Leptocoma sericea
Not Threatened
Taxonomy: Cinnyris sericeus Lesson, 1827, near Dorey, New Guinea. Genus often subsumed in Nectarinia. Genus names Leptocoma and Chalcostetha described simultaneously, on consecutive pages of same publication; former has been selected by First Reviser as having precedence (see page 48). If present genus is merged into Nectarinia, species name sericea becomes preoccupied, and must be replaced by next junior synonym, aspasia. Possibly forms a superspecies with L. sperata. Considerable geographical variation chiefly in gloss colour of males, but an E-W cline in some characters apparent in C parts of range (involving races auriceps, aspasioides, mariae and cochrani). Races corinna and vicina not particularly well marked, and could perhaps be included in nominate. Other proposed races are tonkeana (from E Sulawesi), included in porphyrolaema; morotensis (Morotai, off N Halmahera), merged with auriceps; olympia (Misool, in West Papuan Is), in cochrani; bergmanni (Adi I, off S Bomberai Peninsula, in W New Guinea), included in nominate; and chlorocephala (Wokam, in Aru Is), synonymized with aspasioides. Proposed name jobiensis (Yapen I, in Geelvink Bay), is older than salvadorii, but appears to have been based on specimens of nominate sericeus, and may in any case have to be considered a nomen oblitum; material for salvadorii may have come not from Yapen but from nearby Mios Num; further study reqauired. Junior synonym theresia was formerly used as new name for chlorolaema, which was erroneously believed preoccupied. Twenty-three subspecies recognized. (source: Handbook of the Birds of World)
Subspecies and Distribution:
- * grayi (Wallace, 1865) - N Sulawesi, including small islands ofManadotua, Bangka and Lembeh. * porphyrolaema (Wallace, 1865) - Sulawesi (except N), including Togian Is, Muna, Butung and Labuan Blanda. * sangirensis (A. B. Meyer, 1874) - islands of Sangihe, Siau and Ruang (N of Sulawesi). * talautensis (A. B. Meyer & Wiglesworth, 1894) - Talaud Is (NE of Sulawesi). * auriceps (G. R. Gray, 1861) - Tifore, Morotai, Halmahera, Ternate, Mare, Makian, Bacan, Obi, Damar, Muor and, Gebe; also archipelagos of Banggai and Sula (off E Sulawesi). * auricapilla (Mees, 1965) - Kayoa I (off W Halmahera). * cochrani (Stresemann & Paludan, 1932) - West Papuan Is (Waigeo, Misool). * mariae (Ripley, 1959) - Kofiau I (N of Misool). * proserpina (Wallace, 1863) - Buru I. * aspasioides (G. R. Gray, 1861) - Seram, Ambon, Nusa Laut, Watubela Is and Aru Is. * chlorolaema (Salvadori, 1874) - Kai Is. * sericea (Lesson, 1827) - New Guinea (including islands of Manam, Karkar, Adi, Gag), except SE. * maforensis (A. B. Meyer, 1874) - Numfor I (in Geelvink Bay), in NW New Guinea. * mysorensis (A. B. Meyer, 1874) - Biak I (in Geelvink Bay) and Schouten Is (off NC New Guinea). * nigriscapularis (Salvadori, 1876) - Meos Num and Rani I (in Geelvink Bay). * salvadorii (Shelley, 1877) - Yapen I (in Geelvink Bay). * veronica (Mees, 1965) - Liki I, off NW New Guinea. * cornelia (Salvadori, 1878) - Tarawai I, off CN New Guinea. * corinna (Salvadori, 1878) - N Bismarck Archipelago (except Feni Is). * eichhorni (Rothschild & E. J. O. Hartert, 1926) - Feni I, E of New Ireland. * caeruleogula (Mees, 1965) - Umboi I and New Britain. * vicina (Mayr, 1936) - SE New Guinea. * christianae (Tristram, 1889) - Trobriand Is, D’Entrecasteaux Archipelago, Marshall Bennett Group, Woodlark I and Louisiade Archipelago, off SE New Guinea.
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