I think this is an area I don't want to get involved with! The combination of 'correct' Latin and scientific nomenclature is scary.
Yes, on the point you make, there tends to be the assumption that 1st declension -us, -a, -um endings are masculine, feminine and neuter respectively therefore the adjective (the species name) should agree with them. Fails to take into account that some fourth (fifth? I forget) declension nouns are derived from the Greek and therefore, as you point out, an -a ending can be masculine or neuter ....
One area where there is a discrepancy between British and other usage is with the number four. As I recall the correct Latin is
quatuor whereas most British entomological spelling goes for
quattuor - as in
Propylea quattuordecimpunctata.
So I just go by the printed species lists although there are older entomologists who will argue all day about the 'correctness' of a spelling!
Quote:
Originally Posted by pgmoni
I believe you are right that this is now the accepted spelling. Brachynus is probably the obsolete version, as it is the "correct" one etymologically : the Y here stands for a greak Upsilon, which would naturally translate into Y (interestingly we call Y "greak I " in French - I grec). Probably in the same vein as deciding that all genus names ending with a are feminine - which is horrendous for a purist (which I am not, but...) and leads to confusion all over the place except perhaps in academic circles. On the web, you 'll find Eurydema ornatus, ornata (the correct one nowadays) and ornatum (used to be the correct one) Oh well...
Philippe
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