Taxonomic notes on some Muscicapidae

by Dario Zuccon

Received 6 January 2011

The valid name of Slaty-backed Flycatcher

Pygmy Blue Flycatcher Muscicapella hodgsoni (Moore, 1854) is a tiny Oriental flycatcher.

Two independent studies, using in part different molecular markers, demonstrated that this

species is not related to the other blue flycatchers (Cyornis and Niltava), but instead belongs

to a clade including the majority of the Ficedula flycatchers and should be known as Ficedula

hodgsoni (Outlaw & Voelker 2006, Zuccon & Ericson 2010).

With the transfer of Muscicapella hodgsoni to Ficedula the name Ficedula hodgsonii (J.

Verreaux, 1871), in use for Slaty-backed Flycatcher, becomes preoccupied. Outlaw &

Voelker (2006) suggested that the valid name for Slaty-backed Flycatcher should be Ficedula

erithacus (Jerdon & Blyth, 1861). This does not appear to be correct.

Slaty-backed Flycatcher was originally described as Siphia erithacus Jerdon & Blyth,

1861, from a specimen collected in Sikkim (Jerdon 1862; holotype in the Natural History

Museum [BMNH], Tring, examined: BMNH 1886.4.1.1913). This name is preoccupied by

Siphia erythaca Jerdon, 1847, currently a subjective junior synonym of Mugimaki Flycatcher

Ficedula mugimaki (Temminck, 1836). The names erithacus and erythaca differ only in the use

of i or y and according to Art. 58.2 of the International code of zoological nomenclature (hereafter

the Code, ICZN 1999) they are deemed variant spellings. The two names are thus primary

homonyms (Art. 53.3.1) and Siphia erithacus Jerdon & Blyth, 1861, is invalid.

The next available name is Siphia hodgsonii J. Verreaux, 1871, described from a single

male collected at Moupin (= Baoxing County, Sichuan) by A. David (Verreaux, 1872;

holotype in the Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle [MNHN], Paris, examined: MNHN

CG. 1870-665).

During an expedition to the Naga Hills, Godwin-Austen (1874) collected four specimens

of Slaty-backed Flycatcher at Japvo Peak, Nagaland. The single male was identified as Siphia

erithaca but the three females were presumed to belong to an unknown form and they were

described as a distinct species, Erythrosterna sordida Godwin-Austen, 1874 (syntypes in

BMNH examined: BMNH 1895.7.14.395, 1895.7.14.396, 1895.7.14.397).

Oates (1883, 1890) was the first to apply the trivial name hodgsonii as the valid name

to the Slaty-backed Flycatcher, recognising that Siphia erithacus Jerdon & Blyth, 1861, was

invalid due to primary homonymy and that Erythrosterna sordida Godwin-Austen, 1874, was

a junior synonym. The same treatment was followed by Sharpe (1903).