Fwd: synonyms

[christian thompson]

I am surprised Doug, you forgot one.

Years ago, I think in Sphecos, Jim Carpenter proposed the subgenus
Nuclearbombus as a way of getting rid of all of those names!

However, your records does not even come close to fly taxonomists.
Today, Tom Pape recognizes some 326 synonyms of the genus Sarcophaga.
And yes, as one might expect there are other taxonomists who consider
most of them as valid!

So, since genera are truly arbitrary, the real measure of synonyms is
the number for a species.

In this regard it should be noted that a dipterists, Robineau-Desvoidy,
described one common European species 245 times and distributed those
names among 5 genera!

Cheers

F. Christian Thompson
Systematic Entomology Lab., USDA
c/o Smithsonian Institution
MRC-0169 NHB
PO Box 37012
Washington, DC 20013-7012
(202) 382-1800 voice
(202) 786-9422 FAX
cthompso at sel.barc.usda.gov e-mail
www.diptera.org  web site

>>> Doug Yanega <dyanega at POP.UCR.EDU> 08/03/03 06:45PM >>>
>Dear colleagues,
>what genera has the most synonyms?

The most I'm aware of is for the genus Bombus. There are over 40 true
synonyms, and 20 emendations. To wit:

Bremus Jurine 1801 Suppressed
Bombus Latreille 1802
Bremus Panzer 1804 Syn.
Bombus (Leucobombus) Dalla Torre 1880 Syn.
Bombus (Terrestribombus) Vogt 1911 Syn.
Bombus (Mastrucatobombus) Krnger 1917 Syn. (= Alpigenobombus)
Nobilibombus Skorikov 1933 Nom. Nud. (= Alpigenobombus)
Alpigenibombus Skorikov 1938 Emend. (= Alpigenobombus)
Nobilibombus Richards 1968 Syn. (= Alpigenobombus)
Alpinibombus Skorikov 1937 Emend. (= Alpinobombus)
Nevadensibombus Skorikov 1922 Syn. (= Bombias)
Bombus (Boopobombus) Frison 1927 Syn. (= Bombias)
Bombus (Sulcobombus) Krnger 1917 Syn. (= Confusibombus)
Confusobombus Skorikov 1922 Syn. (= Confusibombus)
Bremus (Rufocinctobombus) Frison 1927 Syn. (= Cullumanobombus)
Cullumanibombus Skorikov 1938 Emend. (= Cullumanobombus)
Diversibombus Skorikov 1938 Emend. (= Diversobombus)
Megabombus (Exilnobombus) Milliron 1973 Emend. (= Exilobombus)
Bombus (Digressobombus) Laverty, Plowright, & Williams 1984 Syn. (=
Fervidobombus)
Atrocinctobombus Skorikov 1933 Nom. Nud. (= Festivobombus)
Bombus (Callobombus) Dalla Torre 1896 Emend. (= Kallobombus)
Bombus (Soroeensibombus) Vogt 1911 Syn. (= Kallobombus)
Agrobombus (Laesobombus) Skorikov 1922 Syn. (= Laesobombus)
Laesibombus Skorikov 1938 Emend. (= Laesobombus)
Bombus (Megalobombus) Schulz 1906 Emend. (= Megabombus)
Bombus (Hortobombus) Vogt 1911 Syn. (= Megabombus)
Hortibombus Skorikov 1938 Emend. (= Megabombus)
Bombus (Odontobombus) Krnger 1917 Syn. (= Megabombus)
Bombus (Lapidariobombus) Vogt 1911 Syn. (= Melanobombus)
Kozlovibombus Skorikov 1922 Syn. (= Melanobombus)
Bombus (Kozlowibombus) Bischoff 1936 Emend. (= Melanobombus)
Lapidariibombus Skorikov 1938 Emend. (= Melanobombus)
Bombus (Tanguticobombus) Pittioni 1939 Syn. (= Melanobombus)
Mucidobombus Skorikov 1922 Syn. (= Mucidobombus)
Bombus (Orientalobombus) Kruseman 1952 Emend. (= Orientalibombus)
Apathus Newman 1834 Syn. (= Psithyrus)
Bremus Kirby 1837 Homo. (= Psithyrus)
Psithyrus (Ashtonipsithyrus) Frison 1927 Syn. (= Psithyrus)
Psithyrus (Fernaldaepsithyrus) Frison 1927 Syn. (= Psithyrus)
Psithyrus (Allopsithyrus) Popov 1931 Syn. (= Psithyrus)
Psithyrus (Eopsithyrus) Popov 1931 Syn. (= Psithyrus)
Psithyrus (Metapsithyrus) Popov 1931 Syn. (= Psithyrus)
Psithyrus (Ceratopsithyrus) Pittioni 1949 Syn. (= Psithyrus)
Citrinopsithyrus Thorp 1983 Syn. (= Psithyrus)
Bombus (Pyrrhobombus) Dalla Torre 1882 Emend.
Bombus (Poecilobombus) Dalla Torre 1882 Syn. (= Pyrobombus)
Bombus (Pratobombus) Vogt 1911 Syn. (= Pyrobombus)
Pratibombus Skorikov 1937 Emend. (= Pyrobombus)
Bombus (Anodontobombus) Krnger 1917 Syn. (= Pyrobombus)
Bombus (Uncobombus) Krnger 1917 Syn. (= Pyrobombus)
Bombus (Hypnorobombus) Quilis 1927 Syn. (= Pyrobombus)
Bombus (Lapponicobombus) Quilis 1927 Syn. (= Pyrobombus)
Bombus (Pomobombus) Krnger 1917 Syn. (= Rhodobombus)
Pomibombus Skorikov 1938 Emend. (= Rhodobombus)
Volucellobombus Skorikov 1922 Syn. (= Robustobombus)
Bombus (Rufipedobombus) Kruseman 1952 Emend. (= Rufipedibombus)
Bombus (Obertobombus) Reinig 1930 Syn. (= Sibiricobombus)
Bombus (Obertibombus) Reinig 1934 Emend. (= Sibiricobombus)
Sibiricibombus Skorikov 1938 Emend. (= Sibiricobombus)
Subterraneibombus Skorikov 1938 Emend. (= Subterraneobombus)
Bombus (Chromobombus) Dalla Torre 1880 Syn. (= Thoracobombus)
Bombus (Agrobombus) Vogt 1911 Syn. (= Thoracobombus)
Bombus (Ruderariobombus) Krnger 1920 Syn. (= Thoracobombus)
Agrobombus (Adventoribombus) Skorikov 1922 Syn. (= Thoracobombus)
Agribombus Skorikov 1938 Emend. (= Thoracobombus)
--

Doug Yanega        Dept. of Entomology         Entomology Research
Museum
Univ. of California - Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521
phone: (909) 787-4315 (standard disclaimer: opinions are mine, not
UCR's)
              http://cache.ucr.edu/~heraty/yanega.html
   "There are some enterprises in which a careful disorderliness
         is the true method" - Herman Melville, Moby Dick, Chap. 82