Pardipicus nivosus

Dowsett, Robert J. & Gregory, Steven M. S., 2020, The correct genus for the Afrotropical woodpeckers Campethera caroli and Campethera nivosa (Aves: Piciformes, Picidae), Zootaxa 4772 (1), pp. 189-190 : 189

A recent molecular study by Fuchs et al. (2017) has shown that two Afrotropical woodpeckers usually placed in the genus Campethera G.R. Gray, 1841 (e.g. by Dickinson & Remsen 2013; del Hoyo & Collar 2014; Winkler et al. 2014)—Browneared Woodpecker C. caroli ( Malherbe, 1852) and Buff-spotted Woodpecker C. nivosa ( Swainson, 1837) —are generically distinct from others of that genus, which has as type species Picus maculosus Valenciennes, 1826 .

Fuchs et al. (2017: 96) suggest that these two species should be placed in the genus Stictopicus Malherbe, 1861 , following Wolters (1977). However, that genus has as type species the Nubian Woodpecker Picus nubicus Boddaert, 1783 ( Malherbe 1861: liii), whereas Malherbe on the same page showed Chloropicus caroli Malherbe, 1852 as the sole species of Pardipicus .

In fact the generic name Pardipicus was first introduced by Bonaparte (1854a: 129), but there it is a nomen nudum. It was subsequently validated by Bonaparte (1854b: 124), with four nominal species included: nigri-guttatus Verr., caroli Malh. , nivosus Sw. , and pardinus Temm. Gray (1855: 93) appeared to select “ Picus nigriguttatus Verr [eaux].” as the type. However this was only a MS name, and as shown by Hargitt (1890: 304) it is associated with Dendrobates (now Dendropicos ) gabonensis J.P. & J.B.E. Verreaux, 1851, doubtless the nominate form. Thus the designation of nigriguttatus as the type of Pardipicus , repeated by Hargitt (1890: 293), is not supportable. Malherbe (1861) mentioned Pardipicus three times in his text, in addition to the table on p. liii, although in association with “ nigriguttatus ” on pp. lvii and lx. Unfortunately none of these would appear to be a valid type designation, although Reichenow (1902: 167) had accepted Malherbe’s emendation [nec Bp., 1854], listing Pardipicus with caroli as type, and repeated Gray’s invalid designation on p. 191.

The synonymy of Campethera listed by Peters (1948: 116) did not include Pardipicus , and the extensive footnote in Cabanis & Heine (1863: 130) simply reiterated the species included by Bonaparte (1854b), and that Gray (1855) had ‘selected’ “ nigriguttatus ” Verr. as the type, associating it with D. gabonensis . Heine (1860: 192) proposed Stictocraugus as a nomen novum for Pardipicus Bonaparte, 1854 , but with no associated species mentioned. The next available name would seem to be Cnipotheres Cabanis & Heine, 1863: 131 , with type by monotypy, C [nipotheres]. caroli = Chloropicus caroli Malherbe, 1852 .

We believe this difficult situation is best resolved by recognizing the genus Pardipicus Bonaparte, 1854 . Of the four taxa associated with Pardipicus by Bonaparte, we reject the MS name nigriguttatus , which is a form of Dendropicos Malherbe, 1849 , and of the three that can be related to Pardipicus

we choose and designate Chloropicus caroli Malherbe, 1852 as the type species. Pardipicus is a masculine genus ( Picus in Latin , a woodpecker and other meanings),

and thus the species formerly known as Campethera nivosa becomes

Pardipicus nivosus .