Epinectus Dejean, 1833

Gustafson, Grey T. & Miller, Kelly B., 2013, On the family- and genus-series nomina in Gyrinidae Latreille, 1810 (Coleoptera, Adephaga), Zootaxa 3731 (1), pp. 77-105 : 97

Epinectus Dejean, 1833

The name Epinectus was first published by Dejean (1833), attributed to an unpublished work by Eschcholtz, to which it was also attributed by later authors (Aubé 1838; Regimbart 1877; Balfour-Browne 1945). Dejean’s (1833) catalogue did not include any descriptions, only a list of nomina, and for this reason Balfour-Browne (1945) believed that Epinectus Eschcholtz should be considered a nomen nudum following Opinion 1 of the ICZN (1944). Balfour-Browne (1945) then suggested that Aubé (1836) made the nomen available by listing it as a synonym associated with a description.

However, Dejean’s (1833) lack of description is not what made Epinectus a nomen nudum at that time according to the current Code. Dejean’s (1833) work often indicated valid species nomina according to Article 12.2.5. In the case of Epinectus , the indication Dejean (1833) makes, is subject to some interpretation. The species associated with the generic concept of Epinectus is “ sulcatus Dej.” It is reasonable to assume Dejean is referring to Gyrinus sulcatus , as Aubé (1836), Balfour-Browne (1945) and Brinck (1961) assumed, the authorship of that species is consistently attributed to Wiedeman (1821), not Dejean. If Dejean (1833) was accrediting himself with the specific nomen sulcatus it would render Epinectus Dejean, 1833 a nomen nudum under the current Code as it would be lacking reference to a valid species nomen or reference. However, if one refers to Aubé (1836) it appears that Dejean’s action many not have been to suggest his authorship of the specific nomen sulcatus , but to suggest a new combination of which he as well as Aubé (1836, 1838) credit him authorship. Therefore, Dejean’s (1833) indication could be treated as to a valid species or reference. This would result in Dejean (1833) taking authorship of Epinectus and the nomen being available and valid, rendering Enhydrus Laporte, 1834 a junior objective synonym. Dejean (1833) however, was inconsistent with accrediting himself for all new combinations as can be clearly seen with the nomen Orectochilus , or his new nomen Trigonocheilus , which includes previously described nomina, where Dejean does not give authorship to himself with each new combination. Given this uncertainty, the most direct route is to assume Dejean (1833) was ascribing himself with authorship to the specific nomen sulcatus rendering Epinectus Dejean, 1833 a nomen nudum. This prevents further nomenclatural calamity with the nomen Enhydrus , and is in line with the Commission’s ruling of Opinion 714 (Anonymous, 1964), which already deemed Epinectus Dejean, 1833 a nomen nudum.

The nomen Epinectus again appeared in use by Régimbart (1877) as a subgenus of Enhydrus . In this same work Régimbart (1877) created an unjustified emendation of the spelling, simply stating “the name of Epinectus or better Epinectes ” (translated). Régimbart (1877) divided the genus Enhydrus into two subgenera with Epinectus including Gyrinus sulcatus and Enhydrus s. str. including the Australian species then placed in Enhydrus (Balfour- Browne & Brinck 1961). Later, Régimbart (1882) erected the genus Macrogyrus to include the Australian Enhydrus s. str. species and relegated his name Epinectes Regimbart, 1877 to synonymy (Balfour-Browne & Brinck 1961). For this reason Balfour-Browne & Brinck (1961) requested that Epinectes Régimbart, 1877 be placed on the Official Index of Rejected and Invalid Generic Names in Zoology despite his earlier (Balfour-Browne 1945) promotion of the use of Epinectus Aubé, 1838 , and EPINECTINAE (Balfour-Browne 1945) instead of Enhydrus and ENHYDRINAE . Balfour-Browne & Brinck (1961) also suggested that Epinectus be considered a nomen nudum, since they believed Dejean’s (1833) indication to be invalid. Balfour-Browne & Brinck’s (1961) proposal resulted in Opinion 710 (Anonymous 1964) placing Epinectus and Epinectes on the Official Index of Rejected and Invalid Generic Names in Zoology, with Epinectus Dejean, 1833 as a nomen nudum and Epinectes Régimbart, 1877 as a junior objective synonym of Enhydrus .