Ornate Melidectes

SCI Name:  Melidectes torquatus
Protonym:  Melidectes torquatus Proc.Zool.Soc.London(1873) (1873), Pt3 p.694 pl.55
Taxonomy:  Passeriformes / Meliphagidae / Melidectes
Taxonomy Code:  ornmel1
Type Locality:  Hatam, Arfak Mountains, Vogelkop Peninsula, northwestern New Guinea.
Author:  Sclater, PL
Publish Year:  1874
IUCN Status:  Least Concern

DEFINITIONS

MELIDECTES
(Meliphagidae; Ϯ Ornate Honeyeater M. torquatus) Gr. μελι meli,  μελιτος melitos  honey; δηκτης dēktēs  biter  < δηκω dēkō  to bite; "11. MELIDECTES TORQUATUS, gen. et sp. n.  (Pl. LV.)  Melidectes gen. nov.† ex familia Meliphagidarum: rostro elongato, caput æquante, tenuiusculo, parum arcuato; naribus linearibus, in sulco longitudinali positis: spatio altero postoculari lato et altero postrictali angusto omnino nudis; cauda longa, paulum rotundata; tarsis modicis: alis acutis, modice elongatis.   ...  MELIDECTES TORQUATUS, sp. n.  ...  This is a conspicuous new Meliphagine form, not very far from Ptilotis, but distinguishable by the bareness of the sides of the face and bare stripe behind the rictus. These are separated by a scanty line of feathers extending beneath the eye.   ...   †  Mελι, mel, et δηκτης, mordicator." (P. Sclater 1874); "Melidectes Sclater, 1873 [= 1874], Proc. Zool. Soc. London, p. 694. Type, by monotypy, Melidectes torquatus Sclater." (Salomonsen in Peters 1967, XII, 415).
Synon. Melionyx, Melirrhophetes.

torquatus
L. torquatus  collared  < torques  collar, necklace  < torquere  to twist.
● ex “Tangara de la Guyane” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 742 (syn. Arremon taciturnus).
● ex “Pic à cravate noire” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 863 (Celeus).
● ex “Pluvier à collier” of Brisson 1760 (syn. Charadrius hiaticula).
● ex “Ring Plover” of Leach 1816 (syn. Charadrius hiaticula).
● ex “Pluvier à collier de S. Domingue” of Brisson 1760 (syn. Charadrius vociferus ternominatus).
● ex “Clouded Shrike” of Latham 1787 (Cracticus).
● ex “Barbu à Plastron Noir” of Levaillant 1806 (Lybius).
● ex “Ring Pheasant” of Latham 1783 (subsp. Phasianus colchicus).
● ex “Perruche à collier” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 551, and “Perruche à collier couleur de rose” of de Buffon 1770-1783 (syn. Psittacula krameri).
● ex “Cochitenacatl” of Hernandez 1651, “Toucan à collier du Méxique” of Brisson 1760, “Cochicat” of de Buffon 1770-1783, and “Collared Toucan” of Latham 1781 (Pteroglossus).
● ex “Gobe-mouche à collier du Cap de Bonne Espérance” of Brisson 1760 (Saxicola).
● "95. TURDUS.  ...  torquatus.  13. T. nigricans, torque albo, rostro flavescente. Faun. svec. 185.  Merula torquata. Gesn. av. 607. Aldr. orn. l. 16. t. 11. Will. orn. 143. t. 37. Raj. av. 65. n. 2. Alb. av. I. p. 37. t. 39. Frisch. av. 30. f. 1. 2.  Habitat in Europa." (Linnaeus 1758) (Turdus).
● ex “Perruche à collier” of de Buffon 1770-1783, “Petite Perruche à collier de l’isle de Luçon” of Sonnerat 1776, and “Collared Parrakeet” of Latham 1781 (unident.).

SUBSPECIES

Ornate Melidectes (torquatus)
SCI Name: Melidectes torquatus torquatus
torquatus
L. torquatus  collared  < torques  collar, necklace  < torquere  to twist.
● ex “Tangara de la Guyane” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 742 (syn. Arremon taciturnus).
● ex “Pic à cravate noire” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 863 (Celeus).
● ex “Pluvier à collier” of Brisson 1760 (syn. Charadrius hiaticula).
● ex “Ring Plover” of Leach 1816 (syn. Charadrius hiaticula).
● ex “Pluvier à collier de S. Domingue” of Brisson 1760 (syn. Charadrius vociferus ternominatus).
● ex “Clouded Shrike” of Latham 1787 (Cracticus).
● ex “Barbu à Plastron Noir” of Levaillant 1806 (Lybius).
● ex “Ring Pheasant” of Latham 1783 (subsp. Phasianus colchicus).
● ex “Perruche à collier” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 551, and “Perruche à collier couleur de rose” of de Buffon 1770-1783 (syn. Psittacula krameri).
● ex “Cochitenacatl” of Hernandez 1651, “Toucan à collier du Méxique” of Brisson 1760, “Cochicat” of de Buffon 1770-1783, and “Collared Toucan” of Latham 1781 (Pteroglossus).
● ex “Gobe-mouche à collier du Cap de Bonne Espérance” of Brisson 1760 (Saxicola).
● "95. TURDUS.  ...  torquatus.  13. T. nigricans, torque albo, rostro flavescente. Faun. svec. 185.  Merula torquata. Gesn. av. 607. Aldr. orn. l. 16. t. 11. Will. orn. 143. t. 37. Raj. av. 65. n. 2. Alb. av. I. p. 37. t. 39. Frisch. av. 30. f. 1. 2.  Habitat in Europa." (Linnaeus 1758) (Turdus).
● ex “Perruche à collier” of de Buffon 1770-1783, “Petite Perruche à collier de l’isle de Luçon” of Sonnerat 1776, and “Collared Parrakeet” of Latham 1781 (unident.).

Ornate Melidectes (nuchalis)
SCI Name: Melidectes torquatus nuchalis
nuchale / nuchalis
Mod. L. nuchalis  of the nape, nuchal  < Med. L. nuchus  nape  < Arabic nukhā'  spinal marrow.
● ex “Perruche à face rouge” of Levaillant 1801-1805 (syn. Glossopsitta pusilla).

Ornate Melidectes (mixtus)
SCI Name: Melidectes torquatus mixtus
mixta / mixtum / mixtus
L. mixtus  mixed, mingled  < miscere  to mix.
● "they may with certainty be separated from both P[achyprora]. molitor and P[achyprora]. capensis, of both of which species they unite certain characteristics" (Shelley 1889) (Batis).
● ex “Pic de l’Encénade” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 748, fig. 1, “Épeiche varié de la Encénada” of de Buffon 1770-1785, and “Encenada Woodpecker” of Latham 1783 (Veniliornis).

Ornate Melidectes (cahni)
SCI Name: Melidectes torquatus cahni
cahni
Paul Cahn (1876-1941) German zoologist (subsp. Melidectes torquatus).

Ornate Melidectes (polyphonus)
SCI Name: Melidectes torquatus polyphonus
polyphonus
Gr. πολυφωνος poluphōnos  talkative, loquacious  < πολυς polus much; φωνη phōnē voice, sound  < φωνεω phōneō  to speak.

Ornate Melidectes (emilii)
SCI Name: Melidectes torquatus emilii
emilii
Emilio Conte Turati (1858-1938) Italian entomologist (subsp. Melidectes torquatus).