Nomen Nudum Research Articles

Towards a phylogenetic classification of the Myxomycetes

The traditional classification of the Myxomycetes (Myxogastrea) into five orders (Echinosteliales, Liceales, Trichiales, Stemonitidales and Physarales), used in all monographs published since 1945, does not properly reflect evolutionary relationships within the group. Reviewing all published phylogenies for myxomycete subgroups together with a 18S rDNA phylogeny of the entire group serving as an illustration, we suggest a revised hierarchical classification, in which taxa of higher ranks are formally named according to the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi and plants. In addition, informal zoological names are provided. The exosporous genus Ceratiomyxa, together with some protosteloid amoebae, constitute the class Ceratiomyxomycetes. The class Myxomycetes is divided into a bright- and a dark-spored clade, now formally named as subclasses Lucisporomycetidae and Columellomycetidae, respectively. For bright-spored myxomycetes, four orders are proposed: Cribrariales (considered as a basal group), Reticulariales, a narrowly circumscribed Liceales and Trichiales. The dark-spored myxomycetes include five orders: Echinosteliales (considered as a basal group), Clastodermatales, Meridermatales, a more narrowly circumscribed Stemonitidales and Physarales (including as well most of the traditional Stemonitidales with durable peridia). Molecular data provide evidence that conspicuous morphological characters such as solitary versus compound fructifications or presence versus absence of a stalk are overestimated. Details of the capillitium and peridium, and especially how these structures are connected to each other, seem to reflect evolutionary relationships much better than many characters which have been used in the past.

Validation and phylogenetic placement of the Placentophoraceae fam. nov. (Gigartinales, Rhodophyta)

ABSTRACTDespite recent evidence that has shown a close phylogenetic relationship between Callophycus (familia incertae sedis) and the monotypic genus Placentophora (previously regarded as a member of the family Solieriaceae), the phylogenetic relationships of these genera within the order Gigartinales have not been unequivocally established. Although the family name Placentophoraceae was used for Callophycus and Placentophora in 2013, this taxon has yet to be properly validated in accordance with the rules of the International Code of Nomenclature for Algae, Fungi and Plants, thus rendering the Placentophoraceae a nomen nudum. Our present study has generated new rbcL and COI-5P sequences for the generitype species of Placentophora, P. colensoi, and combined them with corresponding data from several species of Callophycus, as well as from other representatives of the Gigartinales, to confirm that Callophycus and P. colensoi form a family-level clade within that order. The exact relationships of this clade to other gigartinalean families, however, is undetermined. In order to validate the Placentophoraceae, a detailed description of the family is supplied, based largely on the most recent molecular, morpho-taxonomic and phytochemical information. The Placentophoraceae are shown to consist of Callophycus (with 10 western Indo-Pacific species, eight of which are limited to Australia) and the monotypic New Zealand genus Placentophora.

The Plecoptera of Panama. III. The genus Anacroneuria (Plecoptera: Perlidae) in Panama's national parks: 2017 survey results.

Two new species of Anacroneuria are described. Anacroneuria bandido sp. n. is described from Coclé and Veraguas provinces of central Panama, and A. tuberculata sp. n. is proposed to provide a new name for a species previously identified from Costa Rica as A. magnirufa Jewett, 1958. New locality records are presented for eight species previously reported from Panama. The female of one species from Bocas del Toro province is described under an informal designation. There are now 26 recognized species of Plecoptera known from Panama.

