# Can we add "subspecies" hybrids? **URL:** \ **Category:** Curators\ **Created:** [October 24, 2022, 2:53am UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/can-we-add-subspecies-hybrids/36669 "2022-10-24T02:53:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 1\ **Showing post:** 19
**Author:** ![aspidoscelis](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/aspidoscelis/32/1346_2.png) [@aspidoscelis](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/aspidoscelis)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2022, 2:17am UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/can-we-add-subspecies-hybrids/36669/19 "2022-10-28T02:17:48Z")
> [@birdwhisperer](#): > > That’s an infrahybrid or intergrade, a crossbreeding between two subspecies of one species. I’m talking about a subspecific hybrid between _two_ species. Though this is a common terminological distinction (at least in animals—this usage of “intergrade” is rare, in my experience, among botanists), I’m not aware of a reason why the two cases should be treated differently either in terms of the nomenclatural codes or on iNaturalist. It may be wise for iNaturalist to have consistent formatting rules, though. Omitting the genus and specific eptithet (e.g., [_Setophaga coronata coronata_ × _auduboni_](https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/507980-Setophaga-coronata-coronata---auduboni)) implies that the genus and specific epithet are identical for both parental taxa. This kind of omission can be ambiguous, though, as in [_Setophaga coronata auduboni_ × _townsendi_](https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/509064-Setophaga-coronata-auduboni---townsendi). This formatting seems to imply that the parental taxa are both subspecies of [_Setophaga coronata_](https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/145245-Setophaga-coronata), but there is no _Setophaga coronata townsendi_. I assume the second parent is [_Setophaga townsendi_](https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/145255-Setophaga-townsendi). Formatting the name as “_Setophaga coronata auduboni_ × _Setophaga townsendi_” would remove the ambiguity. > [@birdwhisperer](#): > > The reason why I think it’s a controversial issue is because you can do it ([Domestic Swan x Graylag Geese](https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/1122690-Anser-anser-domesticus---anser-cygnoides-domesticus)) but what if only one of the species is monotypic (ex. [Townsend’s Warbler](https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/509064-Setophaga-coronata-auduboni---townsendi))? If one of the parental taxa has no subspecies, just give the binomial: _Setophaga coronata auduboni_ × _Setophaga townsendi_. --- _[View the full topic](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/can-we-add-subspecies-hybrids/36669)._