Rainbow Bee-eater

SCI Name:  Merops ornatus
Protonym:  Merops ornatus Suppl.ind.orn. p.xxxv
Taxonomy:  Coraciiformes / Meropidae / Merops
Taxonomy Code:  rabeat1
Type Locality:  New South Wales.
Author:  Latham
Publish Year:  1801
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.

ornatum / ornatus
L. ornatus  ornate, adorned, decorated, splendid, embellished  < ornare  to adorn.
● ex “Choucador” of Levaillant 1801, pl. 86 (Lamprotornis).
● ex “Oiseau-mouche dit Hupecol de Cayenne” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 640, fig. 3 (Lophornis).
● ex “Oiseau-mouche dit Hupecol de Cayenne” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 640, fig. 3, “Hupecol” of de Buffon 1770-1783, and “Tufted-necked Humming-bird” of Latham 1782 (syn. Lophornis ornatus).
● ex “Variegated Bee-eater” of Latham 1801 (Merops).
● ex “Aigle moyen de la Guiane” of Mauduyt de la Varenne 1784, and “Autour Huppé” of Levaillant 1798, pl. 26 (Spizaetus).
● "44. PSITTACUS.  ...  ornatus.  14. P. macrourus luteo-viridis, occipite gula pectoreque rubris, vertice auribusque cæruleis.  Psittacus minor e coccineo viridis. Edw. av. 174. t. 174.  Habitat in America." (Linnaeus 1758) (Trichoglossus).