InsectNet forum

@adam, I know you'll know this....

What are the rules for retention of previously assigned names when elevating or de-elevating taxa?

For example, Papilio glaucus canadensis was elevated to species level and named Papilio canadensis. Did they have to retain canadensis? Could they have changed it completely and named it Papilio Cottoni?

Going the other way, in a de-elevation case MUST the species name be applied as the subspecies name? Say, for example (let's pretend) that it's discovered that Papilio glaucus is actually a subspecies of Papilio multicaudata. MUST it become Papilio multicaudata glaucus, or could it be renamed at the whim of the describer, say Papilio multicaudata cottoni?

I'm at a loss to think of or find examples, though I'm sure they exist.

Thanks!

As long as the name is valid it's always available and is fixed to the primary type(s). This is regardless of the rank assigned to it by anybody.

If someone were to assign a new name as in your example, cottoni would immediately become a synonym of glaucus, unless someone were to show that the types belong to different entities.

Put simply, the oldest available name for a perceived taxon is the valid (correct) name for that entity. This is called the 'Principle of Priority'. An older name cannot be replaced with a completely new name unless it is shown that for one of the few reasons specified under the Code (e.g. homonym, infrasubspecific) the old name is actually unavailable AND there is no other available name that could be applied in its place.

Adam.

Thanks Adam.