Zoo. Record and registering names

[Gary Gibson]

The various comments over the past few days on Zoological Record and the proposal of registering names raises two other issues that should be addressed, dealing with conflicting classifications and the expertise of those responsible to register and organize names. First of all let me say that Zoological Record has been and remains one of the most essential resources for zoology, but the individuals responsible for Zoo. Record are compilers without the expertise to make decisions on classification. One result of this is the higher classification of Hymenoptera used in Zoo. Record over the last several years, some of which is a farce accepted by no hymenopterist since the time of Ashmead. Neil Springate wrote a short article on the subject for the Journal of Natural History [Family-group names in Hymenoptera (Insecta): a task better left to hymenopterists. 34: 17115-1717]. Perhaps the worst part of the ‘classification’ used by Zoo. Record is that of the Chalcidoidea. Zoo. Record recognizes such ‘families’ as Cleonymidae, Podagrionidae, and Spalangidae, which today are treated by chalcidologists as subfamilies or even lesser ranks. Differences of rank among classifications are of little importance, but Zoo. Record insists on classifying the family Mymaridae in the superfamily Proctotrupoidea rather than the Chalcidoidea even though relationships of Mymaridae with Chalcidoidea are strongly supported. This is a more serious problem for someone who might have only a passing knowledge of the Hymenoptera. Another bizarre piece of classification  is Zoo. Record recognizing an extant family, the Mymarommatidae, as a synonym of a family, the Serphitidae, that has been extinct since the Cretaceous. For those who may be unaware, these outdated and bizarre mis-classifications result from Zoo. Record using a catalog of the Hymenoptera compiled by Pagliano and Scaramozzino (1989). If names are simply to be registered then compilers are sufficient, but if the names are to be organized then the responsible body must have the expertise to do so. Zoo. Record uses the library resources of The Natural History Museum, one could only wish that they would also use the expertise existing at the NHM.

Gary Gibson

Dr. Gary Gibson
Systematic Entomology Section
Eastern Cereal and Oilseed Research Centre
K.W. Neatby Building, C.E.F.
Ottawa, Ontario
Canada K1A 0C6

Tel. (613) 759-1823  FAX (613) 759-1927
http://res2.agr.ca/ecorc/apss/chalhome.htm