[Taxacom] New species descriptions based on only 1 specimen

[Lingafelter, Steve]

Thanks to everyone for your replies, both public and private.  I appreciate all viewpoints, but it's clear, the overwhelming opinion is to describe them if I can diagnose them from all other species.

Some asked about the poor, neglected non-charismatic species...what becomes of them?  My experience is that I get buckets of cryptic, brown, non-descript longhorns, so singletons aren't an issue with them.  However, the 2-inch purple polka-dot beetles are always unique, no matter how many times you return to try and get more.

Another asked privately, is there a pattern in gender of the singletons?  No, there doesn't seem to be any connection to rarity and gender, just rarity and gaudiness!

--Steve


Steven W. Lingafelter, Ph. D.
Systematic Entomology Lab, USDA
National Museum of Natural History, MRC-168
P O Box 37012
Washington, DC 20013-7012
U. S. A.



-----Original Message-----
From: Lingafelter, Steve
Sent: Tue 9/30/2008 3:17 PM
To: taxacom at mailman.nhm.ku.edu
Subject: New species descriptions based on only 1 specimen
 
Hi Taxacomers,
I realize this is a tired debate, but nevertheless...

I'm interested in some current opinions.  I am at the final stages of data
collection for a field guide to Dominican Republic Cerambycidae...however,
I've got a handful of very charismatic new species which are sadly, after 10
expeditions (4 by our group; several by Carnegie Museum and Harvard),
represented by only 1 specimen each.

I want to describe them and have them available for the field guide but I
realize this is not an ideal situation (and I believe not accepted by some
journals).  Am I making a mountain out of a mole-hill, and should I just
describe the darned things?

What would you do?

Thanks for your thoughts,
Steve
____________________________
Steven W. Lingafelter, Ph. D.
Systematic Entomology Lab, PSI, ARS, USDA
National Museum of Natural History, MRC-168
P O Box 37012
Washington, DC 20013-7012
U. S. A.