Madagascar Bee-eater

SCI Name:  Merops superciliosus
Protonym:  Merops superciliosus Syst.Nat.ed.12 ed.12 p.183
Taxonomy:  Coraciiformes / Meropidae / Merops
Taxonomy Code:  mabeat1
Type Locality:  Madagascar.
Author:  Linnaeus
Publish Year:  1766
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.

superciliosa / superciliosum / superciliosus
L. superciliosus  supercilious, haughty, eye-browed  < supercilium  eyebrow.
● ex “Supercilious Duck” of Latham 1785 (Anas).
● ex “Little Green and Orange-coloured Kingfisher” of Edwards 1758 (syn. Chloroceryle aenea).
● ex “Gorge-jaune de Saint-Domingue” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 686, fig. 1 (syn. Dendroica dominica).
● ex “Rousseau” of Levaillant 1800, pl. 66 (Lanius).
● ex “Apiaster madagascariensis” or “Guespier de Madagascar” of Brisson 1760 (Merops).
● ex “Yellow-browed Warbler” of Latham 1783 (syn. Phylloscopus humei).
● ex “Supercilious Fly-catcher” of Latham 1783 (unident.).

SUBSPECIES

Madagascar Bee-eater (superciliosus)
SCI Name: Merops superciliosus superciliosus
superciliosa / superciliosum / superciliosus
L. superciliosus  supercilious, haughty, eye-browed  < supercilium  eyebrow.
● ex “Supercilious Duck” of Latham 1785 (Anas).
● ex “Little Green and Orange-coloured Kingfisher” of Edwards 1758 (syn. Chloroceryle aenea).
● ex “Gorge-jaune de Saint-Domingue” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 686, fig. 1 (syn. Dendroica dominica).
● ex “Rousseau” of Levaillant 1800, pl. 66 (Lanius).
● ex “Apiaster madagascariensis” or “Guespier de Madagascar” of Brisson 1760 (Merops).
● ex “Yellow-browed Warbler” of Latham 1783 (syn. Phylloscopus humei).
● ex “Supercilious Fly-catcher” of Latham 1783 (unident.).

Madagascar Bee-eater (alternans)
SCI Name: Merops superciliosus alternans
alternans
L. alternans, alternantis  alternating  < alternare  to alternate  < alternus  alternate  < alter, altera  another  < comp. alius  other.
● "Merops superciliosus alternans, subsp. nov.  ...  As the population of the South West Arid District is moderately well-diffentiated from western Indian Ocean birds, it has obviously enjoyed isolation for some very considerable time, and is a relict from an expansionist phase in the species' evolutionary history." (Clancey 1971) (subsp. Merops superciliosus).