Phyciodes (names)

[James J Kruse]

On Mon, 2 Apr 2001, Chris J. Durden wrote:

> 12 are named after people and are required to take the gender of the person
> rather than the genus.

Okay, the following is probably more suited to TAXACOM, but here is an
example to chew on. I have tried to lay it out as clearly as possible:

Point 1. Archips is a neuter generic name, as far as I can find out.
Some influential, recent monograph and check-list authors have taken the
masculine ending to all species names apparently thinking that Archips is
masculine, but most of the species authors used a feminine ending in
their descriptions.

Point 2. Most Tortricid workers have a tradition of ending species names
with -ana or -anus (similar to workers in other groups, ex. -ella). -ana/-anus
means simply "essence of" or the "quality of".

Point 3. I named a new species after Rich Goyer, a male, and from what I
hear now, changes the specific name to masculine.

Okay, considering the three points above... I named a new species Archips
goyerana. Point 1 is satisfied as Archips is neuter to the best of my
knowledge (but see point 3). Point 2 is satisfied to the extent of point
1. Point 3, I reasoned, was sacrificed for the following reasons:

Reason A. The species all have an -ana suffix already (except in some
recent monographic and check-list literature).

Reason B. Adding the suffix -ana or -anus renders the patronym
non-sensical even though it was intended as a patronym (quality of Goyer,
or essence of Goyer).

Reason C. I was attempting to honor Dr. Goyer with this patronym, and
naming it Goyer-anus did not accomplish that in my opinion and had me
dreading common name suggestions later (more akin to a bad pun along the
same lines as dyaria/dyarea - which I think is legend as that name does
not appear to exist anywhere).

This is why I don't care much for patronyms, but it was well deserved in
this case (15+ years of related research dedicated to this critter).

Thoughts appreciated, although the name is published now. Oh, and the
common name is firmly established by the Entomological Society of America
as the Baldcypress Leafroller, which is good if someone decides to change
the ending and then has to think of a common name.

Regards,
James J. Kruse, Ph.D.
Curator of Entomology
University of Alaska Museum
907 Yukon Drive, PO Box 756960
Fairbanks, AK  USA  99775-6960
Phone: 907.474.5579
Fax: 907.474.1987/5469
http://myprofile.cos.com/bugskinner
http://www.uaf.edu/museum/


 
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