[Taxacom] Discovering insect species based on photographs only

[John Grehan]

Thanks for that, and other off list feedback. I guess it doesn't really
matter in the long run. I'm one of those 'show me a specimen' types, but
that is just my preference. When I was teaching Middle School I would ask
my students what would impress them most - a photo of a UFO or the UFO
itself. Response was pretty obvious.

Cheers, John

On Wed, Dec 15, 2021 at 1:55 PM Thomas Pape <tpape at snm.ku.dk> wrote:

> Dear John,
>
> In short, zoological species [nominal taxa of the species-group] are based
> on one or more specimens, but they can be named without an extant (or
> existing) physical name-bearing type:
> https://www.nature.com/articles/537307b
>
> Our Codes of Nomenclature have to cover a wide range of situations, and as
> always the Devil is in the detail.
>
> Example:
> The Egyptian entomologist H.H. Salem described a number of species of
> flies based on material from the Natural History Museum in London. He gave
> their correct depository, but they are not there. These flies were
> published in 1946, and my guess is that they disappeared during their
> shipping to London. Thus, they most likely did not exist when the
> publication appeared. Perhaps even before Salem submitted his manuscript.
> Does it matter -- not under the zoological Code
>
> At this very moment I am working on a manuscript for a revisionary paper
> describing several species for which the entire material (holotype +
> paratypes) disappeared in the fire when the Museu Nacional in Rio burned
> down in 2018. We have exquisite morphological documentation (descriptions,
> photos, and high-quality illustrations of the male genitalia). We can
> decide to publish these data without any new names, or we can propose
> formal names. Pros and cons can be put forward for both procedures, but the
> zoological Code does not rule against their naming.
>
> The issue of Nessie has come up several times, and if you have a photo
> (good or bad makes no difference) of what you honestly think is Nessie, you
> can publish a formal description and give it a scientific name (which
> actually has already been done). The name-bearing type will be whatever
> specimen(s) the photo shows.
>
> /Thomas
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Taxacom <taxacom-bounces at mailman.nhm.ku.edu> On Behalf Of John
> Grehan via Taxacom
> Sent: 15. december 2021 19:21
> To: Dilrukshan Wijesinghe <dpwijesinghe at yahoo.com>
> Cc: Taxacom <taxacom at mailman.nhm.ku.edu>
> Subject: Re: [Taxacom] Discovering insect species based on photographs only
>
> Could someone briefly remind me of whether photo only species naming is
> accepted under the current rules of nomenclature? I am sure I have a good
> photo of Nesse here somewhere.
>
> John Grehan
>
> On Wed, Dec 15, 2021 at 7:30 AM Dilrukshan Wijesinghe via Taxacom <
> taxacom at mailman.nhm.ku.edu> wrote:
>
> > Discovering insect species based on photographs only: The case of a
> > nameless species of the genus Scaria (Orthoptera: Tetrigidae) expand
> > article infoNiko Kasalo, Maks Deranja, Karmela Adžić, Roberto Sindaco,
> > Josip Skejo.
> > Journal of Orthoptera Research 30(2): 173-184. (14 Dec 2021)
> > doi.org/10.3897/jor.30.65885
> >
> >
> > |
> > |
> > |
> > |  |  |
> >
> >  |
> >
> >  |
> > |
> > |  |
> > Discovering insect species based on photographs only: The case of a
> name...
> >
> > Niko Kasalo, Maks Deranja, Karmela Adžić, Roberto Sindaco, Josip Skejo
> >
> > A heated debate on whether a new species should be described without a
> > physical specimen, i.e., by designating a...
> >  |
> >
> >  |
> >
> >  |
> >
> >
> >
> > Priyantha
> >
> >
> > D. P. Wijesinghe
> > dpwijesinghe at yahoo.com
> > _______________________________________________
> > Taxacom Mailing List
> >
> > Send Taxacom mailing list submissions to: taxacom at mailman.nhm.ku.edu
> > For list information; to subscribe or unsubscribe, visit:
> > https://eur02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fmailm
> > an.nhm.ku.edu%2Fcgi-bin%2Fmailman%2Flistinfo%2Ftaxacom&data=04%7C0
> > 1%7Ctpape%40snm.ku.dk%7Cab3dc3b72de148fa284e08d9bff7c5bd%7Ca3927f91cda
> > 14696af898c9f1ceffa91%7C0%7C0%7C637751893162199976%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZ
> > sb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3
> > D%7C3000&sdata=BGK8VklpxYVsX2uP8h%2BV2zgUzUi32NJQNzf2OWTxSnA%3D&am
> > p;reserved=0 You can reach the person managing the list at:
> > taxacom-owner at mailman.nhm.ku.edu
> > The Taxacom email archive back to 1992 can be searched at:
> > https://eur02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Ftaxac
> > om.markmail.org%2F&data=04%7C01%7Ctpape%40snm.ku.dk%7Cab3dc3b72de1
> > 48fa284e08d9bff7c5bd%7Ca3927f91cda14696af898c9f1ceffa91%7C0%7C0%7C6377
> > 51893162199976%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2l
> > uMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000&sdata=tHbVSz9Tvi%2B9U4m
> > wJA%2F6xvb90pR%2FQ4fQWqkbftA5RRc%3D&reserved=0
> >
> > Nurturing nuance while assailing ambiguity for about 34 years, 1987-2021.
> >
> _______________________________________________
> Taxacom Mailing List
>
> Send Taxacom mailing list submissions to: taxacom at mailman.nhm.ku.edu For
> list information; to subscribe or unsubscribe, visit:
> https://eur02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fmailman.nhm.ku.edu%2Fcgi-bin%2Fmailman%2Flistinfo%2Ftaxacom&data=04%7C01%7Ctpape%40snm.ku.dk%7Cab3dc3b72de148fa284e08d9bff7c5bd%7Ca3927f91cda14696af898c9f1ceffa91%7C0%7C0%7C637751893162199976%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000&sdata=BGK8VklpxYVsX2uP8h%2BV2zgUzUi32NJQNzf2OWTxSnA%3D&reserved=0
> You can reach the person managing the list at:
> taxacom-owner at mailman.nhm.ku.edu The Taxacom email archive back to 1992
> can be searched at:
> https://eur02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Ftaxacom.markmail.org%2F&data=04%7C01%7Ctpape%40snm.ku.dk%7Cab3dc3b72de148fa284e08d9bff7c5bd%7Ca3927f91cda14696af898c9f1ceffa91%7C0%7C0%7C637751893162199976%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000&sdata=tHbVSz9Tvi%2B9U4mwJA%2F6xvb90pR%2FQ4fQWqkbftA5RRc%3D&reserved=0
>
> Nurturing nuance while assailing ambiguity for about 34 years, 1987-2021.
>