Chaenotheca biesboschii a new calicioid lichen from willow forests in the Netherlands

AbstractA new species of Chaenotheca, C. biesboschii, has been found in the freshwater tidal area of the Biesbosch in the Netherlands, a national park well known for harbouring several rare and threatened mosses and lichens. A phylogenetic analysis of the ITS region revealed some strongly supported infrageneric clades in Chaenotheca which were given informal names, and some were assigned provisional names in anticipation of generic recognition. The analysis also showed that the new species differed in the sequenced region from other European Chaenotheca species. Chaenotheca biesboschii might be mistaken for C. gracillima but, in addition to a considerable difference in the ITS region, it also differs from this species in morphology. It is also similar to C. servitii but again differs in morphology. Chaenotheca biesboschii inhabits decorticated wood in the oldest stages of forest development of abandoned willow coppices. In 2016 and 2017 a fairly large population was found in an area comprising several square kilometres. In the Biesbosch area, extensive woodlands have developed only since the 1950s and therefore C. biesboschii might have been recently established in the area, possibly following climatic warming. The new species is characterized by having an immersed, glaucous green thallus; apothecia 0·9–1·4 mm high; capitulum on the lower side when young with a ring-like thickening covered by a yellow pruina; when mature with a rusty brown pruina on the capitulum and upper part of stalk; spherical spores, 3·5–5·5 µm diam., ornamented by irregular cracks, medium brown; photobiont Stichococcus. A key to the European species of Chaenotheca is provided.

Parasites of cartilaginous fishes (Chondrichthyes) in South Africa - a neglected field of marine science.

Southern Africa is considered one of the world's 'hotspots' for the diversity of cartilaginous fishes (Chondrichthyes), with currently 204 reported species. Although numerous literature records and treatises on chondrichthyan fishes are available, a paucity of information exists on the biodiversity of their parasites. Chondrichthyan fishes are parasitised by several groups of protozoan and metazoan organisms that live either permanently or temporarily on and within their hosts. Reports of parasites infecting elasmobranchs and holocephalans in South Africa are sparse and information on most parasitic groups is fragmentary or entirely lacking. Parasitic copepods constitute the best-studied group with currently 70 described species (excluding undescribed species or nomina nuda) from chondrichthyans. Given the large number of chondrichthyan species present in southern Africa, it is expected that only a mere fraction of the parasite diversity has been discovered to date and numerous species await discovery and description. This review summarises information on all groups of parasites of chondrichthyan hosts and demonstrates the current knowledge of chondrichthyan parasites in South Africa. Checklists are provided displaying the host-parasite and parasite-host data known to date.

Dry leaf or twig mantis? A new genus and species of Acanthopidae with sexually dimorphic cryptic strategies (Insecta: Mantodea).

Praying mantises (Mantodea) are distinct for their rich diversity of cryptic adaptations. Among the many strategies, dry-leaf mimicry have evolved multiple times in unrelated lineages from different zoogeographic regions, among them the Neotropical Acanthopidae. Here we describe Metacanthops fuscum n. gen. et n. sp. based on male and female specimens from the Brazilian Amazon. The recognition of this new acanthopid lineage revealed that Acanthops amazonica Beier, 1930 (currently assigned to Metilia Stål) is a member of Metacanthops and thus we transfer this species, now referable to as Metacanthops amazonica (Beier, 1930) n. comb., redescribe the holotype, and provide new data on its distribution in Brazil and French Guiana. Metacanthops is closely related to Metilia, from which its number of forefemoral posteroventral spines, head and compound eye shape, pronotal configuration, wings features, and the entirely brown habitus of males, can distinguish it. We highlight some aspects of sexual dimorphism in Metacanthops fuscum in relation to their dimorphic cryptic strategies, where males resemble a dry leaf and females a lichenous twig. We additionally establish five recently published names under genus Metilia as nomina nuda.

Taxonomic harmonization of Neogene and Quaternary candonid genera (Crustacea, Ostracoda) of the Paratethys

