Paroreomyza, along with
Oreomystis (although their alliance is disputed), is the second most
basal genus of Hawaiian honeycreeper to survive to recent times, with the most basal being the recently extinct
poʻouli (
Melamprosops phaeosoma), with
Paroreomyza and
Oreomystis having diverged from the rest of the lineage about 4.7 million years ago. Members of
Paroreomyza do not have two key phenotypic traits present in
Oreomystis and the more derived Hawaiian honeycreepers: a distinct musty odor and a squared-off tongue. Following the extinction of the poʻouli, it (along with
Oreomystis if they are considered sister genera) is the most basal group of Hawaiian honeycreepers still surviving, although it too has lost most of its species. ==Species==