1831 to 1836. The species was then designated as Pyrocephalus rubinus by the English zoologist George Robert Gray in 1840, based on Darwin's specimen taken from James Island. A 2016 molecular study changed the taxonomy of the species, splitting off several new species and re-designated the original bird as Pyrocephalus obscurus. Before the study it was considered a monotypic genus, but now taxonomists (including the International Ornithologists' Union) have elevated three of the vermilion flycatcher subspecies to the rank of species: the Darwin's, San Cristóbal, and scarlet flycatchers. The genus name Pyrocephalus is Greek and roughly translates to "fire head" or "flame headed". The specific epithet obscurus is Latin and means "dark" or "dusky". The common name comes from its vibrant coloration and its membership in the flycatcher family, which is reflected in its insect-rich diet. Subspecies Before 2016, authors had recognized between 11 and 13 subspecies (sometimes called races). A 2016 molecular study revised that to nine subspecies, made two others their own species (P. nanus—Darwin's flycatcher, P. dubius—San Cristóbal flycatcher, P. rubinus—scarlet flycatcher), and determined that another was not valid (P. major). Some works still refer to the vermilion flycatcher as Pyrocephalus rubinus, which can lead to confusion with the scarlet flycatcher (also called Pyrocephalus rubinus). The vermilion flycatcher likely evolved around 1.15million years ago (mya), the species on the Galápagos Islands having split off around 0.82mya. The South American subspecies had coalesced by about 0.56mya, and the North American subspecies had diverged from the South American by 0.25mya. There are nine widely recognized subspecies, which differ primarily in the color and saturation of the male's plumage and the color and amount of streaking of the female's. The geographic boundaries between some subspecies are not well defined: P. o. obscurus (Gould, 1839)—The nominate race, which is found in the Lima region of western Peru. P. o. mexicanus (Sclater, 1859)—Found from southern Texas in the United States south to central and southern Mexico. Its upperparts are the blackest of any race, and the male lacks any mottling on the red parts. This subspecies is named after Mexico. P. o. saturatus (von Berlepsch and Hartert, 1902)—Found in northeastern Colombia, western and northern Venezuela, Guyana and northern Brazil. The female has pink underparts. Saturatus means "richly colored" in Latin. P. o. blatteus (Bangs in 1911)—Found in southeastern Mexico, Belize and northern Guatemala. The upperparts are paler, and the underparts more red