During the Cenozoic, the constant northward movement of the African plate led to the division of the Tethys Ocean into two: the Palaeomediterranean and the Paratethyan branches. The latter was represented by a huge epicontinental sea and brackish to freshwater lakes that extended across central Europe and western Asia. Neogene and Quaternary ostracods from the Paratethys originated through major adaptive radiations, which gave rise to endemic brackish taxa. Unfortunately, much confusion surrounds their taxonomy, due to the quality of descriptions and images in the original literature and the incompleteness of the type material, making necessary a taxonomic revision. In this paper, we propose a systematic revision of several Paratethyan endemic candonid genera based on the analysis of the type material, new material collected from the type localities, and new fossil material from the Ponto-Caspian area. The study focuses on the description of the valve morphology and particularly on the geometric morphometric analysis of the valve outline. Thirty-three genera were taken into account of which four (Advenocypris, Candoniella, Graviacypris, Telekia) were considered to be junior synonyms of Typhlocypris, Pseudocandona or Candona. Moesiella is considered a nomen nudum. In the case of Caspiollina, Dacicandona, Liventalina and Turkmenella the scarcity of material and/or the poor descriptions reported in the literature prevented us from performing a full revision. The monospecific genus Thaminocypris possibly includes a teratological form. The remaining 23 genera were merged into nine valid, endemic, genera (Bakunella, Camptocypria, Caspiocypris, Hastacandona, Lineocypris, Pontoniella, Propontoniella, Typhlocyprella and Zalanyiella). Emended diagnoses and descriptions are proposed for these genera and a new species, Bakunella anae sp. nov., is described. This study considerably reduces the taxonomic uncertainty within the Paratethyan candonids, providing new data for the evaluation of the palaeobiodiversity of the Paratethyan domain. Finally, the palaeobiogeography of Paratethyan candonids during the Neogene and Quaternary is also discussed.http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:EB9EC2D4-AFD2-428E-9958-C97F36ED7FF2

The Toponyms of a Big City: an Informal Aspect (on Materials of Kharkiv)

The article deals with the unofficial names of the streets of Kharkiv. Until 1804 in Kharkiv, all street names were unofficial. Many streets had two or three names. These names were known only to local residents. From the colloquial speech of the townspeople, the city government chose one name, and that name became the official name. Informal names of urban sites best convey the opinion of citizens about their city. In historical toponymy, informal names can be an argument in discussions about how to measure the area of ​​a city. In local lore literature data on the area of ​​the same city sometimes differ significantly. The process of the unofficial name of urban objects has been and remains spontaneous. Informal names are influenced by the interaction of languages, the emergence or disappearance of a certain concept, the natural or unnatural loss of the meaning of a city object, the archaization of names, the literary and artistic activity. One of the objectives of the article is to determine the cause of the appearance of groups of informal names of urban objects and to determine the peculiarities of informal names in the city. The factors affecting the process of the emergence of informal names are listed. The analysis of urbonyms and the processes of creating an informal nomination is combined with the study of the linguistic specifics of the names of streets and other objects of a large city. The author of the article talks about the future directions for the study of unofficial names in the city. Scientists studying urbonyms should take into account the informal names of city objects, colloquial forms of names, features of youth slang, the influence of slang on the formation of urbonyms and of urban identity.

ПРЕЦЕДЕНТНІ ТОПОНІМИ В НЕОФІЦІЙНИХ НАЗВАХ АМЕРИКАНСЬКИХ МІСТ І ШТАТІВ

Nicknames or informal (alternative) names for geographical objects belong to particularly interesting phenomena in the sphere of proper names. The topicality of an in-depth analysis of this group of nicknames is determined by their wide spread in English-speaking countries as well as their important informative function and ethno-cultural value. The aim of the research is to identify and describe the main motivational types of informal names of American cities and states that contain precedent toponyms. Our task is also to determine what geographical names serve as precedent phenomena and classify them into groups. Precedent toponyms used in the nicknames under discussion include geographical names relating to the Old and the New Worlds. They can be both universal cultural symbols (e.g. Athens, Paris, Mecca; New York, Las Vegas) and phenomena that are familiar mostly to native English speakers, particularly Americans (e.g. Birmingham; Saratoga, Lexington and Pittsburgh). Among the precedent toponyms of the first group the component ‘Athens’ predominates: it functions in over ten nicknames in question as a symbol of art, culture and education. The most popular U.S. toponyms used in the informal place names are ‘Chicago’ and ‘Las Vegas’. The nicknames under discussion also contain mythonyms – biblical place names (e.g. Gomorrah, Eden), and lesser-known onyms that are mainly associated with American or British culture. The nicknames for some U.S. cities are based on the names of famous streets, districts and neighbourhoods (e.g. Wall Street, Hollywood). The main conclusion of the research is that the nicknames in question are mostly connected with the history, culture, economy and nationality of the first settlers or current inhabitants of various cities and regions.

