Thomas Say is widely regarded as the father of American entomology. Which of the following American insects did Say name and describe?
To earn points, be the first to give the Latin name for each of the above species described by Say.
The cumulative points winner for the month of January will win their choice of:
1) A guest post here on Myrmecos
2) Any 8×10 print from my insect photography galleries
3) A myrmecos t-shirt
Good luck!
Papilio glaucus, Tiger Swallowtail
Whatever #9 is Urocerus gigas?
Solenopsis molesta too.
I’m assuming the lightning bug is Pyractomena angulata so that would be another one he described.
2. Papilio glaucus 3. Cycloneda munda 4. Eristalis bardus 5. Pyractomena angulata 6. Solenopsis molesta 7. Culex quinquefasciatus 8. Leptinotarsa decimlineata 10. Climaciella brunnea
Say described:
3. Coccinellidae: Cycloneda munda (Say 1835)
6. Formicidae: Solenopsis molesta (Say 1836)
7. Culicidae: Anopheles punctipennis (Say 1823)
8. Chrysomelidae: Leptinotarsa decemlineata Say, 1824
10. Mantispidae: Climasiella brunnea (Say in Keating, 1824).
Say did not describe:
1. Scarabeidae: Pelidnota punctata (Linnaeus 1758)
2. Papilionidae: Papilio glaucus (Linnaeus 1758)
4. Syrphidae, Eristalis sp. Say described bardus, but I think that that is a bumblebee mimic, not a bee mimic
5. Lampyridae Photinus pyralis (Linnaeus, 1767)
9. Siricidae- Tremex columba (Linneaus 1763) (Say described a shit load of synonyms, though!)
11. Formicidae, Camponotus sp.
12. Saturniidae, Hyalophora cecropia (Linnaeus, 1758)
And 4. is of course Eristalis tenax (Linneaus 1758). Didn’t know it had been introduced to NA, but I am not surprised.
oops, I recant my Papilio glaucus entry (thought P. turnus was Say) but stick with the rest! 3, 4,, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 10…
#11 is Formica ferruginea Fabricius, now known as Camponotus chromaiodes. Not a Say species, but its name needed to be said.
By the way, I read a biography of Thomas Say last year. Interesting and multifaceted man. I came away with the sense that his sensitive nature and utopian idealism got in the way of his natural history, which which was nonetheless impressive. He also worked in other groups, espcially molluscs, and Say’s Phoebe (a flycatcher, for non-birders) is named for him.
Hi James – have you come across a good historical work on New Harmony?
No, but I’m going there this summer or next. There’s bound to be something in a store around there, eh?
What is the reference for that biography?
Thomas Say also described the ‘barking dog’, better known as the coyote Canis latrans Say, 1823.
Just curious-has a winner ever elected to do a guest post? I don’t remember ever seeing one.
Most people choose prints, and about half the people who elect the guest post don’t send anything in. We have had a few guest posters via the Monday Mystery (e.g., http://www.myrmecos.net/2012/01/23/diy-entomology-equipment/ )The dirty secret of the guest posts, though, is that I take them anyway if they suit the theme of the blog.