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Curiosities of Biological Nomenclature
Mark Isaak
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Etymology: Repetition

Some names are notable for their lack of creativity:

Campsicnemus aa, C. ee, C. ii, C. oo, C. uu Evenhuis, 2009 (flies) Evenhuis, however, gives Marquesan meanings of all of these "Marquesan vowel flies": 'a'a, "defender"; 'e'e, "disappeared"; 'i'i, "force"; 'o'o, "rubbed"; 'u'u, "tremble". [Zootaxa 2004: 25]
Cedusa bedusa, C. cedusa, C. gedusa, C. hedusa, C. kedusa, C. ledusa, C. medusa, C. pedusa, C. redusa, and C. vedusa Mc Atee, 1924 (derbid planthopper) Caldwell, in 1944, added Cedusa nedusa and Cedusa zedusa.
Cnemaspis rishivalleyensis and Hemidactylus rishivalleyensis Agarwal et al. 2020 (geckos) Reuse of specific epithets is common, but this is the only case I know where the same epithet is used for both species described in a single paper.
Eucosma bobana, E. cocana, E. dodana, E. fofana, E. hohana, E. kokana, E. lolana, E. momana, E. popana, E. rorana, E. sosana, E. totana, E. vovana, E. fandana, E. gandana, E. handana, E. kandana, E. mandana, E. nandana, E. randana, E. sandana, E. tandana, E. vandana, E. wandana, E. xandana, E. yandana, E. zandana, E. nomana, E. sonomana, E. vomonana, E. womonana, E. boxeana, E. canariana, E. floridana, E. idahoana, E. miscana, E. subinvicta; Kearfott, 1907 (olethreutid moths)
Hysterosia biscana, H. discana, H. riscana, H. viscana, H. wiscana, H. ziscana, H. foxcana, H. toxcana, H. voxcana, H. zoxcana, H. baracana, H. waracana, H. zaracana, H. bomonana,H. nomonana, H. romonana Kearfott, ~1907 (cochylid moths)
Maruina amada, M. amadora, M. cholita, M. muchacha, M. querida, M. chamaca, M. chamaguita, M. chica, M. dama, M. nina, M. tica, and M. vidamia Hogue, ~1973 (psychodid flies) All these names of Latin American flies are Spanish terms of endearment and diminutives.
Mnioes huk, M. iskay, M. kinsa, M. tawa, M. pisqa, M. soqta, M. qanchis, M. pusaq Alvarado, 2020 (ichneumonid wasps) The specific epithets mean "one", "two", "three", ..., "eight" in Quechua. [Zootaxa 4743(2): 181]
Ophiocordyceps camponoti-balzani, O. camponoti-melanotici, O. camponoti-novogranadensis, O. camponoti-rufipedis Evans et al. 2011; O. camponoti-atricipis, O. camponoti-bispinosi, O. camponoti-indiani Araújo et al., 2015 (zombie-ant fungi) Once considered a single species, Ophiocordyceps unilateralis was found to include several species specializing on particular species of ants. The species above are named for the ant species which served as host. [PLoS One 2011, 6(3); Phytotaxa 2015, 220(3): 224-238.]
Ophiomyia prima, O. secunda, O. tertia, O. quarta, O. quinta, O. sexta, O. septima, O. octava, O. nona, O. undecima, O. duodecima; Spencer, 1969 (Agromyzid flies) Latin for "first", "second", "third", etc. Why no O. decima?
Phanuromyia corys, P. cranos, P. cudo, P. galeata Nesheim & Masner, and P. hjalmr Nesheim (wasps) Named after their large heads; the epithets each mean "helmet": in Greek, Greek, Latin, Latin, and Old Norse, respectively. There is also P. galerita Nesheim & Masner from Latin, "wearing a hood", again in reference to the large head. [ZooKeys 663: 71]
Trigonopterus hitoloorum, T. kanawiorum, T. koveorum, T. lekiorum, T. moreaorum, T. nangiorum, T. ragaorum, T. soiorum, T. taurekaorum, T. tialeorum and T. wariorum Riedel 2013 (weevils) With 101 new species to name, Riedel dedicated these weevils to the people of Papua New Guinea and took the basis for their names from the 2010 Papua New Guinea Telephone Directory. [ZooKeys 280]
Trigonopterus satu, T. dua, T. tiga, T. empat, T. lima, T. enam, T. tujuh, T. delapan, T. sembilan, T. sepuluh, T. sebelas, T. duabelas Riedel, 2014 (more weevils) The epithets are from Indonesian for the numbers 1 to 12. (In that paper, 98 species were named.)

Solpugarda Roewer, 1933
Solpugassa Roewer, 1933
Solpugeira Roewer, 1933
Solpugella Roewer, 1933
Solpugema Roewer, 1933
Solpugopa Roewer, 1933
Solpugorna Roewer, 1933
Solpuguna Roewer, 1933
Solpugyla Roewer, 1933
Solpugelis Roewer, 1934
Solpugiba Roewer, 1934
Solpugista Roewer, 1934 (all solpugids)

Montifringilla theresae
Sylvia nana theresae
Melierax metabates theresae
Erythrospiza githaginea theresae
Alectoris barbata theresae
Scotocerca inquieta theresae
Galerida theklae theresae
Coccothraustes coccothraustes theresae
Riparia rupestris theresae
Oenanthe moesta theresae
Turdus viscivorus theresae
Garrulus glandarius theresae
Emberiza striolata theresae (various birds) These are some of the several species and subspecies of birds named by Col. Richard Meinertzhagen after Theresa Clay, a close "confidante" 33 years younger than himself. [Bull. Brit. Orn. Club 57 (1937) and 59 (1939): 63-69]

Neolamprolagus leloupi (Poll, 1948) (Lake Tanganyika cichlid)
Neolamprolagus leleupi (Poll, 1956) (another Lake Tanganyika cichlid)


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