1 Reply by atheta01

  • atheta01
  • Veteran
  • Offline
  • From: YNU Coleoptera recorder
  • Registered: 30-10-2009
  • Posts: 318

Re: Preferred Coleoptera list in R6

Another one for the disctionary team.................

In the R6 Preferred List of Coleoptera based on Duff 2008, the taxon Carabus cancellatus Illiger, 1798 is given a synonym of Carabus granulatus sensu Stephens, 1827 non Linnaeus, 1758. Although this synonymy appears in the Kloet and Hincks (1977) checklist, it does not accord with the new Duff checklist of 2008 upon which the R6 Preferred List is based. The consequence of this is that if I enter a record of C. granulatus via the R6 Import Wizard it appears, in my copy of R6 at least, as C. cancellatus in output reports. This is not a good situation and I rely on myself to spot the error. This unfortunate error propagated itself into my Checklist of Yorkshire Coleoptera which I posted on the YNU website, where several erroneous records of C. cancellatus (which I missed in proof-reading) appeared. Note that the concensus among coleopterists is that C. cancellatus is a rare non-established introduction. C. granulatus on the other hand is a widespread fen/marsh species.

Bob Marsh
Doncaster LRC
Coleoptera recorder for YNU

atheta01's Website

2 Reply by ChrisR

  • ChrisR
  • Administrator
  • Offline
  • Registered: 27-08-2011
  • Posts: 1,131

Re: Preferred Coleoptera list in R6

This is a tricky one because "Carabus granulatus sensu Stephens, 1827 non Linnaeus, 1758" has been in use and appears on past checklists, so it must remain in the Species Dictionary. But whether it is a valid synonym of C. cancellatus may be debatable - I have emailed Andrew for his help. Of course, whether Recorder picks this relic name instead of the more valid (real) C. granulatus is probably down to the way that Recorder chooses its preferred names :)

Chris Raper, Manager of the UK Species Inventory, Angela Marmont Centre for UK Biodiversity,
Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London, SW7 5BD.  (tel: 020 7942 5894)
also Tachinid Recording Scheme (http://tachinidae.org.uk/)

3 Reply by ChrisR

  • ChrisR
  • Administrator
  • Offline
  • Registered: 27-08-2011
  • Posts: 1,131

Re: Preferred Coleoptera list in R6

Just chatted to Andrew Duff (via email) and the synonym "Carabus granulatus sensu Stephens, 1827 non Linnaeus, 1758" for "Carabus cancellatus Illiger, 1798" is still valid but just not listed in the his checklist because Carabus cancellatus Illiger, 1798 has been moved to the list of non-established introductions. Removing the synonym isn't possible so I think that this issue must go back as something for the Recorder techies to have a look at because the confusing synonym needs to be sunk in some way, in favour of the "real" one. :)

Chris Raper, Manager of the UK Species Inventory, Angela Marmont Centre for UK Biodiversity,
Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London, SW7 5BD.  (tel: 020 7942 5894)
also Tachinid Recording Scheme (http://tachinidae.org.uk/)