1 Topic by David Hepper

  • David Hepper
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  • Registered: 27-11-2015
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Topic: Norfolk Hawker name change to Isoaeschna

At our BDS Dragonfly Conservation Group (DCG) meeting No.70 we agreed to accept Isoaeschna as the genus of Norfolk Hawker instead of Aeshna or Anaciaeschna or other name variants thereof. We didn't discuss isoceles but it seems this has to stay as-is, with the missing 's' between 'o' and 'c'.

Please review the following recommendations, that I am making based on searches at https://www.nhm.ac.uk/our-science/data/ … ies/search :
- Create genus Isoaeschna which I cannot find in UKSI. The genus is monospecific, having been devised for this species.
- Promote (TVK=NHMSYS0021775230) Isoaeschna isoceles to preferred and add the authority.
- Demote (TVK=NHMSYS0021009091) Anaciaeschna isoceles (Müller, 1767) to junior synonym.
- Demote (TVK=NHMSYS0021689820) Aeshna isoceles to junior synonym. This is on your Sandbox site (created back in Nov 2023 during the previous rename attempt) and on the NBN site but I cannot find it in the 'main' UKSI search and it appears never to have made it to iRecord in two years. I don't understand this. If necessary recreate it, as many people have been using this name form after Anaciaeschna was discredited.
- Decide on what should happen in UKSI to (orgKey=NBNORG0000109076) genus Anaciaeschna  - which still exists for foreign species but we no longer need in the UK. I'm guessing that it should remain in the system.

If I'm wrong about any of this please check back with me as I need to understand better!
Please let me know when this is live and I'll keep an eye open for it in iRecord. The changes will also need to reach NBN Atlas and GBIF in due course.

David Hepper
Records Officer, British Dragonfly Society

David Hepper's Website

2 Reply by ChrisR

  • ChrisR
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Re: Norfolk Hawker name change to Isoaeschna

Hi David - many thanks - those have been done here now :) 

Sadly, I'm still unable to update the NHM UK Species version without the technical staff helping so it gets done very sporadically. I'm working with them to get full control of that database but until then the Sandbox is always updated within days (usually minutes) of me updating the Master Database here.

Chris R.

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 David Hepper (edited by David Hepper Yesterday 10:00:39)

  • David Hepper
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Re: Norfolk Hawker name change to Isoaeschna

In Sandbox I'm seeing Aeshna isoceles direct to Isoaeschna isoceles but the linked taxon https://uksi-sandbox.nhm.ac.uk/taxon.ph … 0021775230 still has the 'junior synonym' attribute. Is that right? Shouldn't it be preferred now, with the 'accepted name' attribute?

David Hepper
Records Officer, British Dragonfly Society

David Hepper's Website

4 Reply by ChrisR

  • ChrisR
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Re: Norfolk Hawker name change to Isoaeschna

Well-spotted David ... that silly flag is a bit of a bugbear of mine. It does very little in the big scheme of things (Isoaeschna isoceles) is the recommended name. But I have switched it properly at my end and will update the Sandbox soon. Mike Weideli and I are looking at ways to perhaps simplify these Nameserver flags in the future because they can drift out of true too easily.

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/)