Reunion Stonechat / Saxicola tectes
Reunion Stonechat
SCI Name:
Protonym: (Muscicapa) tectes Syst.Nat. 1 pt2 p.940
Taxonomy: Passeriformes / Muscicapidae / Saxicola
Taxonomy Code: reusto1
Type Locality: Bourbon
Author: Gmelin, JF
Publish Year: 1789
IUCN Status: Least Concern
DEFINITIONS
SAXICOLA
(Muscicapidae; Ϯ Common Stonechat S. torquatus rubicola) L. saxum, saxi stone; -cola dweller < colere to inhabit; "Gattung. Steinschmätzer. Saxicola. ... Sie machen den schicklichsten Uebergang zu den Fliegenfängern nach Gestalt und Lebensart; nisten auf der Erde oder in Löchern, und fressen blos Insekten, und zwar Käferarten und Fliegen. *1. Großer Steinschmätzer (S. Oenanthe). ... *2. Braunkehliger Steinschmätzer (S. Rubetra). ... Ϯ3. Schwarzkehliger Steinschmätzer (S. Rubicola)" (Bechstein 1802); “Bechstein’s genus Saxicola ... contains three species only: œnanthe (Wheatear), rubetra (Whinchat), and rubicola (Stonechat). No type was originally designated, but Swainson (Zoologist Journ. iii. 1827, p. 172) subsequently fixed as the type Motacilla rubicola. Gray in 1841 and Seebohm (Cat. Bds. B. M. v. 1881, p. 362) made “œnanthe” the type; there can be no doubt, however, that Swainson’s designation must stand, and another name be found for the Wheatears” (BOU 1915); "Saxicola Bechstein, 1803, Orn. Taschenb., (1802), p. 216. Type, by subsequent designation (Swainson, 1827, Zool. Journ., 3, p. 172), Motacilla rubicola Linnaeus." (Ripley in Peters 1964, X, 104). Some workers believe that this form could be split into as many as seven species (i.e. S. torquatus, S. rubicola, S. maurus, S. przewalskii, S. stejnegeri, S. albofasciatus, S. sibilla).
Var. Laxicola.
Synon. Curruca, Fruticicola, Pratincola, Rhodophila, Rubetra.
● (syn. Oenanthe Ϯ Northern Wheatear O. oenanthe) Formerly this name was much used for the wheatears and similar chat-like species (see above).
saxicola
L. saxum, saxi stone, rock; -cola dweller < colere to inhabit.
tectes
L. tectus covered, concealed < tegere to cover (e.g. black-crowned).
● Local French onomatopoeia Tectec for the Réunion Stonechat; ex “Muscicapa borbonica” of Brisson 1760, and “Indian Fly-catcher” of Latham 1783 (Saxicola).
UPPERCASE: current genus
Uppercase first letter: generic synonym
● and ● See: generic homonyms
lowercase: species and subspecies
●: early names, variants, mispellings
‡: extinct
†: type species
Gr.: ancient Greek
L.: Latin
<: derived from
syn: synonym of
/: separates historical and modern geographic names
ex: based on
TL: type locality
OD: original diagnosis (genus) or original description (species)