[Taxacom] Return of the digital taxa

Thu Sep 22 16:32:05 CDT 2016

I note that someone using the name "Sergey Viktorovich Pushkin" has been active on ZooBank ( http://zoobank.org/Search?search_term=Pushkin ), trying to register articles. Also, it appears that Hava et al. described Anthrenus pushkini Herrmann, Kadej & Háva, 2015! https://www.researchgate.net/publication/297838486_A_new_species_of_Anthrenus_Geoffroy_1762_Coleoptera_Dermestidae_from_Dagestan 
Evidently they were collaborating at some stage. I have as yet had no reply from either Hava, nor the Russian university that Pushkin claims affiliation with. The ZooBank record for the journal ( http://zoobank.org/References/7C956948-1236-45B4-A62B-414B69567BDE ) claims to have a print ISSN, so I wouldn't be too quick to dismiss it as e-only! It would be very easy for them to produce a minimal print run anyway, or to fake it in a way that is difficult to disprove. The journal appears to be based in India and appears somewhat "dodgy"! One of the editorial board is listed as being USA based: Dr Bal K Gautam, Department of Entomology, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA , USA. I might check him out ...

Stephen

--------------------------------------------
On Thu, 22/9/16, Laurent Raty <l.raty at skynet.be> wrote:

 Subject: Re: [Taxacom] Return of the digital taxa
 To: taxacom at mailman.nhm.ku.edu
 Received: Thursday, 22 September, 2016, 9:59 PM

 A "collection"
 where the type(s) are intended to be deposited must be 
 designated and its location given *IF* the
 types are extant specimens. 
 (The whole
 purpose of this provision being to make it as easy as 
 possible for a subsequent worker to re-locate
 the type series -- and put 
 an end to
 situations where this subsequent author had to use "any

 evidence, published or unpublished,"
 to guess where he might find the 
 types.)

 But anyway, the first problem
 here doesn't seem to be the depository. 
 The first problem is that the journal is
 electronic, and the paper lacks 
 a ZooBank
 registration, thus it is wholly unpublished and *nothing* in

 it is nomenclaturally relevant.

 The description is fake as
 well, by the way, not just the images -- 99% 
 of the text being an evident 'remix' of
 the description of Thaumaglossa 
 mroczkowskii by Háva & Kadej 2005.

 As michael noted, it seems
 impossible to understand such a behaviour if 
 it comes from a professional scientist, as it
 can only be damaging for 
 him. But do we
 necessarily need to accept that it really happened..? One

 possible purpose for such a 'paper'
 may be to create a fake publication 
 track
 for a 'predatory' journal, in order to attract
 submissions.

 Laurent -

 On 09/22/2016 10:23 AM,
 Derek Sikes wrote:
 > Neal,
 >
 > "The names are
 nomina nuda because the author failed to designate a type
 > depository for each — a common
 > mistake unfortunately."
 >
 > Could you clarify
 this further? If a depository designation is needed to
 > avoid names becoming nomina nuda, then how
 is it possible to name a species
 > based
 only on a photo? (As it seems it is). If the type is running
 around
 > free, it can't have a
 depository. I'd appreciate knowing where in the code
 > this is spelled out. Thanks! (I'm
 teaching systematics now and we've
 >
 covered these descriptions based on photographed but
 uncollected types...)
 >
 > -Derek
 >
 > On Wed, Sep 21, 2016 at 7:54 PM, Neal
 Evenhuis <neale at bishopmuseum.org>
 > wrote:
 >
 >> Actually …
 >>
 >> This has
 nothing to do with publishing based on a photograph only.
 A
 >> holotype is clearly listed as
 examined. The names are nomina nuda because
 >> the author failed to designate a type
 depository for each — a common
 >>
 mistake unfortunately.
 >>
 >> What is troublesome in the paper that
 you refer to that points out that
 >>
 these are nomina nuda, is the conclusion for each name says
 the opposite!
 >> That they are
 “available”.
 >>
 >> Simply, sloppy descriptions and sloppy
 review of the sloppy descriptions.
 >>
 >> -Neal
 >>
 >>
 >>
 >>
 >> On Stardate 9/21/16, 5:40 PM,
 "Taxacom on behalf of JF Mate"
 >> <taxacom-bounces at mailman.nhm.ku.edu
 on behalf of aphodiinaemate at gmail.com>
 >> wrote:
 >>
 >>> It seems taxonomy fraudsters have
 cottoned on the fact that
 >>>
 descriptions no longer require "dead bodies". A
 description of a new
 >>>
 Dermestidae was published in Entomology and Applied Science
 Letters.
 >>> Fortunately the author
 was pretty lazy and it ended up being a nomen
 >>> nudum. Reference to original
 article and link to article uncovering
 >>> the dirty deed below.
 >>>
 >>>
 Jason
 >>>
 >>> Original article: Description of a
 new species of the genus
 >>>
 Thaumaglossa (COLEOPTERA: Dermestidae: Megatominae) of the
 Astrakhan
 >>> Region of Russia.
 >>> Entomology and Applied Science
 Letters, 2016, 3, 4: 12-14.
 >>>
 >>>
 >>> https://www.researchgate.net/publication/308163532_New_
 >> Faunistic_Records_a
 >>>
 nd_remarks_on_Dermestidae_Coleoptera_-_Part_15
 >>>
 _______________________________________________
 >>> Taxacom Mailing List
 >>> Taxacom at mailman.nhm.ku.edu
 >>> http://mailman.nhm.ku.edu/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/taxacom
 >>> The Taxacom Archive back to 1992
 may be searched at:
 >>> http://taxacom.markmail.org
 >>>
 >>>
 Injecting Intellectual Liquidity for 29 years.
 >>
 >>
 >> This message is only intended for the
 addressee named above.  Its contents
 >> may be privileged or otherwise
 protected.  Any unauthorized use, disclosure
 >> or copying of this message or its
 contents is prohibited.  If you have
 >> received this message by mistake,
 please notify us immediately by reply
 >> mail or by collect telephone call. 
 Any personal opinions expressed in this
 >> message do not necessarily represent
 the views of the Bishop Museum.
 >>
 _______________________________________________
 >> Taxacom Mailing List
 >> Taxacom at mailman.nhm.ku.edu
 >> http://mailman.nhm.ku.edu/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/taxacom
 >> The Taxacom Archive back to 1992 may
 be searched at:
 >> http://taxacom.markmail.org
 >>
 >> Injecting
 Intellectual Liquidity for 29 years.
 >>
 >
 >
 >

 _______________________________________________
 Taxacom Mailing List
 Taxacom at mailman.nhm.ku.edu
 http://mailman.nhm.ku.edu/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/taxacom
 The Taxacom Archive back to 1992 may be
 searched at: http://taxacom.markmail.org

 Injecting Intellectual
 Liquidity for 29 years.