Synallaxis rutilans, TEMMINCK, 1823

Stopiglia, Renata, Barbosa, Waleska, Ferreira, Mateus, Raposo, Marcos A, Dubois, Alain, Harvey, Michael G, Kirwan, Guy M, Forcato, Giovanna, Bockmann, Flavio A & Ribas, Camila C, 2022, Taxonomic challenges posed by discordant evolutionary scenarios supported by molecular and morphological data in the Amazonian Synallaxis rutilans group (Aves: Furnariidae), Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 195 (1), pp. 65-87 : 78-79

SYNALLAXIS RUTILANS TEMMINCK, 1823

Synallaxis rutilans Temminck, 1823: 227 , fig.1

(lectotype, by present designation, ZMB 9078 , from Cametá , Pará, Brazil, examined by us; see Remarks 1 and 2 for designation and comments) .

Diagnosis: Synallaxis rutilans differs from S. omissa in having the forehead, supercilium and face amber (36). However, S. rutilans lacks any morphological diagnosis compared to S. amazonica , S. caquetensis and S. dissors , as both the rufous pattern of S. caquetensis and olive pattern of S. dissors occur in S. rutilans , including individuals with intermediate plumage, which are also present especially in S. amazonica .

Description: Throat sepia (119); breast amber (36), varying individually between robin rufous (340) and chestnut (32); abdomen and flanks olive brown (28), varying individually between clay color (26) and raw umber (123), with elements of raw umber (123) as a secondary colour; rectrices sepia (119); back and crown olive brown (28), varying individually to Vandyke brown (121), with elements of raw umber (123) and Vandyke brown (121) as the secondary colour; forehead amber (36) varying individually to chestnut (32); supercilium and face amber (36), varying individually to chestnut (32); wing-coverts chestnut (32), varying individually to amber (36); remiges Vandyke brown (121), varying individually to Vandyke brown (221); bill length 12.2–14.5 mm; bill depth 3.9–4.7 mm; wing length 53.9–63.7 mm; tail length 60.3–72.0 mm, with ten rectrices (see Tables 7, 8).

Distribution: Understorey of terra firme forest in Brazil, S. rutilans occurs from the left bank of the Tocantins River to the right bank of the Xingu River, in north-east to south-east Pará and north-east Mato Grosso. Distribution represented in Figures 1 and 4 by orange colour of the Xingu AE.

Remarks 1: We examined specimens RMNH 88788 and ZMB 9078, both of which have been considered syntypes of Synallaxis rutilans Temminck, 1823 ( Hellmayr, 1907; Dekker, 2003). According to the handwritten data on the base of the wooden pedastel on which the specimen is mounted (which matches the original label), RMNH 88788 is believed to have reached the museum via ‘Verreaux’ (presumably referring to the Maison Verreaux) and to have been collected in Peru. However, this information does not match that presented by Dekker (2003: 9) in the avian type catalogue of the Naturalis Biodiversity Center in Leiden, wherein the provenance of RMNH 88788 is stated to be ‘Brazil’. The specimen in question corresponds in plumage and posture to that in Temminck (1823: 227, fig.1), the original description of S. rutilans , wherein he mentioned only ‘Brésil’, not Peru, thereby leaving some doubts concerning the true status of this specimen as a type. With respect to ZMB 9078, this was collected by Friedrich Wilhelm Sieber at Cametá, Pará, Brazil, sometime between 1800 and 1812, on behalf of J. C. H. G. von Hoffmannsegg (1776–1849) (Sylke Frahnert, in litt.). In 1809, von Hoffmannsegg was instrumental in founding the Berlin museum (now the Museum für Naturkunde) and donated his entire private collection to the new institution ( Pinto, 1979). This material was studied by, among others, C. J. Temminck (1778–1858) and as a result, specimen ZMB 9078 became one of the syntypes of S. rutilans Temminck, 1823 , perhaps the only one ( Hellmayr, 1907). Considering the above, we designate ZMB 9078 as a lectotype of S. rutilans Temminck, 1823 and consequently RMNH 88788 becomes a paralectotype, thereby avoiding any nomenclatural consequences should RMNH 88788 prove not to be a syntype (see discussion in relation to the type locality, below).

