Meaning of Latin Names for mantids?

[darkspeed]

After a little more random googling I cam upon some interesting info.

Pseudocreobotra Ocellata and Pseudocreobotra Wahlbergii are two of my favorite sp.

When looking into the meaning of ocellata, I found some more lightly contradictive explanations.

Ocellata comes from the latin ocellatus. Generally "ocellatus" means marked with spots, and is widly used in taxonomy for different animal species that are in fact spotted. However more specifically "ocellatus" is a Latin adjective meaning with little eyes, from ocellus, dimunitive of oculus, eye, and is used particularly for a handfull of animal species that have eyespots on them to scare away potential predators, such as the "Q" on P. Ocellata's wings, or the large spot on its abdomen during nymph stages.

Furthermore, when investigating the word "Wahlbergii" I found alot of animal secies containing that word as well. However what these species all have in common is being taxonomically logged by Niklas Wahlberg who currently is

Editor-in-Chief of the Entomologica Fennica Department of Zoology at Stockholm University in Sweden. I guess when you help discover a new species you get the option to slap your own name on it.

 

[rayg]

When writing a scientific name only the Genus is capitalized while the species should be left in the lower case, and technically speaking they should be italicized or underlined because they are in a foreign language. Even if they are derived from Greek, somebody's name, or just made up they are still Latinized words. Knowing the meanings does really provide alot of insight and helps me to remember them.

 

[sidewinder]

This link does an excellent job of explaining the proper way to use scientific names:

http://www.interaktv.com/articles/scinames.htm

Scott

 

[sidewinder]

Hierodula is derived from the Greek name for a female slave serving in a temple in the service of a deity. That fits a mantid nicely.

Scott

 

[darkspeed]

Hierodula is derived from the Greek name for a female slave serving in a temple in the service of a deity. That fits a mantid nicely.Scott

Yep, cuz they never quit praying

 

[cloud jaguar]

Anyone know what Gongylus Gongylodes means in Latin or Greek or whatever?

 

[Orin]

Anyone know what Gongylus Gongylodes means in Latin or Greek or whatever?

That's a tough one. Maybe an ancient Greek captain or a reference to the appearance of a small cabbage.