Species identification and description

Abstract

Abstract Species identification (establishing an affiliation of a sampled specimen to a particular taxon) and description (introduction of a new taxon) are two of the basic tasks in taxonomy, commonly known as alpha-taxonomy. This chapter reviews practices which have shaped contemporary taxonomy in Odonata at taxonomic and nomenclature ranks within the species group. It discusses the concepts of taxa, including drilling down to species and subspecies levels, as well as those odonate ranks that appear below subspecies level. It addresses the question of when a species is “new.” It covers aspects of species description and looks at the role of “concept” in the practice. Finally, it proposes a workflow for future studies.