Mottled Spinetail

SCI Name:  Telacanthura ussheri
Protonym:  Chaetura ussheri Ibis p.483
Taxonomy:  Caprimulgiformes / Apodidae / Telacanthura
Taxonomy Code:  motspi1
Type Locality:  Fort Victoria, Gold Coast.
Author:  Sharpe
Publish Year:  1870
IUCN Status:  Least Concern

DEFINITIONS

TELACANTHURA
(Apodidae; Ϯ Mottled Spine-tail Swift T. ussheri) Gr. τελος telos  accomplished, end; ακανθα akantha  thorn  < ακη akē  point; oura  tail; "The extra-American species are varied in coloration and of peculiar distribution, a peculiar series being developed in West Africa.  At least three different Spine-tailed groups can be discriminated by means of coloration and the colour differences are confirmed by tail characters.  These may be noted as typified by Chætura ussheri Sharpe, Chætura cassini Sclater and Chætura sabini Gray.   The first-named, C. ussheri, has a smoky-brown coloration with a white rump and under tail-coverts and striped throat. The first primary of the wing is longest, the feet are comparatively strong, while the tail is also comparatively long, being more than one-fourth the length of the wing, with the spines long and stiff. For this group I propose the name TELACANTHURA which may be used subgenerically or generically, but I cannot understand how it can be used in the former manner, as there does not seem to be any close relation known.  Type Telacanthura ussheri (Sharpe)." (Mathews 1918) (see Alterapus and Neafrapus).

ussheri
Herbert Taylor Ussher (1836-1880) British diplomat at the Gold Coast 1866-1872, Gov. of Labuan, Borneo 1875-1879, Gov. of Gold Coast 1879-1880 (syn. Baeopogon indicator leucurus, Bradornis, Erythropitta, subsp. Indicator minor, subsp. Pholidornis rushiae, Scotopelia, syn. Sylvia borin, subsp. Tchagra australis, Telacanthura).

SUBSPECIES

Mottled Spinetail (ussheri)
SCI Name: Telacanthura ussheri ussheri
ussheri
Herbert Taylor Ussher (1836-1880) British diplomat at the Gold Coast 1866-1872, Gov. of Labuan, Borneo 1875-1879, Gov. of Gold Coast 1879-1880 (syn. Baeopogon indicator leucurus, Bradornis, Erythropitta, subsp. Indicator minor, subsp. Pholidornis rushiae, Scotopelia, syn. Sylvia borin, subsp. Tchagra australis, Telacanthura).

Mottled Spinetail (sharpei)
SCI Name: Telacanthura ussheri sharpei
sharpei
Dr Richard Bowdler Sharpe (1847-1909) British ornithologist at BMNH 1872-1909, founder member of BOC 1892 (subsp. Accipiter albogularis, subsp. Aegithalos bonvaloti, subsp. Anthoscopus sylviella, subsp. Camaroptera brachyura, subsp. Caprimulgus tristigma, syn. Ceyx erithaca, syn. Chrysococcyx cupreus, subsp. Coereba flaveola, subsp. Columba delegorguei, syn. Coracias naevius, subsp. Dactylortyx thoracicus, subsp. Dicrurus ludwigii, syn. Edolisoma incertum, syn. Eremomela icteropygialis saturatior, Euchrepomis, subsp. Eulabeornis castaneoventris, syn. Euschistospiza dybowskii, syn. Hypotaenidia philippensis, Lalage, syn. Laterallus spilonotus, syn. Lophura nycthemera lineata, Macronyx, subsp. Melanospiza bicolor, subsp. Meliphaga aruensis, syn. Merops pusillus cyanostictus, Monticola, syn. Muscicapa boehmi, syn. Myzomela melanocephala, subsp. Pachycephala pectoralis, syn. Phoeniculus bollei, syn. Phyllastrephus strepitans, syn. Picumnus albosquamatus guttifer, Picus, syn. Pogoniulus chrysoconus, syn. Pulsatrix koeniswaldiana, syn. Rhipidura albiscapa, Sheppardia, subsp. Sicalis uropigyalis, Smithornis, syn. Smutsornis africanus, subsp. Sporophila morelleti, syn. Tauraco schuettii emini, subsp. Telacanthura ussheri, subsp. Treron calvus, subsp. Trochalopteron milnei, Turdoides, syn. Zosterops atrifrons) (see sharpii).

Mottled Spinetail (stictilaema)
SCI Name: Telacanthura ussheri stictilaema
stictilaema / stictilaemus
Gr. στικτος stiktos  spotted, dappled  < στιζω stizō  to tattoo; λαιμος laimos  throat.

Mottled Spinetail (benguellensis)
SCI Name: Telacanthura ussheri benguellensis
benguelae / benguelensis / benguellensis
Benguella (= Benguela), Angola.