Anthroponyms in the Novel-ballad “Blue Chamois” by M. Nesterchuk

The article elucidates the issue of creating official and informal names of the village of Zatyshshia residents (based on the novel “Blue Chamois” by M. Nesterchuk). The study has revealed the word-forming patterns with productive and unproductive suffixes in the proper name variants and classified the novel characters’ nicknames in the lexical-semantic motivational groups. The study has revealed that multifunctional formants derived from the first names dominate in the surname derivatives. We have revealed 65 anthroponyms in the novel, including 29 official proper personal male names and 12 female; 11 male and 27 female names have been recorded only in variants. There are also versions formed by compounding: Kots-Kutsky, Moschniaha-Mighty, Motsuhyria-Mochurad, Moshenets-Moschniaha-Mighty.
 Most surnames (12) are with multifunctional formants, ending in -uк, -chuк, there are also 5 names with suffixes -sky, -tsky, and 4 surnames on -k-o. Such names are formed in a lexico-semantic way, and are based on the calendar names of the founders or indicate to their place of residence. Among the lexical-semantic motivational groups of nicknames, we have revealed 10 names formed from the name or surname of a husband or the street name of the husband's family. There are 21 nicknames of UPA fighters among the anthroponyms of this group. The origin of them is not clear from the novel plot.

Nomenclatural and taxonomic notes on Acroglochin and its position in Chenopodiaceae s.str.

Betoideae is a monophyletic group currently comprising five genera (Aphanisma, Beta, Hablitzia, Oreoblitum, and Patellifolia) and 11‒16 species. Acroglochin was formerly also included in subfam. Betoideae by various authors, although recently molecular data demonstrated that this genus is probably an ancient lineage basal to the remaining Betoideae. Although Acroglochin is also separated from both chorological and morphological viewpoints and some authors suggested its segregation in a separate subfamily, this proposal is premature, and discussion on that is presented here. A complete nomenclatural treatment of A. persicarioides, the only currently recognized species of Acroglochin, is provided, including all known heterotypic and homotypic synonyms. The names Lecanocarpus, Acroglochia, Blitanthus, Amaranthus acroglochin, Am. cauliflorus, Am. chenopodioides, Am. diandrus, Am. persicarioides, Boehmeria amaranthus, Blitanthus nepalensis, Acroglochia chenopodioides, Acroglochin schraderianum, Chenopodium pakistanicum Aellen were investigated. The name Lecanocarpus is a heterotypic synonym of Acroglochin, Acroglochia is an invalid name, and Blitanthus (initially published as nomen nudum) is illegitimate. Types for Acroglochin chenopodioides, Ac. obtosufolium, Amaranthus acroglochin, Am. cauliflorus, Am. diandrus, Am. persicarioides, and Boehmeria amaranthus were designated based on specimens deposited at B, E, GB, and LE. Blitanthus nepalensis, Acroglochia chenopodioides, Acroglochin schraderianum were not validly published (Arts. 36.1b, 38.1, 38.2), while the name Chenopodium pakistanicum Aellen occurred only on a specimen label (herbarium W). Finally, notes on the morphology and distribution of Acroglochin are provided.

Polygala pubescens Muhl. (Polygalaceae) as a replacement name for P. senega L. var. rosea Michx

Polygala pubescens Muhl., often treated as an invalid name (as nomen nudum), is here considered validly published and the legitimate name for Polygala senega L. var. rosea Michx. Establishment of the validity of P. pubescens Muhl. (1813), a taxonomic synonym of Asemeia grandiflora (Walter) Small, makes P. pubescens Mart. (1815) a taxonomic synonym of P. erioptera DC. (1824), a later homonym. Muhlenberg’s names published in two editions of his Catalogus Plantarum Americae Septentrionalis (1813, 1818) are analyzed and discussed. A lectotype for Polygala pubescens Rottler ex Mart. is here designated.

