[Taxacom] nomen nudum or not?

[Doug Yanega]

On 12/6/14 5:11 AM, Lawrence Kirkendall wrote:
> In an obscure GMO report some years ago, a newly discovered but undescribed beetle species was referred to by a working name. To avoid the name becoming a nomen nudum, the authors used single quotes (inverted commas) around the species epithet, like this:
>
> blah blah blah Aaaus ‘bbbus'
>
> Does the use of quotes solve this problem? Is     bbbus   an available name?
>
> This was one of a number of species discussed briefly (or simply occuring in tables) in this report. The species is now being described.
>
A "nomen nudum" is a name which - in virtually all cases - lacks a 
description, therefore violating Art. 13. This can happen both by 
accident (someone proposes a taxon that they intend to be valid, but 
they fail by omitting a description) or by design (where the name is 
explicitly NOT treated as a valid name, as in your case, and therefore 
also violating Art. 11.5). In your case, you might mention the published 
pseudonym, and cite it as a nomen nudum, but that's the extent of it.

Peace,

-- 
Doug Yanega      Dept. of Entomology       Entomology Research Museum
Univ. of California, Riverside, CA 92521-0314     skype: dyanega
phone: (951) 827-4315 (disclaimer: opinions are mine, not UCR's)
              http://cache.ucr.edu/~heraty/yanega.html
   "There are some enterprises in which a careful disorderliness
         is the true method" - Herman Melville, Moby Dick, Chap. 82