Taxacom: nomen nudum and synonymy question

[Stephen Thorpe]

 It depends on the details of the specific case. Often the term "nomen nudum" is used to mean an unavailable name for any reason, so the species may still be recognisable. Also, if the specimens forming the basis of a nomen nudum can be traced and examined, then the species may also be recognisable.Cheers, Stephen
    On Friday, 27 January 2023 at 04:53:26 pm NZDT, John Grehan via Taxacom <taxacom at lists.ku.edu> wrote:  
 
 Dear colleagues,

? Krulikowsky 1908 (ref below)? listed under the species name Hepialus
hectus, a subspecific name as ''ab. [aberration] male decorata Krul. K. 1
Ex'

Nielsen et al (2000) in their world catalog of Hepialidae, listed decorata
under Phymatopus hecta as a junior synonym, but also as a nomen nudum.
Would I be correct to understand that if the name 'decorata' is a nomen
nudum (having no description or illustration), then it cannot be listed as
a synonym since there is no way to know if it were really a form of
Phymatopus hecta or even of any other Hepialidae? (and that's assuming the
individual were competent at least to recognize whether a moth was a
hepialid or not.

Feedback, if any, greatly appreciated.

John Grehan

Krulikowsky, L. 1908 Neues Verzeichnis der Lepidopteren des Gouvernements
Kasan (?stl. Russland). Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift 'Iris' 21:
202-272.

-- 
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