Flag for Taxon: Sonoran Bumble Bee (Bombus sonorus)
| Flagger | Content Author | Content | Reason | Flag Created | Resolved by | Resolution |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| bodofzt | Sonoran Bumble Bee (Bombus sonorus) |
"sonorus" means "resounding" in Latin. I don't believe it's meant to be a geographical epithet. |
Apr. 4, 2022 15:29:34 +0000 | bodofzt |
Common name retained in English, changed in Spanish |
Comments
It's my understanding that the type specimen for B. sonorus was lost, and that the type locality is unknown. For this reason, someone needs to establish a formal neotype.
John Ascher told me a while back that the name sonorus refers to the buzzing sound and not a geographical location. Because there are so few records from Sonora (or the Sonoran desert), it's very unlikely that Say intended to name it after the geographical location.
The common name was applied in error based on this misinterpretation of meaning. It should be "sonorous (or loud, or resounding) bumble bee". But we're not supposed to create common names here on iNaturalist. Just because a common name is wrong, doesn't mean it's not a "commonly used vernacular name".
Thanks for your input, @pfau_tarleton! So it's exactly what I exposed. Strange that the common name gained so much traction. There are some pages online that even go as far as saying that it is the dominant bumblebee in the Sonoran Desert. Yes, it has been recorded more often than other species there, but implying that it is a specialized desert animal is a huge stretch.
@carlos2 ¿estás de acuerdo en que cambie el nombre común de "abejorro de Sonora" a "abejorro zumbador"?
iNaturalist is supposed to use names that are in common usage. So it would be against iNaturalist policy to give it a new name--even if the new name is better.
https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/how-to-add-a-common-name-to-a-taxon/9792
https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/common-names-invented-on-inat/27452
If one were to invent a more proper common name (or correct the incorrect one), it would be "sonorous bumble bee" in English--if one wanted a more literal translation.
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sonorous
The thing is, common names work a bit differently in Spanish. Few species do have unique and widespread common names. In fact, many of the Spanish common names available on iNat are translations or creations. When you google "abejorro de Sonora", almost all search results are from iNaturalist. It's not like there are people out there truly using that name. And if it's an "inside" name anyway, why not correct it?
Just because people are doing it, doesn't mean it should be done. The iNaturalist staff (and many users) have expressed their wishes that names used on iNaturalist not be invented (it happens in all languages, not just Spanish). The purpose of common names on iNaturalist is so that people can type in a name in common usage (a regional, vernacular name) and the associated species be displayed. If there is a commonly used Spanish vernacular name for the species, it can be added to the iNat taxonomy. Some species have dozens of common names (all listed in iNat).
I like the idea of correcting this obviously incorrect common name. I'm just not sure if this is the place to do it since iNat staff have expressed their wish that it not be done.
Unfortunately, it is being propogated in the Spanish language also:
https://slp.gob.mx/segam/Documentos%20compartidos/SIACC/%C3%81REAS%20NATURALES%20PROTEGIDAS/areas%20naturales%20estatales/Proyectos/ETF%20HOYA%20JONDA_11mzo.pdf
http://ru.iiec.unam.mx/5245/1/1-042-Andrino-Rascon-Salazar.pdf
Mainly out of curiosity, I've started a conversation on BugGuide:
https://bugguide.net/node/view/2103899
and in the iNat forums:
https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/common-names-invented-on-inat/27452/232?u=pfau_tarleton
It's an interesting situation, I think!
I'm not concluding on an answer, just responding to part of the first comment:
@bodofzt re: "This came to my attention as the common name would imply that the species is restricted to or common in Sonora"
It might imply it occurs in or is common in the location, but wouldn't necessarily imply restricted to it. I think you indicated the same as I just said, although I'm just clarifying that the question of whether it's restricted to the location wouldn't on it's own make the name misleading since it doesn't need to be restricted to there.
@bodofzt I agree to change the common name. It is not a unique case, many species have scientific names related to the state or location where they were described. For example, https://www.naturalista.mx/taxa/28069-Dermophis-oaxacae. We changed the name of this species from Oaxaca to Pacífic.
I potentially also agree, I'm just going to wait to hear more responses before commenting further. And there's a need to determine an answer to the question about how this fits with iNat common name policy which was mentioned above.
This name is clearly in use. It's used on Bugguide, Wikipedia, EOL, and by the USDA and EntSoc, and many other places (over 1800 Google results). Yes, it's a bit a misnomer in some ways, but as the only requirement for a name to be on iNat is to be in use this name clearly qualifies. And the species is found in the Sonoran Desert, it just is not restricted to there. There is absolutely no reason to change to change this name.
I understand that. I already adapted the Spanish common name and would consider this subject closed, in the sense that there's no further action to take, even though it is an interesting discussion. Would you guys like to keep this flag active or can I mark it as resolved?
I think that "sonorous" is the correct translation of the epithet.
As for biogeography, my understanding is that Bombus sonorus is common in Southern Arizona (and surely in adjacent Sonora state) in what could reasonably be construed as the Sonoran Desert and vicinity, even if not ubiquitous across this region.
Unlike most bee names this one has undergone review and is accepted by the ESA (I think) and in various field guides so it may be more burdensome to change it at this point even if warranted.
The correct geographical epithet would be "sonorae" (like Aspidoscelis sonorae), "sonorinus" (like Xylocopa sonorina) or "sonor(i)ense" (like Kinosternon sonoriense and Philotes sonorensis). "Sonōrus (-a, -um)" does have a meaning in Latin and alludes to sound.
This came to my attention as the common name would imply that the species is restricted to or common in Sonora, or that the holotype is from Sonora, but in fact there are less than a handful of observations there.
See Thomas Say's description of Bombus sonorus: https://archive.org/details/mobot31753002212634/page/413/mode/2up. For its range, he just writes: "Inhab. Mexico", without alluding specifically to Sonora or the Sonoran desert.