Taxonomic revision of species of Haematoloechus Looss, 1899 (Digenea: Plagiorchioidea), with molecular phylogenetic analysis and the description of three new species from Mexico.

Lung flukes of the genus Haematoloechus Looss, 1899 are common parasites of anurans worldwide, but the taxonomy of the group has been confusing. In this taxonomic revision, 89 species of Haematoloechus (= Pneumonoeces Looss, 1902, Ostioloides Odening, 1960, Ostiolum Pratt, 1903, Skrjabinoeces Sudarikov, 1950, Neohaematoloechus Odening, 1960, Metahaematoloechus Yamaguti, 1971) are listed. Of these, 70 are considered valid, three are species inquirendae (H. legrandi Mañé-Garzón Gil, 1959, H. latoricensis Kozák, 1968 H. vitelloconfluentum (Rai, 1962) Saeed, Al-Barwari Al-Harmni, 2007), one is a nomen nudum H. sudarikovi Belouss, 1962, 14 are junior synonyms and one belongs to Ostioloides. This publication also describes three new species, H. occidentalis n. sp., H. veracruzanus n. sp. and H. mexicanus n. sp., parasitizing species of Rana Linnaeus in Mexico and redescribes Haematoloechus caballeroi (Skrjabin Antipin, 1962) Yamaguti, 1971. The phylogenetic hypotheses based on sequences of mitochondrial and ribosomal DNA of Haematoloechus spp. show that genera proposed on the basis of morphological characters are not supported. The host records for species of Haematoloechus, together with the phylogenetic hypothesis of the genus, suggest that this host-parasite association predates the ranid diversification in the Cretaceous.

Lethrus (Lethrus) thracicus (Coleoptera: Geotrupidae), a new species from the European part of Turkey.

Lethrus (Lethrus) thracicus Král Hillert, new species, from Thrace, north-western Turkey is described. The new species is compared with the morphologically similar species L. (L.) apterus (Laxmann, 1770), L. (L.) ares Král, Rejsek Schneider, 2001 and L. (L.) schneideri Král Hillert, 2013. Relevant diagnostic male characters (shape of mandibles, ventral mandible processes, pronotum and parameres) are illustrated. The name Lethrus subaeneus Fairmaire, 1866 is considered a nomen nudum.

Four new species of Morchella from the Americas

ABSTRACTMorphological and molecular phylogenetic studies of true morels (Morchella) in North America, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Ecuador, and Peru led to the discovery of four undescribed species of Morchella. Two new species in the Elata clade, one from the Dominican Republic, initially distinguished by the informal designation Mel-18, and a newly discovered sister species from northern Arizona, are now recognized. Mel-18 is described as a novel phylogenetically distinct species, M. hispaniolensis. Its sister species from Arizona is described as M. kaibabensis, also recovered as an endophyte of Rocky Mountain juniper. Two additional species in the Esculenta clade, M. peruviana discovered in Peru and M. gracilis (previously reported as Mes-14) from the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, and Ecuador, are described as new. We also demonstrate that scanning electron microscopy (SEM) imaging of ascospores using rehydration/dehydration/critical point drying preparation techniques provides for enhanced resolution of spore wall surfaces, thereby increasing the number of morphological traits available to assess differences among otherwise closely related species.

