What about Nameless Pinion (Lithophane innominata)? I mean, if you name it “Nameless”, then it’s no longer nameless since it has a name…
6 Likes
The Pacific-slope flycatcher has the scientific name Empidonax difficilis because it is so hard to tell apart from related species. Empidonax flycatchers are notorious that way. Also the genus name is Greek for “Lord of gnats.”
1 Like
And then there is another flycatcher genus, Myiarchus – Lord of the Flies (like the William Golding novel)
And the paradox is repeated in the scientific name, since innominata means nameless.
I always find it odd to see a specific epithet with the word dubium. Doubtful, as in the taxonomist doubted whether it was a valid species. Well, why name it as one then?
One of my favorites, though, is the Zapata sparrow – Torreornis inexpectata. Inexpectata means unexpected, as though the ornithologist did not expect to find a new species in Zapata Swamp.
4 Likes
Eight-eyed Blood Hedgehog.
4 Likes
Indeed. Reminds me of the Sin Nombre Virus which causes hantavirus disease, especially here in the Southwest U.S. Although the name means “nameless”, it’s apparently named after a Sin Nombre canyon.
2 Likes
2 Likes
:) This wildflower was always problematic with the school boys when I led nature hikes in the forest. They would snigger and their moms’ would scowl at me. But, hey, I did not name it. Such a lovely flower, too. Dichelostema-capitatum
3 Likes
Well, we’ve covered animals and plants, so I guess food should be included – Spotted Dick
2 Likes
What about the scientific epithet Novaehollandiae??? Plain impossible to pronounce…
2 Likes
Also, there are beetles named;
- Gelae baen (Jelly bean)
- Gelae belae (Jelly belly)
- Gelae donut (Jelly donut)
- Gelae fish (Jellyfish)
- Gelae rol (Jelly roll)
I can imagine these beetles floating in lagoons and hanging out in candy jars 
And tiny snails named Ittibittium 
And a scientific name for a wasp describing the discoverers’ reaction to confirmed evidence, Aha ha
A flagellate named Kamera lens
And an Indian fly named Parastratiosphecomyia stratiosphecomyioides 
11 Likes
Diphthong ae sounds pretty much as English ae.
2 Likes
If only us English-speakers could pronounce ae consistently…
2 Likes
Wm. T. Stearn in Botanical Latin has this on the pronunciation of ae:
“Reformed Academic” “ae as ai in aisle”
“Traditional English” “as ea in meat”
Which do you prefer?
Oh, I always pronounced it like “a” based on how it looked.
Everything you didn’t know you didn’t know about pronouncing ae.
The answer is “it depends…” .
1 Like
I speak English and I can pronounce ae… It’s like the letter “A”.
1 Like
From these two first, of course, meat is [i].
Hmmm… well, if I saw the word “maet,” I don’t think I would pronounce it as “meat.” More likely, as “mate.”
4 Likes
Not on iNat as it is extinct.
Esox is a genus of pike. If you are an author with a sense of mischief and find a fossil ancestor, you come up with:
http://fossilworks.org/bridge.pl?a=taxonInfo&taxon_no=63048
8 Likes
They had them in Rarotonga when I went early last year.
1 Like