Microspingus is a genus of warbler-like birds in the tanager family Thraupidae. They are found in highland forest in South America.
A molecular phylogenetic study published in 2014 found that the genus Poospiza was polyphyletic.[1] In the resulting rearrangement to create monophyletic genera the genus Microspingus was resurrected. It had been introduced in 1874 by the Polish zoologist Władysław Taczanowski with the three-striped hemispingus as the type species.[2] [3] [4] The genus name combines the Ancient Greek mikros meaning "small" with spingos meaning "finch".[5]
The genus Microspingus is the sister taxon to a clade containing the black-backed bush tanager in the monospecific genus Urothraupis and the Pardusco in the monospecific genus Nephelornis.[1] [3] The genus contains eight species:[4]
| Image | Common Name | Scientific name | Distribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Microspingus lateralis | Brazil. | ||
| Microspingus cabanisi | eastern Brazil, far eastern Paraguay, far north-eastern Argentina, and Uruguay | ||
| Microspingus erythrophrys | Argentina and Bolivia | ||
| Microspingus alticola | Peru. | ||
| Microspingus torquatus | Argentina, Bolivia, and Paraguay. | ||
| Microspingus trifasciatus | Bolivia and Peru. | ||
| Microspingus melanoleucus | Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay and western Uruguay. | ||
| Microspingus cinereus | Brazil. | ||