Systematics

Six subspecies of Nemosia pileata are recognized (Storer 1970, Isler and Isler 1999, Clements et al. 2009):

N. p. hypoleuca: Occurs in northern Colombia and northern Venezuela (Storer 1970). "Nearest to N. p. pileata and about the same size, but under parts pure white with mere traces of, if any, grayish tinge on the flanks; the buffy color on throat and breast in the females much paler" (Hellmayr 1936).

N. p. surinamensis: Occurs in Guyana and Suriname (Storer 1970). "Similar in coloration to N. p. pileata of northeastern Perú, but larger. Averaging slightly larger than N. p. pileata of French Guiana but with dorsal coloration darker" (Zimmer 1947).

N. p. pileata: Occurs in French Guiana, northeastern Brazil, and in south central Amazonian Brazil (between the Madeira and Tapajós rivers), and in extreme northern Bolivia (Storer 1970).

N. p. interna: Occurs in northern Brazil in the upper Rio Branco region and on the left bank of the lower Rio Negro (Storer 1970). "Similar to N. p. pileata of French Guiana in coloration, but smaller. Size about that of P. [sic] p. nana of northeastern Perú, but dorsal coloration lighter gray" (Zimmer 1947).

N. p. nana: Occurs in northeastern Peru and in western Brazil (east to the lower Rio Madeira) (Storer 1970). "Differs from N. p. pileata by decidedly darker, more purplish blue upper parts, darker bluish gray sides, and markedly smaller bill. The last-named character and the darker upper surface are also noticeable in the female" (Hellmayr 1936).

N. p. caerulea: Occurs in eastern Bolivia east to southern and eastern Brazil, south to Paraguay and to northern Argentina in Salta and Jujuy (Storer 1970). "Similar to N. p. pileata, but larger" (Hellmayr 1936, under the name paraguayensis).

The general trends in geographic variation are summarized by Zimmer (1947):

"To recapitulate: caerulea is the largest and dorsally palest form; pileata is somewhat smaller and slightly darker; hypoleuca is about the same size as pileata but has more purely white flanks; surinamensis is larger than pileata and smaller than caerulea, and is relatively dark above; interna is small and light backed; nana, small and dark."

The genus Nemosia consists of only two species, Hooded Tanager and Cherry-throated Tanager Nemosia rourei, which is restricted to southeastern Brazil and currently is very rare.

Phylogenetic analysis of mitochondrial DNA sequence data (for cytochrome b) indicates, somewhat surprisingly, that the sister to the small-bodied, lowland Nemosia may be the large-bodied White-capped Tanager (Sericossypha albocristata) of the Andes (Burns 1997, Burns et al. 2003).