Taxonomy and historical inertia: Clidastes (Squamata: Mosasauridae) as a case study of problematic paleobiological taxonomy

I review the taxonomic history of two problematic mosasaur species, Clidastes liodontus and Clidastes moorevillensis. The genus Clidastes is thought to represent an early radiation of a diverse clade known as the Mosasaurinae. However, most phylogenetic analyses recover the genus as paraphyletic with respect to more highly nested mosasaurines such as Mosasaurus, Prognathodon, and Globidens. The fragmentary holotype of Clidastes liodontus was never figured or fully described, and was destroyed in World War II. Over 20 years after destruction of the holotype, relatively complete specimens were referred to Clidastes liodontus based upon a single, variable character. Another taxon, originally designated Clidastes liodontus moorevillensis in a master’s thesis and then elevated to Clidastes moorevillensis in a separate dissertation, has never been formally described and lacks definitive diagnostic characters that differentiate it from the contemporary concept of Clidastes liodontus. Clidastes provides an excellent example of how historical inertia in taxonomic nomenclature can build over decades and skew our interpretations of the diversity, paleobiology, biogeography, and biostratigraphy of a taxon. Clidastes liodontus is a nomen dubium and Clidastes moorevillensis a nomen nudum. I recommend that both names be abandoned. Removal of those names frees us from a burdensome taxonomy and eliminates cognitive biases that hinder objective understanding and exploration of early-diverging mosasaurines, and is a necessary first step toward a taxonomic revision of the lineage(s) involved.

Recognition and partial solution of nomenclatural issues involving copepods of the family Monstrillidae (Crustacea: Copepoda: Monstrilloida).

This work seeks to expose and clear up nomenclatural irregularities involving copepods of the order Monstrilloida, family Monstrillidae. The diagnostic text related to Monstrilla minuta Isaac, 1974 and four nominal species of Thaumaleus Krøyer, 1849 (now Cymbasoma Thompson, 1888) proposed by Isaac in 1974 is sufficient for all names to be available from their original description except for Thaumaleus similirostratus, which was proposed conditionally in 1974 and was first made available by Isaac in 1975; "similirostris" as used by Grygier in 1995 is an incorrect subsequent spelling. Four other specific names proposed in 1975 by Isaac, but disclaimed by him as nomina nuda (an action permitted retroactively by the Fourth Edition of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature) have never been made available. By quoting the necessary information from Isaac's doctoral dissertation, two of them are validated herein under the names Thaumaleus frondipes Isaac in Grygier Suárez-Morales, sp. nov., and Strilloma scotti Isaac in Grygier Suárez-Morales, sp. nov., and are immediately reassigned as new combinations to Cymbasoma and Monstrilla Dana, 1849, respectively. A fifth such name, Thaumaleus tumorifrons, has already been made available under the authorship of Suárez-Morales, 1999, but its females are excluded from the type series; the spelling of the specific name of the new species recently proposed for those females, Cymbasoma mediterranea Suárez-Morales, Goruppi, Olazabal Tirelli, 2017, is emended to mediterraneum to match the gender of the genus. For Cymbasoma bowmani Suárez-Morales Gasca, 1998, the "Form B" female mentioned in the original description is excluded from the type series. The authorship and date of availability of Haemocera (currently Cymbasoma) morii depends on which language version of Article 13.1.1 of the Code is followed; a ruling by the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature under Article 87 of the Code is necessary to resolve the matter. The composition of the type series of Cymbasoma bullatum (Scott, 1909) in terms of both number and sex has become unclear; its type locality is restricted herein to the vicinity of Obi Island in the Moluccas. Despite a published statement to the contrary, the syntype series of Cymbasoma germanicum (Timm, 1893) included specimens from other localities than just Helgoland. The type series of Cymbasoma guerrerense Suárez-Morales Morales-Ramírez, 2009 consists only of the holotype, which was mistakenly reported under the wrong registration number. The supposed invalidity of Monstrilla capitellicola Hartman, 1961 is discussed. Monstrilla javensis Isaac, 1974, nomen nudum, has remained unavailable owing to lack of adherence to Article 16.1 of the Code by later authors; the specific name is made available herein, under Suárez-Morales' authorship, in the combination Cymbasoma javense sp. nov. The taxonomic (and eventual nomenclatural) question of the status of M. mariaeugeniae Suárez-Morales Islas-Landeros, 1993 vis à vis M. wandelii Stephensen, 1913, i.e. as a separate species or a subspecies of the latter, remains unsettled. Cymbasoma lenticula Suárez-Morales McKinnon, 2014 and Monstrillopsis boonwurrungorum Suárez-Morales McKinnon, 2014 are fixed herein as the correct original spellings of those two specific names. Resolution of the problem posed by assignment of the specific name reticulata to supposedly non-conspecific males and females in the genus Monstrillopsis Sars, 1921 requires the designation of a neotype by the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature.

