Wahlberg's Honeyguide

SCI Name:  Prodotiscus regulus
Protonym:  Prodotiscus regulus Oefv.Vet.-Akad.Forh. 7 p.109
Taxonomy:  Piciformes / Indicatoridae / Prodotiscus
Taxonomy Code:  wahhon1
Type Locality:  'Caffraria inferiori et superiori'' ; type from Mohapoani, Witfontein Berge, western Transvaal.
Author:  Sundevall
Publish Year:  1850
IUCN Status:  Least Concern

DEFINITIONS

PRODOTISCUS
(Indicatoridae; Ϯ Brown-backed Honeybird P. regulus) Dim. < genus Prodotes Nitzsch, 1829, honeyguide (< Gr. προδοτης prodotēs  betrayer); "Prodotiscus regulus n. sp.   ...   Genus ab Indicatore parum diversum, bene ut subdivisio ejus haberi potest. Præcipue differt rostro tenuiore, subulato, acuto, culmine medio arcuato, caudaque leviter emarginata vel subbifida. — Nares apertæ, rotundatæ, membrana molli cinctæ; vibrissæ nullæ; pedes, alæ, Indicatoris: Remiges ut illius 9 (1:ma deest; 1<4, 2=3.  Etiam colores Indicatoris. Nomen est diminutivum vocis Prodotis, synonymi Indicatoris, a NITZSCHIO dati." (Sundevall 1850); "Prodotiscus Sundevall, Öfv. K. Vet.-Akad. Förh., 7, 1850, p. 109. Type, by monotypy, Prodotiscus regulus Sundevall." (Peters 1948, VI, 63). The Brown-backed Honeybird is not recorded as leading man and mammals to bees’ nests, but feeds on the imago, exudate and pupae of scale insects.
Synon. Hetaerodes.

REGULUS
(Regulidae; Ϯ Goldcrest R. regulus) Specific name Motacilla regulus Linnaeus, 1758; "Roitelets . . . Regulus" (Cuvier 1800); "Dans la tradition nordique, le roitelet (le plus petit des oiseaux) est le druide des oiseaux. Ce term de petit roi n'est donc pas une moquerie, il correspond à une vieille tradition celtique. Le première mention de ce mot pour désigner un oiseau remonte au début du XII^e siècle" (Cabard & Chauvet 2003); "Regulus Cuvier, 1800, Leçons Anatomie Comparée, 1, table 2. Type, by monotypy and tautonymy, "Roitelets" = Motacilla regulus Linnaeus." (Watson in Peters 1986, XI, 286). This genus formerly included the reguline leaf-warblers Phylloscopus.
Var. Regillus (L. regillus  royal, regal  < regius  royal).
Synon. Calendula, Corthylio, Ocelletus, Orchilus, Regaliolus, Rex, Senator.
● (syn. Regulus Ϯ Ruby-crowned Kinglet R. calendula) "Regulus BARTRAM, Travels through Carolina, etc., 1791, p.—  ...  Type, Motacilla calendula LINNAEUS ²  (Present designation.)³   ...   ² Seven species of Regulus are enumerated by Bartram in 1791, but only one is technically available as type at this date. This is "R. cristatus alter vertice rubini coloris; the ruby crown wren. (G. Edwards.)", or Motacilla calendula Linnaeus. Edwards figured and described this species from a specimen sent to him by Bartram.   ...   ³ There appear to be excellent generic differences between Motacilla calendula and M. regulus, as long ago recognized by Cabanis, who, in 1853, proposed the name Corthylio for M. calendula. This genus has been recently revived by Mr. Miller (Auk, vol. 32, 1915, pp. 234-236), but from the above reference to Regulus it will be seen that Motacilla regulus is the species to be provided with a generic name." (Richmond 1917). 

regulus
L. regulus  prince, kinglet  < dim. rex, regis  king  < regere  to rule.
● "15. TROCHILUS (LOPHORNIS) REGULUS.  Troch. plumis in vertice castaneo-fuscis valde elongatis, acuminatis, ad apices viridibus  ...  This beautiful species is nearly allied to the T. ornata and T. magnifica, but differs from them in the lesser development of the feathers of the sides of the neck and in the greater size of the crest, which is more largely developed than in any other species known." (Gould 1846) (syn. Lophornis delattrei).
● "99. MOTACILLA.  ...  Regulus. 30. M. remigibus secundariis exteriori margine flavis, medio albis. Fn. svec. 235.  Regulus cristatus. Will. orn. 163. t. 41.  Raj. av. 79. n. 9.  Alb. av. I. p. 51. t. 53.  Aldr. orn. l. 17. c. 1.  Frisch. av. . t. 24. f. 4.  Catesb. car. 3. p. 13. t. 13.   Habitat in Europa." (Linnaeus 1758) (Regulus).

SUBSPECIES

Wahlberg's Honeyguide (regulus)
SCI Name: Prodotiscus regulus regulus
REGULUS
(Regulidae; Ϯ Goldcrest R. regulus) Specific name Motacilla regulus Linnaeus, 1758; "Roitelets . . . Regulus" (Cuvier 1800); "Dans la tradition nordique, le roitelet (le plus petit des oiseaux) est le druide des oiseaux. Ce term de petit roi n'est donc pas une moquerie, il correspond à une vieille tradition celtique. Le première mention de ce mot pour désigner un oiseau remonte au début du XII^e siècle" (Cabard & Chauvet 2003); "Regulus Cuvier, 1800, Leçons Anatomie Comparée, 1, table 2. Type, by monotypy and tautonymy, "Roitelets" = Motacilla regulus Linnaeus." (Watson in Peters 1986, XI, 286). This genus formerly included the reguline leaf-warblers Phylloscopus.
Var. Regillus (L. regillus  royal, regal  < regius  royal).
Synon. Calendula, Corthylio, Ocelletus, Orchilus, Regaliolus, Rex, Senator.
● (syn. Regulus Ϯ Ruby-crowned Kinglet R. calendula) "Regulus BARTRAM, Travels through Carolina, etc., 1791, p.—  ...  Type, Motacilla calendula LINNAEUS ²  (Present designation.)³   ...   ² Seven species of Regulus are enumerated by Bartram in 1791, but only one is technically available as type at this date. This is "R. cristatus alter vertice rubini coloris; the ruby crown wren. (G. Edwards.)", or Motacilla calendula Linnaeus. Edwards figured and described this species from a specimen sent to him by Bartram.   ...   ³ There appear to be excellent generic differences between Motacilla calendula and M. regulus, as long ago recognized by Cabanis, who, in 1853, proposed the name Corthylio for M. calendula. This genus has been recently revived by Mr. Miller (Auk, vol. 32, 1915, pp. 234-236), but from the above reference to Regulus it will be seen that Motacilla regulus is the species to be provided with a generic name." (Richmond 1917). 

Wahlberg's Honeyguide (camerunensis)
SCI Name: Prodotiscus regulus camerunensis
cameroonensis / camerunensis / camerunensus
Cameroons, West Africa (German Cameroon (= Kamerun) 1884-1919, when divided into French Cameroun and British Cameroons; upon independence in 1961 southern British Cameroons joined with French Cameroun to become a republic (Cameroun), and northern British Cameroons became a part of Nigeria) (Rio dos Camerões, river of prawns, the name given to the River Wouri by the Portuguese explorer Fernão do Póo in 1492).
● Mt. Cameroon, German Cameroon (subsp. Bradypterus lopesi, Pternistis).
● Between Nola and Mbaiki, French Cameroun (= Ubangi Shari) (Vidua).