Genus Name Change ?

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Arachnoknight
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Hey I was wondering if there was anybody out ther who can explain to me why certain sp. of T's get there genus changed? ie:Avic borelli is now a Aphonopelma sp. and Vitalius platyomma is now a Pamphobeteus. sp. the rumor now is that Brachypelma pallidium is next. Also who or what makes the final determination on the name change? :?
 
FryLock

FryLock

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Brachypelma pallidium allready is Aphonopelma pallidium check the WSC.
 
FryLock

FryLock

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You may have been thinking of the spiders sold in the pet trade as B.pallidum that are now B.verdezi, but note the WSC listed Aphonopelma pallidium as known from the male only (i see Eddys here he may have something too say ;) )
 
metallica

metallica

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webspinner said:
the rumor now is that Brachypelma pallidium is next. Also who or what makes the final determination on the name change? :?
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rumor??? B. pallidum was transfered to Aphonopelma allready in 1993!!
however this was NOT the spider we had in the hobby as A. pallidum (or B. pallidum). this was a undescribed Brachypelma species. last year this species has been described as B. verdezi. (Smidt, 2003)

as all science develops, so does taxonomy. new (better) tecniques are present now (microscopes and ultimately DNA) these tools can show errors that were made in the past, and thus it can happen that a spiders was described under 2 diffrent names or spiders may have been described under the wrong genus.
 
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metallica

metallica

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FryLock said:
(i see Eddys here he may have something too say ;) )
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wha ha ha i was typing an answer allready, but English is not my native language, so it took a bit longer :)

Eddy
 
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Arachnoknight
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metallica said:
rumor??? B. pallidum was transfered to Aphonopelma allready in 1993!!
however this was NOT the spider we had in the hobby as A. pallidum (or B. pallidum). this was a undescribed Brachypelma species. last year this species has been described as B. verdezi. (Smidt, 2003)

as all science develops, so does taxonomy. new (better) tecniques are present now (microscopes and ultimately DNA) these tools can show errors that were made in the past, and thus it can happen that a spiders was described under 2 diffrent names or spiders may have been described under the wrong genus.
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Thank you for clearing things up for me.
 
Michael Jacobi

Michael Jacobi

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The name changes in the examples you used are due to an arachnologist's publication of a paper that "reclassifies" the organism - presumably in a peer-reviewed journal where "fellow experts" have agreed that there is a reasonable basis for the amendment [unfortunately, this isn't always the case]. As long as a species name is valid it may be transferred to another genus - again and again - but the species name (specific epithet) remains the same (although the gender may change to follow the gender of the genus name).

However, there is a governing body - the ICZN - International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature. This body would become involved to correct gender declination, declare a name invalid because it is already in use for another organism, decide on senior synonymy issues, etc.

Eddy (metallica) already answered your question regarding "pallidum".

"Borelli" is still in the genus Avicularia. Both of these are examples of pet trade names, even scientific names, not necessarily being correct. "Borelli" was dumped into Avicularia when Eurypelma was declared a junior synonym of Avicularia by Robert Raven (1985). Now those of us who have the pet trade "borelli" know it isn't an Avic, but although it is known in the European trade as "Aphonopelma borelli" there is no such species. Either it is the same as "Avicularia borelli" and will some day be transferred to another genus - possibly, but not definitely, Aphonopelma (probably in a complete revision of the genus Avicularia, which is rumored to be in the works) or the pet trade "borelli" is an altogether different species. [If you are not familiar with senior and junior synonyms basically they mean that a name is found to be equivalent to another and the eldest name takes preference.]

As for "platyomma", you write: "Vitalius platyomma is now a Pamphobeteus. sp.", but that is not correct. It is neither. It was declared "nomina dubia" (literally, "dubious name") - a name thats application is questionable or was based on limited, non-diagnostic material - by Bertani (2001). It was originally in the genus Pamphobeteus, was then transferred to Vitalius in 1993 (once again, because the authors' research and subsequent publication determined that the "species" belonged in Vitalius instead of Pamphobeteus). [Excerpt from the WSC: "nomina dubia: V. platyomma (Mello-Leitão, 1923a: 228, originally in Pamphobeteus, T here by Lucas, Silva & Bertani, 1993: 245, jm, Brazil) -- Bertani, 2001: 309"]. Once again these decisions are based on specific diagnostic characters that arachnologists look at or even DNA analysis nowadays. So our pet trade "platyomma" can be referred to as Pamphobeteus sp. "platyomma" or Vitalius sp. "platyomma" - technically neither is correct anyway. I use the former only because the genus Pamphobeteus is better known among hobbyists.

PS - Click here for a brief glossary of taxonomic terms. Click here for the WSC [World Spider Catalog] Theraphosidae page.
 
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Greg Wolfe

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Changing names...

Michael Jacobi:
Very well done! I agree. Let us not get encompassed by the changes, but continue to bring the joy of keeping tarantulas to the world.
Greg Wolfe
Indiana Exotics
 
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