Comments: Formerly known as G. melaena, but the ICZN specifically gave melas as an example of a Greek adjective that does not change its ending when transferred to a genus of another gender (see Mead and Brownell, in Wilson and Reeder 1993).

The northern and southern populations sometimes have been regarded as separate species (G. melas and G. edwardi, respectively). Mead and Brownell (in Wilson and Reeder 2005) recognized these as subspecies of G. melas.