genitalia nomenclature

[Eric or Pat Metzler]

Dave,

Good question for which there is no easy answer.  Part of the problem is 
that nomenclature is not consistent across all the taxa - you sometimes 
have to learn the names commonly used for the group on which you are 
working.  The research for this covers some general books such as Tuxen 
1970 and lots of journal articles.  Correspondence with specialists in 
the area are also helpful.

Some basic terms stay the same, and Tuxen 1970 (Tuxen, Soren Ludvig. 
1070.  Taxonomist's glossary of genitalia in insects.  Second enlarged 
edition.  S-H Service Agency, Inc.  Darien, CT) is a good place to 
start.  After that you get more and more specific depending on the 
group.  I also find a good entomological dictionary, such as The 
Torre-Bueno Glossary of Entomology, 1998, The New York Entomological 
Society, AMNH, New York, NY to be indispensible.

I recommend that you tell the list which group you are studying at the 
time and ask for relevant reverences for that group.  Sometimes you will 
have to make inferences based on lack of literature - sometimes a very 
specific reference exists, but many times not in the North American 
literature.

Outstanding question for which there is no quick and dirty answer.

It is cold and raining in Columbus OH right now.  Yuch!

Eric Metzler

David Smith wrote:

> Hello,
>     Does anyone know of a cross-reference to old and new genitalia
> nomenclature. I am interested in microlepidoptera primatily and the older
> books have different terms for the same object (it seems to me) that newer
> books use.
>         Thanks
>         David Smith
> 
> 
> 


 
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