''Eupetomena'' is a
genus in the hummingbird family
Trochilidae. It contains two species which are both found in eastern South America.
Taxonomy
The genus ''Eupetomena'' was introduced in 1853 by the English ornithologist
John Gould to accommodate a single species, the
swallow-tailed hummingbird
The swallow-tailed hummingbird (''Eupetomena macroura'') is a species in the hummingbird family (Trochilidae), found mainly in east-central South America. Most authorities place it in the genus '' Eupetomena'', although some place it in '' Campyl ...
which therefore becomes the
type species. The genus name combines the
Ancient Greek ''eu'' (
εὐ-) meaning "good" and the neuter participle ''petomena'' (πετόμενα) meaning "always on the
wing" or "flying" (from ''petomai'',
πέτομαι, "to fly"). Literally, it can mean "the one that flies well, good flyer" (εὐπετόμενα).
The genus contains two species:
*
Swallow-tailed hummingbird
The swallow-tailed hummingbird (''Eupetomena macroura'') is a species in the hummingbird family (Trochilidae), found mainly in east-central South America. Most authorities place it in the genus '' Eupetomena'', although some place it in '' Campyl ...
, ''Eupetomena macroura''
*
Sombre hummingbird, ''Eupetomena cirrochloris''
The sombre hummingbird was formerly placed in the genus ''Aphantochroa'' but based primarily on a
molecular phylogenetic
Molecular phylogenetics () is the branch of phylogeny that analyzes genetic, hereditary molecular differences, predominantly in DNA sequences, to gain information on an organism's evolutionary relationships. From these analyses, it is possible to ...
study published in 2014, ''Aphantochroa'' has been merged into ''Eupetomena''.
References
Eupetomena
Bird genera
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