Still another code violation

Kondla, Norbert FOR:EX Norbert.Kondla at gems3.gov.bc.ca
Fri Aug 31 16:36:03 EDT 2001


On top of the names Phyciodes pratensis and Colias pseudochristina which
violate the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature; I just noticed
another error in Butterflies through Binoculars - the west. This one is
Phyciodes selenis. A thorough review of Phyciodes nomenclature that was
published some years ago made it clear that the correct name according to
the rules is Phyciodes cocyta. Cocyta has been used by most authors since
then, except for those few people who still like to lump cocyta with tharos
despite the evidence to the contrary. The reason is a simple matter of 60
years priority of cocyta over selenis. There is an added issue which is not
yet widely known. Cocyta has a neotype. It is not known if selenis even has
any syntypes. It certainly does not have a lectotype nor neotype. Last
winter I read the original description of selenis and it is clearly a nomen
dubium (name of uncertain application). I pointed this out to a few other
people who then read the OD and also came to the same conclusion. Of course
people who do not want to play by the rules can continue to use pratensis
and selenis and whatever else they want to :-)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Norbert Kondla  P.Biol., RPBio.
Ministry of Sustainable Resource Management
845 Columbia Avenue, Castlegar, British Columbia V1N 1H3
Phone 250-365-8610
Mailto:Norbert.Kondla at gems3.gov.bc.ca       
http://www.env.gov.bc.ca


 
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