was NOAA now

[Chris J. Durden]

To me The Silver-spotted Skipper is and always will be *Hesperia comma*. 
The English language use of this common name goes back to the 19th Century 
and probably to the 18th Century in Britain, where I first learned about 
butterflies.
    The mis-application of this common name in North America to *Epargyreus 
clarus* is to be deplored. I have always referred to *clarus* as the Silver 
Flash, since I caught my first in an arborvitae bog in the Gatineau Hills 
of Quebec, in the fifties. When we know more about the *E. clarus* complex, 
several common names will be needed for the several cryptic species now 
lumped in *clarus*. Around here we have the Rough-shafted Silver Flash. Out 
your way you have the Appalachian Silver Flash and our friends in the 
southwest have the Cochise Silver Flash - all distinct species. The 
convincing science (and proper names) yet need to be published.
    Good example Ron!
.................Chris Durden

At 02:51 PM 8/17/2001 -0400, you wrote:

>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.
>
>
>



 
 ------------------------------------------------------------ 

   For subscription and related information about LEPS-L visit:

   http://www.peabody.yale.edu/other/lepsl