need word help

[Doug Yanega]

Liz Day wrote:
>Help please.... I'm working on a small book on bees, and I need a
>word to describe the several species that might or might not exist
>in the geographical area I'm talking about.
>
>"Species that used to be found in this
>area, and conceivably might still be here, but probably aren't"  and
>"species that there are recent records of from very nearby, but none
>from here, as far as we know".

Having just published a field guide in which I had to deal with exactly this
sort of thing, the answer can be very simple; just put an asterisk next to
the names of species in one of these categories, and question marks near
those in the other, and make sure you state somewhere prior to the species
lists that "Species names marked with this mean that, and those marked with
this other thing mean this". Saves time, saves space, and no semantic problems.

Peace,
Dr. Douglas Yanega
Depto. Biologia Geral
Univ. Federal de Minas Gerais
Caixa Postal 486
30161-970 Belo Horizonte, MG, BRAZIL
(031)-448-1223