Scytalopus notorius, Raposo, Marcos A., Stopiglia, Renata, Loskot, Vladimir & Kirwan, Guy M., 2006

Raposo, Marcos A., Stopiglia, Renata, Loskot, Vladimir & Kirwan, Guy M., 2006, The correct use of the name Scytalopus speluncae (Ménétriés, 1835), and the description of a new species of Brazilian tapaculo (Aves: Passeriformes: Rhinocryptidae), Zootaxa 1271, pp. 37-56 : 44-48

Scytalopus notorius new species

Diagnosis: Male easily diagnosed from all other Brazilian Scytalopus by its homogeneous Blackish Neutral Gray (82) coloration, being slightly darker on the upperparts. It is further distinguishable from the paler species, Scytalopus speluncae , S. pachecoi , and S. novacapitalis by the gray feathers of the flanks, thighs, vent and upper tail coverts, which are quite unlike the buff­fringed blackish feathers of those three species. S. notorius differs from S. iraiensis by its gray versus blackish upperparts and in lacking any contrast between the dorsal and ventral areas. Males and females of Scytalopus iraiensis further differ from S. notorius in having blackish flanks, thighs, and vent, and broader tail feathers, as well as in behavioral differences ( Figs. 7 – 10 ).

Description of the holotype: Adult male (MNRJ 36652) ( Figs. 7 – 9 ), collected at Nova Friburgo, Rio de Janeiro, in September 1989. Bill black; forehead, crown, occiput, nape, mantle, rump, upper tail coverts, wing coverts and dorsal surface of rectrices Blackish Neutral Gray (82); lores, auriculars, chin, throat, upper breast, abdomen, flanks, crural feathers, crissum, primary and secondary under wing coverts, under tail coverts, and ventral surface of rectrices Dark (83) to Blackish Neutral Gray (82). Tarsus and digits pale brown (label data). Exposed culmen, 11.7 mm; tail, 41.0 mm; wing (chord), 50.2 mm; body mass, 16.0 g.

Description of the paratypes ( Fig. 10 ): Adult female (MNRJ 36653), collected at Nova Friburgo, Rio de Janeiro, in September 1989. Maxilla black and mandible brown (label data); forehead Blackish Neutral Gray (82); crown, occiput, nape and mantle Blackish Neutral Gray, shaded Brownish Olive (29); rump, upper tail coverts and dorsal surface of rectrices Brownish Olive, fringed black; upper secondary coverts Brownish Olive with transverse subterminal black patch and an Army Brown (219B) apical area; primaries and secondaries Homogeneous Sepia (119); lores, auriculars, throat and upper breast Dark Neutral Gray (83); feathers of the flanks, crural feathers, crissum and under tail coverts brown with transverse black patches; tarsus and digits yellowish brown (label data). Exposed culmen, 11.7 mm; tail, 40.5 mm; wing (chord), 51.1 mm; body mass, 15.8 g.

Subadult female (MNRJ 36655): collected at Nova Friburgo, Rio de Janeiro, in September 1989. Maxilla black and mandible brown (label data); forehead Blackish Neutral Gray; crown, occiput, nape, mantle and dorsal surface of rectrices Blackish Neutral Gray shaded Brownish Olive; upper tail coverts and rump brown with two transverse black patches; lesser secondary coverts Brownish Olive with a transverse subterminal black patch and an Army Brown apical area; primaries and secondaries Sepia with different degrees of black at their tips and, sometimes, tiny white notches; lores, auriculars, throat and upper breast Dark Neutral Gray; flanks, crural feathers, crissum and under tail coverts brown with transverse black patches; tarsus and digits yellowish brown (label data). Exposed culmen, 11.9 mm; tail, 40.0 mm; wing (chord), 52.9 mm; body mass, 15.0 g.

Young female (MNRJ 36656): collected at Nova Friburgo, Rio de Janeiro, in September 1989. Maxilla black and mandible brown (label data); forehead Blackish Neutral Gray shaded Brownish Olive; crown, occiput, nape, mantle and dorsal surface of rectrices Brownish Olive; rump and upper tail coverts brown with two transverse black patches; lesser secondary coverts Brownish Olive, similar to adult female, with a transverse subterminal black patch and an Army Brown apical area; primaries and secondaries Sepia; lores, auriculars, throat and upper breast Medium Neutral Gray (84); abdomen, flanks, crural feathers, crissum and under tail coverts Buff (124) with transverse black patches; tarsus and digits brown (label data). Exposed culmen, 12.2 mm; tail, 41.0 mm; wing (chord), 48.8 mm; body mass, 14.5 g.

Morphometry: See Table 1 .

Vocalizations: The song phrases are of very variable duration and consist of regular repetition of the same notes ( Fig. 11 ), whereas the mean duration of the intervals between the different notes is 0.15 seconds. Thus a bird sings approximately five notes per second. Each note lasts for a mean of 0.05 seconds, and first ascends before descending ( Fig. 12 ), although the overall frequency varies only between 2.6 and 2.8 kHz, and the dominant frequency between just 5.3 and 5.4 kHz. The alarm­call consists of a single monosyllabic note with a mean of 0.1 seconds duration, at 1.8 kHz, with the dominant frequency 3.7 kHz ( Fig. 13 ).

Type locality: Nova Friburgo, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The holotype and paratypes were collected at Três Picos (22o20'10.02"S, 42o42'44.31"W), a locality now included within the Parque Estadual dos Três Picos. The specimen labels do not record the altitude where the specimens where taken, but the collector (G. Luigi, in litt.) has informed us that they were taken between 1200 and 1700 m.

Geographic range: Scytalopus notorius ranges from central­west Espírito Santo, on the border with Minas Gerais (in the Serra do Caparaó) through Rio de Janeiro south to Rio Grande do Sul. Maurício (2005) considered that this form (treated by him as S. speluncae ) might be best regarded as consisting of two different species, one occurring from São Paulo northwards, and the other from São Paulo southwards, a conclusion that appears highly plausible, but for which much additional evidence needs to be garnered.

Etymology: From Medieval Latin n ō t ō rius, well­known, from Latin n ō tus, known, reflecting the fact that the new species represents a long­known population that has been inappropriately identified as S. speluncae for over 100 years.

Figures

FIGURE 10. Lateral view of females: holotype of Scytalopus iraiensis; topotype of S. speluncae; paratype of S. notorius.

FIGURES 7 – 9. From left to right in each figure (all males): paratype of Scytalopus iraiensis; holotype of S. notorius, new species; topotype of S. speluncae; and holotype of S. novacapitalis; 7, ventral view; 8, lateral view; 9, dorsal view.

FIGURES 11 – 13. Spectrograms of the vocalizations of Scytalopus notorius, new species (Teresópolis at Serra do Mar, Ricardo Parrini). 11, complete song; 12, ten elements of the same song of Scytalopus speluncae in a different scale; 13, call.