Remarks 2: In the original description of S. rutilans Temminck (1823) mentioned only ‘Brésil’. The type locality was restricted to Cametá, Pará, Brazil, by Cory & Hellmayr (1925), who treated ZMB 9078 as the sole syntype of S. rutilans . However, RMNH 88788, with locality Peru, has also been considered a syntype of S. rutilans Temminck, 1823 ( Dekker, 2003) . The Code ( ICZN 1999) states that ‘if the syntypes originated from two or more localities (including different strata), the type locality encompasses all of the places of origin’ (Article 73.2.3). Cory & Hellmayr’s (1925) restriction of type locality, not being based on a lectotype designation, carries no weight under the Code, and Peru must be considered part of the type locality of S. rutilans Temminck, 1823 . Based on our analysis of the S. rutilans group, this makes defining the nominate taxon problematic, because the type series of S. rutilans would represent a composite series as ‘Peru’ encompasses populations of S. caquetensis , meaning that there is a taxonomic requirement (Article 74.7.3 of the Code) to objectively define the type locality and the taxonomic allocation of the nomen ( Dubois & Ohler, 1996; Frétey et al., 2018), justifying the lectotypification. The designation above of ZMB 9078 as lectotype of S. rutilans Temminck, 1823 , also ensures nomenclatural stability, as it restricts the type locality (Articles 73.2.3 and 76.2 of the Code) of S. rutilans Temminck, 1823 , to Cametá, Pará, Brazil, at 02°15’S, 49°30’W (see: Paynter & Traylor, 1991). As a result of designating this lectotype, RMNH 88788 becomes a paralectotype (Article 74.1.3).

Figures

Figure 1. Map showing the distribution of sequenced individuals, phylogenetic time tree and plumage analyses for the Synallaxis rutilans group. The areas of endemism recognized by Silva et al. (2005) are highlighted on the map, and distribution points are numbered in accordance with individuals in the tree. The phylogenetic time tree is based on 1539 bp of concatenated ND2 and COI genes. Posterior probability values and the 95% HPD are indicated at each node. Thr, throat; Rec, rectrices; For, forehead; Sup, supercilium; Fac, face; Win, wing-coverts; Rem, remiges; 1st, first colour (main colour); 2nd, second colour (variation ±); 36 (e.g.), colours in Smithe’s catalogue; *, specimen damaged or immature; **, specimen analysed without Smithe’s catalogue; MPEG A, spirit collection specimen; dark grey circles in map and patches in table, specimens with grey plumage pattern; light grey circles and patches, specimens with olive plumage pattern; black circles and patches, specimens with rufous plumage pattern; purple star, type locality of S. r. dissors; red star, type locality of S. r. caquetensis; red star with white spot, type locality of S. r. confinis; blue star, type locality of S. r. amazonica; blue star with a white spot, type locality of S. r. tertia; orange star, type locality of S. r. rutilans; yellow star, type locality of S. r. omissa.

Figure 4. Plumage distribution and geographic variation in the Synallaxis rutilans group. Dark grey circles, specimens with grey-patterned plumage; pale grey circles, specimens with olive-patterned plumage; black circles, specimens with rufous-patterned plumage. Concerning intermediate individuals, any specimen with rufous present on the upperparts was classified in the ‘specimens with rufous-patterned plumage’ group. *Illustrations of birds with the typical plumage of: S. caquetensis (on the left); S. dissors (centre above); S. omissa (right). Area of endemism (AE) and distribution of species of the Synallaxis rutilans group: purple, Guiana EA, S. dissors; red, Napo EA, S. caquetensis; orange, Xingu EA, S. rutilans; yellow, Belém EA, S. omissa; and green, Inambari EA, blue, Rondônia EA and turquoise, Tapajós EA, S. amazonica. *Illustrations from del Hoyo J, Elliott A, Sargatal J, Christie DA, de Juana E, eds. 2017. Handbook of the birds of the world alive. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions (retrieved on 10.11.2017 from http://www.hbw.com).