Vernacularizing scientific names

[Hank Brodkin]

Mike, Chris, et al,
Much preferable to me is the system used in Bailowitz and Brock "Butterflies
of Southeastern Arizona" 1991, Sonoran Arthropod Studies, Inc..
The genus/group name was used in English - swallowtail, crescent, duskywing,
etc.  As the modifier they anglicized the specific name.
This makes sense to me because most folks interested in butterflies should
know which genus/group/family they are talking about.
  Examples:
Araxes skipper, Albofasciatus longtail, Aurantiacus skipperling,Orythion
swallowtail, Monuste white, Hyantis marble, etc.
They did not capitalize the group name - which is neither here nor there.
Of course the commoner butterflies kept those names - such as Monarch,
Queen, etc.
This is, by the way, one hell of a book, jam packed with information for the
serious lep student.  They are probably reaching the bottom of the pile and
this book probably will not be reprinted or updated - so get a copy while
you can.

--------------------
Hank Brodkin
Carr Canyon, Cochise County, AZ
hbrodkin at earthlink.net
SouthEast Arizona Butterfly Association (SEABA)
http://www.naba.org/chapters/nabasa/home.html
"Butterflies of Arizona - a Photographic Guide"
by Bob Stewart, Priscilla Brodkin and Hank Brodkin
http://home.earthlink.net/~hbrodkin/book.html
----- Original Message -----
From: "Michael Gochfeld" <gochfeld at EOHSI.RUTGERS.EDU>
To: "Chris J. Durden" <drdn at mail.utexas.edu>
Cc: <leps-l at lists.yale.edu>; <tiLS-leps-talk at yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Thursday, May 09, 2002 5:59 AM
Subject: Vernacularizing scientific names


> I agree with Chris that where there are no English american names, that
> anglicizing the scientific name might be desirable.
> I have advocated this for Neotropical birds.  Why is Collared Micrastur
(used in
> several books) less desirable than Collared Forest-falcon?
> Chris mentioned all the plants whose horticultural names are actually the
genus
> name.  In birds we have Trogons (for Trogon spp).
> Some generic names lend themselves to this, others don't.  Eagle flows of
the
> tongue better than Haliaeetus  (yes there really is a double  'e').
> I have always thought that leps names were more awkward then bird
names----not
> sure if that is a function of my age or not.
>
> I can't imagine calling something a Harkenclinus, but a group called the
> Satyrium's wouldn't be bad.
>
> Erynnis, for example, would be just as easy as Duskywing.
>
> Mike Gochfeld
>



 
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