelii, a patrician family of ancient Rome whose members included Cornelia, the first wife of Julius Caesar, and the virtuous Cornelia Africana Minor, second daughter of the general Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus (subsp. Leptocoma aspasia).

Black Sunbird (christianae)
SCI Name: Leptocoma aspasia christianae
christianae
Christiana Heawood née Tristram (d. 1950) daughter of traveller, naturalist and Canon of Durham the Revd. Henry Baker Tristram (subsp. Leptocoma aspasia).

Black Sunbird (caeruleogula)
SCI Name: Leptocoma aspasia caeruleogula
caeruleogula
L. caeruleus blue; gula throat.

Black Sunbird (corinna)
SCI Name: Leptocoma aspasia corinna
corinna
● Corinna (fl. 500BC) celebrated and beautiful Boeotian lyric poetess, disciple of Myrtis (syn. Heliomaster longirostris).
● Corinna Loria (d. 1890) sister of Italian collector Lamberto Loria (subsp. Leptocoma aspasia) (see aspasia).

Black Sunbird (eichhorni)
SCI Name: Leptocoma aspasia eichhorni
eichhorni
Albert Frederic Eichhorn (d. 1931) Australian farmer, gold-miner, collector in New Guinea, the Bismarcks, and Solomon Is. (subsp. Accipiter albogularis, subsp. Aerodramus spodiopygius, subsp. Alopecoenas johannae, subsp. Erythrura trichroa, subsp. Leptocoma aspasia, Myiagra, Myzomela, subsp. Ninox jacquinoti, Philemon, subsp. Zoothera heinei, subsp. Zosterops griseotinctus).