Comments on the neglected nymphs of mud crickets in the genus Mirhipipteryx (Caelifera: Tridactyloidea: Ripipterygidae).

Mud crickets (family Ripipterygidae) comprise a small family of orthopterans distributed throughout much of the Neotropics, but knowledge of this groups' biology, ecology and distribution remains poor in comparison to most orthopteran taxa. Here we review the state of knowledge of nymphs in the genus Mirhipipteryx Günther 1969 and report the genus from Belize for the second time in 86 years. Because information about nymphs in this family is so scarce and nymphs are often neglected in species descriptions, we include comments on the coloration of nymphs for Mirhipipteryx pulicaria (Saussure 1896). Caution is suggested for the use of adult characters for the identification of immatures stages in the group. Nymphs of Mirhipipteryx pulicaria pulicaria are similar in coloration patterns to the adults, but lighter. Mirhipipteryx lobata Günther 1977 is designated a nomen nudum.

Case 3711—Iberolacerta Arribas and Darevskia Arribas (Chordata, Squamata, Lacertidae): proposals to deem these names available either from Arribas (1997) or from Arribas (1999)

The purpose of this application under Articles 78.1 and 81 of the Code is to request the Commission to use its plenary power to choose among two alternatives in order to preserve the genus name Darevskia and nomenclatural stability. In Alternative A, the Commission is asked to accept the microfiche publication (Arribas, 1997) as a published work in the sense of the Code and made available the names included therein, placing Iberolacerta Arribas, 1997 and Darevskia Arribas, 1997 on the Official List of Generic Names in Zoology, their type species on the Official List of Specific Names in Zoology, and the microfiche edition of Arribas (1997) on the Official List of Works Approved as Available for Zoological Nomenclature. This action will promote stability, as both names are widely accepted and, if the 1997 publication in microfiche is considered unavailable, then Darevskia Arribas, 1997 could potentially be threatened by Caucasilacerta Harris et al., 1998 (by authors who would not consider this name a nomen nudum), which would clearly disrupt stability. Not only would this alternative be the best way to preserve nomenclatural stability as stressed in the ICZN Preamble and repeated in several Articles of the Code, but it would also be the only way to ensure that these names (available at the time of their publication) remain available after the retroactive changes that have been introduced between the third and fourth editions of the Code. If Alternative A is chosen, both Iberolacerta and Darevskia become available from Arribas (1997). In Alternative B, the microfiche publication (Arribas, 1997) is considered invalid and placed on the Official Index of Rejected and Invalid Works in Zoological Nomenclature. Both Iberolacerta and Darevskia would be considered published in Arribas (1999). Also, the Commission is asked to place on the Official Index of Rejected Generic Names in Zoology the name Caucasilacerta Harris et al., 1998 (as a nomen nudum due to the lack of a valid diagnosis) and to place on the Official List of Generic Names in Zoology the names Iberolacerta Arribas, 1999 and Darevskia Arribas, 1999.

The usage of subgenera in mammalian taxonomy

Abstract In this note, I discuss the advantages of the usage of subgenera as a practical taxonomic rank in mammalian taxonomy. Use of this category preserves traditional usage, reduces nomenclatural instability and avoids unnecessary change of names. Subgenera are useful to label diagnosable clades of closely related species, especially in morphologically and ecologically diverse monophyletic genera, without alteration of traditional binomial usage. Contrary to informal names such as “divisions” or “groups”, subgenera are governed by the rules of the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN), having usage constrained (and stability promoted) by typification and priority.