Australian Field Ornithology 2017, 34, 127–128 http://dx.doi.org/10.20938/afo34127128

Taxonomic and nomenclatural implications of a review of the Pied Strepera graculina in southern Victoria

Peter Menkhorst1* and Craig Morley2

1Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research, Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning, 123 Brown Street, Heidelberg VIC 3084, 2P.O. Box 1047, Geelong VIC 3220, Australia *Corresponding author. Email: [email protected]

Abstract. In a review of knowledge about subspecies of the in southern Victoria and far south-eastern South Australia, Menkhorst & Morley (2017) hypothesised that the type specimen of Strepera graculina ashbyi Mathews 1913 might be an immature female of the population currently recognized as S. g. nebulosa Schodde and Mason 1999. If this hypothesis is correct, there are nomenclatural consequences, which we detail here. We also retract the suggestion that neotypes should be defined for the subspecies concerned.

Menkhorst & Morley (2017) reviewed the taxonomic and Otway Ranges and Otway Plain population is erroneous, conservation status of the Pied Currawong Strepera the distinctive Otways population, by our interpretation, graculina in western Victoria and far south-eastern South should become known as S. g. riordani (Mathews, 1913). Australia, focusing on taxonomic history, diagnostic traits, Note that the use of parentheses is the standard way in distribution and conservation status. Included in that zoological nomenclature of indicating that Mathews (1913) review were comments on taxonomic diagnoses and originally described the name riordani in a genus different nomenclature, which we now wish to clarify. from Strepera. For completion, we note a few other points. Mathews First, we argued that the holotype of Strepera graculina (1913) introduced both of the names S. g. ashbyi and N. v. ashbyi Mathews, 1913, and its type locality, Black Spur, riordani pertinent to the being discussed here. Victoria, which is north-east of Healesville, fall within the In nomenclatural terms, this means that the subspecies phenotypic and geographical range of S. g. nebulosa names ashbyi and riordani were described simultaneously Schodde and Mason, 1999. We should have pointed and that their order of precedence is properly decided by out that a nomenclatural consequence of this taxonomic the First Reviser (Article 24.2, ICZN 1999). In this case, hypothesis is that the correct trinomial to apply to those Mathews (1930) was First Reviser. That is, his action listed populations currently called S. g. nebulosa, which range ashbyi and riordani as synonyms but chose ashbyi as the from the far south-east of South Australia across central valid name and senior synonym of riordani as LeCroy Victoria and along the Great Dividing Range (Menkhorst & (2014) correctly noted. Again, our hypothesis is that the Morley 2017) north to about Canberra (Schodde & Mason holotypes of those two names represent different taxa, 1999), would be S. g. ashbyi. That is so because ashbyi meaning that both names, ashbyi and riordani, are needed is the older name. This means that under our hypothesis to describe our taxonomic hypothesis. S. g. nebulosa Schodde and Mason, 1999 becomes a junior synonym of S. g. ashbyi Mathews, 1913. There are Schodde & Mason (1999) proposed an alternative no older names from within the range of nebulosa that hypothesis—that S. g. nebulosa had invaded the range of would have priority over ashbyi (Amadon 1962; Schodde S. g. ashbyi. We can only stress that, under our hypothesis, & Mason 1999). we see the populations south-west of Melbourne as diagnosably different and that ashbyi is not applicable to Second, our assessment of variation in southern them. populations of Pied Currawongs would leave the distinctive Otway Ranges population of the without Finally, we note that no neotypification, as suggested a trinomial were it not for Neostrepera versicolor riordani by Menkhorst & Morley (2017), is therefore required Mathews, 1913, type locality Geelong, Victoria (sensu for any of these taxa and that the suggestion that the LeCroy 2014); as indicated in our earlier paper, the actual holotype of N. v. riordani Mathews, 1913 could serve as collection locality was Aireys Inlet ~45 km south-west of the holotype of S. g. ashbyi Mathews, 1913 was in error. Geelong (Menkhorst & Morley 2017). The holotype of this name is in the American Museum of Natural History Acknowledgements (AMNH) as specimen AMNH 673621 (LeCroy 2014: 76). We thank Dr Leo Joseph for pointing out the shortcomings of our Though introduced by Mathews (1913) as a subspecies suggested taxonomic treatment and for guidance on the correct of the S. versicolor, AMNH 673621 is taxonomic and nomenclatural implications of our conclusions. Dr indeed a Pied Currawong typical of the Otway Ranges R. B. Halliday also assisted greatly with nomenclatural advice. populations. Mathews himself later realised this (Mathews 1930; see also Amadon 1962; LeCroy 2014) and this nicely illustrates the difficulties of identification that we discussed (Menkhorst & Morley 2017). Given that we have argued above that use of the name S. g. ashbyi for the distinctive 128 Australian Field Ornithology P. Menkhorst & C. Morley

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