Meliphaga

Life-forms

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Cladus: Unikonta
Cladus: Opisthokonta
Cladus: Holozoa
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Superphylum: Deuterostomia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Infraphylum: Gnathostomata
Megaclassis: Osteichthyes
Cladus: Sarcopterygii
Cladus: Rhipidistia
Cladus: Tetrapodomorpha
Cladus: Eotetrapodiformes
Cladus: Elpistostegalia
Superclassis: Tetrapoda
Cladus: Reptiliomorpha
Cladus: Amniota
Classis: Reptilia
Cladus: Eureptilia
Cladus: Romeriida
Subclassis: Diapsida
Cladus: Sauria
Infraclassis: Archosauromorpha
Cladus: Crurotarsi
Divisio: Archosauria
Cladus: Avemetatarsalia
Cladus: Ornithodira
Subtaxon: Dinosauromorpha
Cladus: Dinosauriformes
Cladus: Dracohors
Cladus: Dinosauria
Ordo: Saurischia
Cladus: Eusaurischia
Subordo: Theropoda
Cladus: Neotheropoda
Cladus: Averostra
Cladus: Tetanurae
Cladus: Avetheropoda
Cladus: Coelurosauria
Cladus: Tyrannoraptora
Cladus: Maniraptoromorpha
Cladus: Maniraptoriformes
Cladus: Maniraptora
Cladus: Pennaraptora
Cladus: Paraves
Cladus: Eumaniraptora
Cladus: Avialae
Infraclassis: Aves
Cladus: Avebrevicauda
Cladus: Pygostylia
Cladus: Ornithothoraces
Cladus: Ornithuromorpha
Cladus: Carinatae
Parvclassis: Neornithes
Cohors: Neognathae
Cladus: Neoaves
Cladus: Telluraves
Cladus: Australaves
Ordo: Passeriformes
Subordo: Passeri
Infraordo: Corvida
Superfamilia: Meliphagoidea

Familia: Meliphagidae
Genus: Meliphaga
Species: M. aruensis – M. lewinii – M. notata

Species transferred to other genera:

Microptilotis: M. albonotata – M. analoga – M. cinereifrons – M. flavirictus – M. gracilis – M. imitatrix – M. mimikae – M. montana – M. orientalis – M. vicina
Territornis: M. albilineata – M. fordiana – M. reticulata

Name

Meliphaga Lewin, 1808

Typus: Ptiloptis lewinii Swainson, 1837 = Meliphaga lewinii

Synonymy

Ptilotis Swainson, 1837 Class.Birds 2 p. 326 BHL

References
Primary references

Lewin, J.W. 1808. Birds of New Holland with their natural history. Collected, engraved and faithfully painted after nature. J. White & S. Bagster. London Vol.1: 21 pp., 17 pl. Reference page. p. 7 pl. 3

Additional references

Andersen, M.J., McCullough, J.M., Friedman, N.R., Peterson, A.T., Moyle, R.G., Joseph, L. & Nyári, A.S. 2019. Ultraconserved elements resolve genus-level relationships in a major Australasian bird radiation (Aves: Meliphagidae). Emu 119(3): 218–232. DOI: 10.1080/01584197.2019.1595662 Paywall Reference page.
McCullough, J.M., Joseph, L., Moyle, R.G. & Andersen, M.J. 2019. Ultraconserved elements put the final nail in the coffin of traditional use of the genus Meliphaga (Aves: Meliphagidae). Zoologica Scripta. 48(4): 411–418. DOI: 10.1111/zsc.12350 Open access Reference page.

Meliphaga is a genus of birds in the honeyeater family Meliphagidae.

The genus was introduced by the English artist John Lewin in 1808.[2] The name Meliphaga combines the Ancient Greek meli meaning "honey" and phagos meaning eating.[3] The type species is Lewin's honeyeater (Meliphaga lewinii).[4][5]

The genus contains three species:[6]

Puff-backed honeyeater (Meliphaga aruensis)
Yellow-spotted honeyeater (Meliphaga notata)
Lewin's honeyeater (Meliphaga lewinii)

The genus formerly included additional species. When molecular phylogenetic studies found that Meliphaga contained two distinct clades, the genus was split and most of the species were moved to the resurrected genus Microptilotis leaving just three species in Meliphaga.[6][7][8]
References

"Melaphagidae". aviansystematics.org. The Trust for Avian Systematics. Retrieved 2023-07-16.
Lewin, John William. Birds of New Holland, with their natural history. Vol. 1 (of one). London: Printed for the author and published by J. White and S. Bagster. p. 7.
Jobling, James A. (2010). The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names. London: Christopher Helm. p. 249. ISBN 978-1-4081-2501-4.
Paynter, Raymond A. Jr, ed. (1986). Check-list of Birds of the World. Vol. 12. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Museum of Comparative Zoology. p. 364.
Gray, George Robert (1840). A List of the Genera of Birds : with an Indication of the Typical Species of Each Genus (1st ed.). London: R. and J.E. Taylor. p. 15.
Gill, Frank; Donsker, David; Rasmussen, Pamela, eds. (2020). "Honeyeaters". IOC World Bird List Version 10.1. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 22 February 2020.
Andersen, M.J.; McCullough, J.M.; Friedman, N.R.; Peterson, A.T.; Moyle, R.G.; Joseph, L.; Nyári, A.S. (2019). "Ultraconserved elements resolve genus-level relationships in a major Australasian bird radiation (Aves: Meliphagidae)". Emu. 119 (3): 218–232. Bibcode:2019EmuAO.119..218A. doi:10.1080/01584197.2019.1595662. S2CID 150056949.
McCullough, J.M.; Joseph, L.; Moyle, R.G.; Andersen, M.J. (2019). "Ultraconserved elements put the final nail in the coffin of traditional use of the genus Meliphaga (Aves: Meliphagidae)". Zoologica Scripta. 48 (4): 411–418. doi:10.1111/zsc.12350