Taxacom: published blatant misidentifications

[Frank T. Krell]

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

It occurred to me that in the last ten years or so, we find an increasing number of blatant misidentification of species in the published literature. That might have to do with the increase of online publishing, but also with a decreasing understanding and esteem of taxonomy. I decided to write a paper on it with the working title "Species identification is not to be trifled with-blatant misidentifications are increasing in the published literature".

It is not nice, some may consider it impolite or even worse, to point to the mistakes of others, but there is no other way to expose this problem. These papers are published after all, hence are subject to scientific discourse. Without presenting examples, everything could be considered hearsay or exaggeration.

With BLATANT misidentifications I mean

  *   species identification wrong at family level (or subfamily level)
  *   species identified as a species from another continent/biogeographical realm
  *
I will not discuss "honest" misidentification of difficult to identify tiny brown beetles at species level, misidentifications in databases or collections, or misidentifications in the mass media incl. social media.
For this paper, I focus on blatant misidentifications in the published scientific literature.

I have already lots of examples, but most are centered around my own literature research (beetles, particularly scarab beetles). I am sure many of you came across papers with unbelievable identifications. I am looking for additional examples of blatant misidentifications (be they about beetles or not).
If you want to make me aware of them, please send a note to frank.krell at dmns.org<mailto:frank.krell at dmns.org> with links or attachments, or just the bibliographic references.

Thank you very much.
Have a great holiday season

Frank

Dr. Frank-Thorsten Krell

Senior Curator of Entomology, Editor-in-Chief
Department of Zoology
Denver Museum of Nature & Science
2001 Colorado Blvd
Denver, Colorado 80205-5798, U.S.A.
Frank.krell at dmns.org<mailto:Frank.krell at dmns.org>
Phone 303.370.8244
Fax 303.331.6492
https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.researchgate.net%2Fprofile%2FFrank-Thorsten-Krell&data%7C02%7Ctaxacom%40lists.ku.edu%7Cce7010cde00a4ce8037908dd1d3c35f5%7C3c176536afe643f5b96636feabbe3c1a%7C0%7C0%7C638698866624526286%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=k0zPQVsV%2BN0uZpfvLYbD09GsWM%2BWt6etnEEXXvlya1Y%3D&reserved=0
https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fscholar.google.com%2Fcitations%3Fuser%3Da5mPMOQAAAAJ%26hl%3Den&data%7C02%7Ctaxacom%40lists.ku.edu%7Cce7010cde00a4ce8037908dd1d3c35f5%7C3c176536afe643f5b96636feabbe3c1a%7C0%7C0%7C638698866624545481%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=qC53ooKRSo3BCVsFmJ0REYh2VuD55D2ekuqFvaQa7hk%3D&reserved=0
https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dmns.org%2Fscience%2Fresearch%2Fglobal-entomology-research%2F&data%7C02%7Ctaxacom%40lists.ku.edu%7Cce7010cde00a4ce8037908dd1d3c35f5%7C3c176536afe643f5b96636feabbe3c1a%7C0%7C0%7C638698866624558381%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=EtqeNvGd0SqzxyqvKzdtLl4S2yx6G%2FGAR2b%2BeYNeOfU%3D&reserved=0
https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dmns.org%2Fscience%2Fresearch%2Fcolorado-entomology-research%2F&data%7C02%7Ctaxacom%40lists.ku.edu%7Cce7010cde00a4ce8037908dd1d3c35f5%7C3c176536afe643f5b96636feabbe3c1a%7C0%7C0%7C638698866624570808%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=%2FWY9xit2DZlHOvDjPNYd7e%2FAuxX9Zn5Hep000NYk9C4%3D&reserved=0


Regardless of the time I send this email, I do not expect you to read, take any action, or reply to this email outside of your usual working hours.

  *   Meet face-to-face with live "Animals of the Rainforest<https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dmns.org%2Fvisit%2Fexhibitions%2Fanimals-of-the-rainforest%2F&data%7C02%7Ctaxacom%40lists.ku.edu%7Cce7010cde00a4ce8037908dd1d3c35f5%7C3c176536afe643f5b96636feabbe3c1a%7C0%7C0%7C638698866624582860%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=NAPEbCXQqqQkrJVHGODfDil7dBdZ5wLRz1U4175R5Gk%3D&reserved=0>" and leave with a deeper understanding and appreciation for ecology and conservation.
  *   Whether as a defense against predators, a source of magical strength or a lifesaving medical treatment, "The Power of Poison<https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dmns.org%2Fvisit%2Fexhibitions%2Fthe-power-of-poison%2F&data%7C02%7Ctaxacom%40lists.ku.edu%7Cce7010cde00a4ce8037908dd1d3c35f5%7C3c176536afe643f5b96636feabbe3c1a%7C0%7C0%7C638698866624594947%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=SC0wz40OLbCdANltW1hFAHCDIdsVP9SBXGf6QEOjbfM%3D&reserved=0>" is sure to surprise you at every turn!
  *   Step into our new experience "Discovering Teen Rex<https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dmns.org%2Fvisit%2Fexhibitions%2Fdiscovering-teen-rex%2F&data%7C02%7Ctaxacom%40lists.ku.edu%7Cce7010cde00a4ce8037908dd1d3c35f5%7C3c176536afe643f5b96636feabbe3c1a%7C0%7C0%7C638698866624606866%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=IMbvIJzpRc2Wj66giybdW99DkXn4RcAHCsH0x3YLU48%3D&reserved=0>" to witness scientists excavating a rare juvenile T.rex fossil, followed by the "T. REX<https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fsecure1.dmns.org%2Ftrex-3d-requires-museum-admission&data%7C02%7Ctaxacom%40lists.ku.edu%7Cce7010cde00a4ce8037908dd1d3c35f5%7C3c176536afe643f5b96636feabbe3c1a%7C0%7C0%7C638698866624621387%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=nBATS8vnsQGaQ%2BQ5UGHoTiL033tvSoA9kSl2CUjoyQ8%3D&reserved=0>" movie on the giant screen Infinity Theater.