SHILAP Revista de Lepidopterología ISSN: 0300-5267 [email protected] Sociedad Hispano-Luso-Americana de Lepidopterología España Larsen, T. B.; Vane-Wright, R. I. The name Bicyclus safitza (Westwood, 1850) should continue to be used (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae, Satyrinae) SHILAP Revista de Lepidopterología, vol. 40, núm. 157, enero-marzo, 2012, pp. 85-86 Sociedad Hispano-Luso-Americana de Lepidopterología Madrid, España Available in: http://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=45523388009 How to cite Complete issue Scientific Information System More information about this article Network of Scientific Journals from Latin America, the Caribbean, Spain and Portugal Journal's homepage in redalyc.org Non-profit academic project, developed under the open access initiative 85-86 The name Bicyclus safitz 11/3/12 21:32 Página 85 SHILAP Revta. lepid., 40 (157), marzo 2012: 85-86 CODEN: SRLPEF ISSN:0300-5267 The name Bicyclus safitza (Westwood, 1850) should continue to be used (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae, Satyrinae) T. B. Larsen & R. I. Vane-Wright Abstract The name Satyrus denina Godart, 1824, has probably never been used for a valid species and should not be used as a senior synonym for Bicyclus safitza (Westwood, 1850). KEY WORDS: Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae, Satyrinae, Bicyclus safitza. El nombre Bicyclus safitza (Westwood, 1850) debería continuar usándose (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae, Satyrinae) Resumen El nombre Satyrus denina Godart, 1824, probablemente nunca ha sido usado para una especie válida y no debería de usarse como sinonimia más antigua para Bicyclus safitza (Westwood, 1850). PALABRAS CLAVE: Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae, Satyrinae, Bicyclus safitza. LAMAS (2010) synonymized Mycalesis safitza Westwood, 1850, with the older name Satyrus denina Godart, 1824, thus making the well-known Bicyclus safitza a junior synonym to be replaced by Bicyclus denina. To our knowledge the name denina has never been used to designate a valid species since it was first proposed. The name has hardly been mentioned, even in synonymic lists. We are almost certain that the name denina has not been used since 1899 as the name for any valid species until LAMAS (2010). Accordingly this appears to be a prima facie case where the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN, 1999: Article 23.9.1) actually demands reversal of priority. If someone discovers a senior synonym that has not been used since 1899 while the junior name has been used in at least 25 works by at least 10 authors over the last 50 years within a span of at least 10 years (certainly the case for safitza), then that person is required to validate the junior synonym (in this case safitza) in the interests of nomenclatorial stability (Article 23.9.2). If the name has indeed not been used we shall write a paper pointing this out and providing the necessary background. No further action would be necessary; such a nomen oblitum can and should be ignored according to ICZN Article 23.9.6. No usage was found by the research team working on “Carcasson’s African Butterflies” (ACKERY et al. 1995), nor have we found any. Dr. Lamas kindly informed us that he only found one reference to denina post-1899, but that was in an unannotated list of all taxa that had been named in the genus Satyrus, which does not count as usage (ICZN Article 23.9.6). If any readers know of usage of denina Godart since 1899, we would be most grateful to receive the relevant information. We shall continue our search. It is certain that if denina has been used, this will at most have been in some very obscure publications and we shall then prepare a formal application for its suppression by 85 85-86 The name Bicyclus safitz 11/3/12 21:32 Página 86 T. B. LARSEN & R. I. VANE-WRIGHT the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature, in favour of safitza. We doubt this will be necessary. Either way, prevailing usage should continue. Good old Bicyclus safitza has 160 years of vibrant life behind it - and it’s not dead yet! BIBLIOGRAPHY ACKERY, P. R., SMITH, C. R., & VANE-WRIGHT, R. I., 1995.– Carcasson’s African Butterflies: XI + 803 pp. CSIRO, Australia. ICZN, 1999.– International Code of Zoological Nomenclature (4th edn): XXIX + 156 pp. ICZN, London. LAMAS, G., 2010.– Nomenclatural notes on Satyrinae (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae).– SHILAP Revta. lepid., 38(150): 197-204. *T. B. L. R. I. V.-W. Jacobys Alle, 2 Department of Entomology DK-1806 Frederiksberg The Natural History Museum DINAMARCA / DENMARK Cromwell Road E-mail: [email protected] GB-London SW7 5BD REINO UNIDO / UNITED KINGDON E-mail: [email protected] and Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology (DICE) University of Kent Canterbury GB-Kent CT2 7NR REINO UNIDO / UNITED KINGDON *Autor para la correspondencia / Corresponding author (Recibido para publicación / Received for publication 20-IX-2011) (Revisado y aceptado / Revised and accepted 17-X-2011) (Publicado / Published 30-III-2012) 86 SHILAP Revta. lepid., 40 (157), marzo 2012.