Spotted Barbtail

SCI Name:  Premnoplex brunnescens
Protonym:  Margarornis brunnescens Proc.Zool.Soc.London Pt24 no.302 p.27 pl.116
Taxonomy:  Passeriformes / Furnariidae / Premnoplex
Taxonomy Code:  spobar1
Type Locality:  Bogota, Colombia.
Author:  Sclater, PL
Publish Year:  1856
IUCN Status:  Least Concern

DEFINITIONS

PREMNOPLEX
(Furnariidae; Ϯ Spotted Barbtail P. brunnescens) Gr. πρεμνον premnon  tree trunk; πλησσω plēssō  to strike; "Premnoplex, gen. nov.  (type, Margarornis brunnescens Lawr.).   I have before me four of the six recognized species of the genus Margarornis; namely, squamigera, stellata, rubiginosa, and brunnescens. The latter presents peculiarities in the pattern of coloration and structure that have led me to place it in a new genus, Premnoplex, Ϯ which I would characterize as similar to Margarornis, but wing short and rounded, and much more concave, while the second primary is shorter than the sixth, not longer; quills only faintly edged with lighter on the inner webs and no patch at the base of the feathers, extending to the shaft on the inner webs of a pale fulvous color.  This light-colored area in squamigera, stellata, and rubiginosa, commences on the third primary and extends across the secondaries, increasing in length along the web on each succeeding feather. From descriptions I find the light patch at the base of the quills is present in perlata and guttata.  In the new genus the nostrils open in a narrow slit at the posterior part of the nasal fossæ, while in the species of Margarornis before me the nasal opening is at the forward end of the nasal fossæ.   ...   Ϯ Πρεμνον = trunk of tree and πηησσω [sic] = strike." (Cherrie 1891).

brunnescens
Mod. L. brunnescens, brunnescentis  somewhat brown, brownish  < brunneus  brown  < Med. L. brunius  brown.

SUBSPECIES

Spotted Barbtail (brunneicauda)
SCI Name: Premnoplex brunnescens brunneicauda
brunneicauda / brunneicaudalis / brunneicaudis / brunneicaudus
Mod. L. brunneus  brown  < Med. L. brunius  brown; L. cauda  tail.
● “Count Salvadori has changed the name of rufifrons, as the rufous forehead of the type specimen was found to be due to a blood-stain” (Gadow 1884) (syn. Zosterops chloris).

Spotted Barbtail (distinctus)
SCI Name: Premnoplex brunnescens distinctus
distinctus
L. distinctus distinct  < distinguere  to separate.
• "In my paper on the birds of Gran Canaria I gave a description of the Thick-knees which I obtained in this island and which were remarkable for their almost pure white underparts, the markings upon the breast and flanks being in consequence much bolder.  Other differences are also noted ('Ibis,' 1912, p. 584).  I therefore propose to name the form inhabiting the western Canary group, Œdicnemus œdicnemus distinctus, subsp. nov." (Bannerman 1914) (subsp. Burhinus oedicnemus).
• "2.  Coryphotriccus albovittatus distinctus subsp. nov.  ...  Similar to C. albovittatus (Lawrence), from line of Panama Railway, but decidedly larger; back, etc., much grayer olive; yellow of under parts paler (light canary yellow instead of nearly lemon yellow); and blackish area on side of head much broader." (Ridgway 1908) (subsp. Conopias albovittatus).

Spotted Barbtail (mnionophilus)
SCI Name: Premnoplex brunnescens mnionophilus
mnionophilus
Gr. μνιον mnion  seaweed (but here used for "moss") (cf. μνιοεις mnioeis  moss); φιλος philos loving  < φιλεω phileō  to love  < φιλος philos  lover.

Spotted Barbtail (albescens)
SCI Name: Premnoplex brunnescens albescens
albescens
L. albescens, albescentis  whitish  < albescere  to become white  < albere  to be white  < albus  white.
● ex “Busard” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 423 (= ?♀) (?syn. Accipiter gentilis).
● ex “Blanchard” of Levaillant 1796, pl. 3 (= ☼) (syn. Stephanoaetus coronatus).

Spotted Barbtail (coloratus)
SCI Name: Premnoplex brunnescens coloratus
colorata / coloratus
L. coloratus  coloured (especially red-coloured, tanned)  < color, coloris  colour.
● “embrowned” (Bangs 1902); described from a specimen collected by W. Wood Brown, Jr., in 1889 (subsp. Premnoplex brunnescens).

Spotted Barbtail (brunnescens)
SCI Name: Premnoplex brunnescens brunnescens
brunnescens
Mod. L. brunnescens, brunnescentis  somewhat brown, brownish  < brunneus  brown  < Med. L. brunius  brown.

Spotted Barbtail (stictonotus)
SCI Name: Premnoplex brunnescens stictonotus
stictonota / stictonotus
Gr. στικτος stiktos  spotted  < στιζω stizō  to tattoo; -νωτος -nōtos  -backed  < νωτον nōton  back.

Spotted Barbtail (rostratus)
SCI Name: Premnoplex brunnescens rostratus
rostratum / rostratus
L. rostratus  beaked, large-billed  < rostrum  beak.
● “nearly allied to Timalia, but having a moderately stout warbler’s bill” (Blyth 1842) (Trichastoma).