Museum, University of Nebraska State
Date of this Version
June 2004
Abstract
I support the application to give Bolboceras Kirby, 1819 (July) precedence over Odonteus Samouelle, 1819 (June). This action is necessary to preserve the prevailing usage of the former generic name for the North American species Bolboceras alabamensis (Wallis, 1929), B. cornigerus Melsheimer, 1846, B. darlingtoni (Walhs, 1928), B. falli (Wallis, 1928), B. filicornis (Say, 1823), B. floridensis (Walhs, 1928), B. liebecki (Wallis, 1928), B. obesus (LeConte, 1859), B. simi (Walhs, 1928), and B. thoracicornis (Wallis, 1928). These species have been universally placed in the genus Bolboceras for over 50 years. B. armiger (Scopoli, 1772), the one remaining species in the genus, has been placed in Bolboceras, Odonteus, and Odontaeus Dejean, 1821 by various authors during the same time period. I assert that the generic placement of B. armiger has been so contradictory that no prevailing usage can be discerned for any of these generic names with regard to this species. The Code promotes the stability and prevailing usage of names (for example, see Articles 23.2, 81.1, and Appendix B-l of the Code). B. armiger is already a nomenclatural mess; the same problems should not be inflicted on the other ten species in the genus by invalidating a generic name with a 50-year tradition of use.
Comments
Published in Bulletin of Zoological Nomenclature 61:2 (June2004), pp. 113-114. Copyright © 2004 International Trust for Zoological Nomenclature. Used by permission.