Pinarostola, Sangster & Marki & Gaudin & Irestedt & Jonsson, 2023

Sangster, George, Marki, Petter Zahl, Gaudin, Jimmy, Irestedt, Martin & Jonsson, Knud A., 2023, A new genus for Pycnopygius cinereus / P. ixoides (Aves: Meliphagidae), Zootaxa 5330 (1), pp. 147-150 : 148-149

Pinarostola new genus

Type species: Ptilotis cinerea Sclater, 1873 (currently Pycnopygius cinereus ).

Diagnosis: Medium-sized honeyeaters (18–22 cm). Both species differ from Prosthemadera novaeseelandiae in (i) smaller size ( P. novaeseelandiae is 27–32 cm); (ii) crown dark olive-grey or blackish-brown, with grey or blackish-brown streaking or scaling (crown appearing dark blue or green-violet in P. novaeseelandiae ); (iii) ear-coverts, chin, throat and underparts grey or dusky brownish-grey (appearing dark blue or green-violet in P. novaeseelandiae ); (iv) side of throat without a pair of white ball-like tufts (present in P. novaeseelandiae ); (v) head, neck, wings, tail and underparts without iridescence (present in P. novaeseelandiae ); (vi) neck feathers concolorous with upperparts (neck with white lacy collar extending to upper mantle and side of neck in P. novaeseelandiae ); (vi) lower belly, thighs and vent grey or dusky brownish-grey (black-brown in P. novaeseelandiae ); and (vii) lesser and median wing-coverts olive-brown or dark brown (white in P. novaeseelandiae ).

Both species differ from Anthornis melanura and A. melanocephala in (i) sexual dimorphism in plumage lacking (present in Anthornis ); (ii) tail straight along axis (fairly narrow at base and becoming broader towards tip in A. melanura ); (iii) head and neck without iridescent purple sheen (present in male Anthornis ); (iv) lores grey or blackish-brown with fine blackish speckling (black in male Anthornis ); (v) upperparts olive-brown or dark brown (olive-green in male Anthornis ); (vi) underparts grey or dusky brownish-grey (olive-green in males and olive-brown in females of Anthornis ); (vii) primaries and secondaries dark olive-brown or brown (black with bluish sheen in male A. melanura , with greenish sheen in male A. melanocephala ); and (viii) tail dark olive-brown or brown (dark brown to black-brown in A. melanura , dark brown with bluish sheen in male A. melanocephala ).

Both species differ from Certhionyx variegatus in (i) small fleshy wattle or flange that is noticeably serrated or “toothed” hanging down from the lower eyelid lacking (present in C. variegatus ); (ii) sexual dimorphism in plumage lacking (present in C. variegatus ); (iii) mandible nearly straight (distinctly decurved in C. variegatus ); (iv) bill blackish (bluish in C. variegatus ); and (v) plumage grey, olive-brown, brown or blackish-brown with slight streaking or scaling (plumage very distinctly pied black and white in male C. variegatus ).

Included taxa: Pinarostola cinerea comb. nov. ( Sclater, 1873) and Pinarostola ixoides comb. nov. ( Salvadori, 1878).

Etymology: Derived from the Greek πιναρος (pinaros) meaning dirty, and the Greek στολη (stolē) meaning dress or clothing. The genus name (‘dirty clothing’) refers to the dull, uneven, grey to brown plumage of the two species. The gender is feminine.