was NOAA now

[Ron Gatrelle]

In a personal message someone wrote:

> Hello,
>
>     What does IDed mean?   I know, but I just couldn't help pointing out
> that you also abbreviate. I agree with your message though.

This is worth sharing with everyone because it proves the point. I had,
without even crossing my mind, used "IDed" for - identified. As I said in
my original post   "While some (including me) might at times think our
NOAA, FYI, LBJ, SSS, NKAS (new kid at school) are fine as we know what we
mean -- others don't..."

Now while Mr. D. knew what I meant by IDed someone else - especially in
another part of the world - may well not know. Now do I get defensive or
offended, or accept the truth and change my ways?  The right thing to do is
change.

The reason to write SSS is because it is a hassle to write Silver-spotted
Skipper all the time. But that is not the reason (personal convenience) to
change. The reason is that many have no idea what SSS means (Social
Security System?). Likewise many have no idea what Silver-spotted Skipper
is either. However, everyone should know what the word -clarus- refers to.
(Shouldn't we learn correct grammar before we learn slang?)  In actuality,
most probably do know what Silver-spotted Skipper is. So in that sense it
is a bad example. But with a great many of the common names I have no idea
what they are.

Now someone who is familiar with all the common names will try to say the
same about scientific names. There are two inequities here though. Common
names are not the Correct Names so the playing field is not level. (There
is also no such thing as a Standard List of Common Butterfly names - they
can  be changed by anyone at any time.)  The great flaw with common names
is that there are NO names for the majority of taxa. This is extremely
detrimental to the organisms that are fighting for their lives. "We can not
protect that which we do not know."  In the natural world, ignorance does
not equal bliss, it equals extinction.

This leads to the subject of subspecies. If I had a million dollars I would
gladly give it if it would switch the light on in peoples head that there
is absolutely nothing "sub" about subspecies. A leto and a cybele are
absolutely equally distinct AND IMPORTANT organisms. The only reason it is
Speyeria cybele leto and not S. leto cybele is because cybele was
discovered by man first and named (recognized as a distinct evolutionary
unit) first.  There is not only no excuse for "subspecies" being omitted in
the new generation of literature - it is criminal. (It does make it easier
though for people who don't know much to write butterfly books for people
who know infinitely less then they.)

I guess siva is not worth crap now that some know (think) it is a "sub" of
grynea. And thus mansfieldi should just be flushed all together. Hummmm, I
wonder why it is Mitoura grynea mansfieldi now and not Mitoura grynea siva
mansfieldi?  Isn't mansfieldi a "sub" of "sub" siva?  Revelation: If
mansfieldi had been "found" first by man and grynea last we in the east
would all be saying   " I saw some Mansfieldi Hairstreaks in New Jersey
today. You know, Mitoura mansfieldi grynea. "    Well, perhaps more on this
in another post as I'm about ready to use the word idiotic in reference to
those who don't mention or use or know of slossonae  - FYI (for your
information) the _organism_ attalus does not occur in the eastern US.
Maybe I do support the PhyloCode.

Ron
http://tils-ttr.org

PS (Post Script) As I have said before, if there were 1) common names for
all organisms I would embrace them fully and use them only and 2) if there
were real rules governing their international use.  Every known organism in
the world has a Correct Name - its immutable latinized individual epithet.
And as I have to do in all my posts on this theme - I have to remind all
the gallery that I use Buckeye, Monarch, Black Swallowtail, Morpho,
Birdwing etc. etc. all the time. This is not about me being anti common
names. I am anti the anti Correct Names, dumb everybody down, sell a lot to
books, and let everything go extinct gang. If some do not think these
exist, I can refer you to a list serve where you better use common names
(Glassberg's) or you will be crucified for saying rapae.  I am not "mad" at
anyone - I am very disturbed by willful ignorance.


 
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