European Bee-eater

SCI Name:  Merops apiaster
Protonym:  Merops Apiaster Syst.Nat.ed.10 p.117
Taxonomy:  Coraciiformes / Meropidae / Merops
Taxonomy Code:  eubeat1
Type Locality:  'Europa australi; Oriente.''
Author:  Linnaeus
Publish Year:  1758
IUCN Status:  Least Concern

DEFINITIONS

MEROPS
(Meropidae; Ϯ European Bee-eater M. apiaster) L. merops, meropis  bee-eater  < Gr. μεροψ merops  bee-eater; "57. MEROPS.  Rostrum curvatum, compressum, carinatum.  Lingua apice laciniata.  Digiti infimo articulo coadunati: postico distincto." (Linnaeus 1758); "Merops Linné, Syst. Nat., ed. 10, 1, 1758, p. 117. Type, by tautonymy, Merops apiaster Linné (Merops, prebinomial specific name in synonymy)." (Peters 1945, V, 233). Linnaeus's Merops comprised four species (M. Apiaster, M. viridis, M. cinereus, M. cafer).
Synon. Aerops, Apiaster, Archimerops, Blepharomerops, Bombylonax, Coccolarynx, Cosmaerops, Dicreadium, Dicrocercus, Melittias, Melittophagus, Melittophas, Melittotheres, Meropiscus, Micromerops, Patricus, Phlothrus, Spheconax, Sphecophobus, Tachymerops, Tephraerops, Urica.

apiaster
L. apiastra  bee-eater, bird that lies in wait for bees  < apis  bee.
● "57. MEROPS.  ...  Apiaster.  1. M. dorso ferrugineo, abdomine caudaque viridi-cærulescente, rectricibus duabus longioribus.  Merops. Bell. av. 16. Gesn. av. 599. Aldr. ornith. l. 12. c. 45. Will. ornith. 102. t. 24. Raj. av. 49. Alb. av. 2. p. 40. t. 44. Charl. onom. 87. t. 87.  Merops galilæus. Hasselq. iter. 247.  Ispida. Fn. Svec. 86.  Habitat in Europa australi, Oriente.  Gregaria victitat Cicadis, Apibus." (Linnaeus 1758) (Merops).

Apiaster
(Meropidae; syn. Merops Ϯ European Bee-eater M. apiaster) L. apiastra  bee-eater, bird that lies in wait for bees  < apis  bee; "LE GUESPIER.  ...APIASTER.  ... Il se nourrit d'Insectes" (Brisson 1760); based on "Apiaster" or "Merops" of ancient and recent authors.