[SoWestLep] Lep Publications - A Call for Information

[Chris J. Durden]

>Date: Thu, 07 Oct 1999 09:41:04 -0500
>To: SoWestLep at onelist.com
>From: "Chris J. Durden" <drdn at mail.utexas.edu>
>Subject: Re: [SoWestLep] Lep Publications - A Call for Information
>In-Reply-To: <37FB87DA.B1492912 at theriver.com>
>References: <3.0.5.32.19991006100622.00818190 at mail.utexas.edu>
>
>Hank,
>  I think we are a long, long way from the useful situation you describe.
We have many years of basic data gathering, interpretation and taxonomy to
do before we can present a simple picture of what is out there. Ornithology
has done so much more of this work for birds, that some standardization is
now possible, but as you see over the last 20 years there are still large
changes in a group as well known as birds.
>  A: The plus side of standardization - it facilitates communication among
those who would use the data.
>  B: The minus side of standardization - it discourages innovative
reexamination of established "facts" - the essence of science.
>  I am concerned about "B". We really know far, far less about butterflies
than we do about birds. How many species are there of *Speyeria* or
*Colias* or *Amblyscirtes*? There are some very strong opinions held by a
few specialists, based on a very small amount of field and lab data. There
is much more field observation, lab observation, genetic, biochemical and
DNA testing to be done before we can really narrow the number of
fritillary/silverspots to somewhere more than 8 and somewhere less than 99.
How can we standardize the names now, before we have robust conclusions? I
would vote against recognizing a standard names committee at this time.
>  I would vote for continuing full disclosure, or the practice of using
Linnean binomial nomenclature as we have since 1758, with the convention
adopted in the 19th century - of crediting author and year of publication,
as an aid to those who wish to consult original sources. Binomial
nomenclature is the common language of taxonomy. Without it we cannot talk
about the same things comprehensibly.
>  We all have our own nicknames for our favorite motyli/ borboletas/
mariposas/ palomitas/ farfalle/ dagsommerfugle/ schmetterlinge/ papillons/
papalotl/ flutterbys but these are regional in use and not amenable to
standardization.
>  I am sorry not to be more helpful, but I really do not think we are
ready for a standard names committee.
>..........Chris Durden
>
>
>At 10:33  6/10/99 -0700, you wrote:
>>From: Hank & Priscilla Brodkin <hankb at theriver.com>
>>
>>Paul, Chris, et al
>>It has been suggested that folks interested in leps subscribe to a large
>>number of publications - like people interested in birds do.  As a
>>birder I do subscribe to four journals and one popular magazine.  
>>One thing the popular magazine used to do - it published a regular
>>column by a taxonomist that kept us abreast of changes in the wind.
>>One organization, the AOU, took the lead as far as North American birds
>>were concerned.  Their territory covers all of North America through
>>Panama, the West Indies, and Hawaii.  They have a checklist committee
>>formed of highly respectable workers in ornithology that studies the
>>peer-reviewed papers, make decisions on splits and lumps, and publish in
>>the AUK updates and changes to the North American list on a more or less
>>regular basis - and once very 10 or so years publishes the "AOU
>>Checklist of North American Birds".
>>Paul Opler is on the right track, imho, forming such a committee for
>>butterflies.  It's a dirty job, but somebody has to do it.  I hope
>>enough high caliber folks have volunteered to join Paul's committee and
>>I hope that politics does not strangle these efforts.
>>In the meantime - for those of us who are REALLY amateurs, in the worse
>>sense of the word, and have not the means to subscribe to more than a
>>few journals, it would be nice to see a regular column in one of the
>>journals - and why not in American Butterflies, Jeff? - with information
>>on taxonomic work going on.  I realize NABA has a Checklist Committee
>>also - but since the first checklist that they published - I have seen
>>nothing in American Butterflies describing the work this committee is
>>doing.
>>At any rate - there is enough interest in this subject - that someone,
>>preferably a published lepidopterist, with a background in taxonomy,
>>somewhere, should publish this information regularly in a forum that is
>>accessible to a wide spectrum of interested folks.
>>
>>-- 
>>	                 Hank Brodkin
>>	          Carr Canyon, Cochise County, AZ
>>             SouthEast Arizona Butterfly Association
>>          http://www.naba.org/chapters/nabasa/home.html
>>
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>>------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>When the birds are few and far between-Look Down!, because there is a
world of color you may have missed looking up.
>>