A Question

[Robin Leech]

Hi,

As an associate editor of The Canadian Entomologist, I recently received
a manuscript wherein a female beetle is designated as the holotype, and a
diagnosis is given of the holotype, but drawings are provided for one of
the paratypes, a male.

I have checked locally with two taxonomists, both of whom feel it is
unusual, and that the author(s) should be asked about this.

Does anyone out there have any comments on this sort of thing?  The ICZN,
in Recommendation 17, states merely "The description of a new taxon of
the species-group should be accompanied by a satisfactory illustration or
by a bibliographic reference to such an illustration."  I am presuming
that "...a bibliographic reference to such an illustration." could only
come from a situation such as "Xys yus in part", where drawings included
what we now know to be more than one species.  Thus, drawings 1-3 are of
species Xys yus, and 4-6 are of Xys somethingelseus.

Otherwise, how could there be existing, published drawings of the new
species being described?

Robin Leech