Bulletin ofZoological Nomenclature 63(1) March 2006 39 Case 3303 Hyloxalus panamensis Dunn, 1933: proposed emendation of spelling from Hyloxalus panamansis (currently Colostethiis panamansis; Amphibia, Anura) Taran Grant Division of Vertebrate Zoology, Herpetology, American Museum ofNatural History, Central Park West at 79th Street, New York, NY10024, U.S.A.; and Department ofEcology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, 1200 Amsterdam Ave., New York, NY 10027, U.S.A. (e-mail: [email protected]) Darrel R. Frost Division of Vertebrate Zoology, Herpetology, American Museum ofNatural History, Central Park West at 79th Street, New York, NY 10024, U.S.A. (e-mail: [email protected]) Roberto Ibailez D. Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Apcwtado 2072, Balboa, Panama; Circulo Herpetologico de Panama, Apartado 10762, Estafeta Universitaria, Panama, Panama; and Departamento de Zoologia, Universidad de Panama, Panama, Panama (e-mail: [email protected]) Charles W. Myers Division of Vertebrate Zoology, Herpetology, American Museum ofNatural History Central Park West at 79th Street,'New York, NY 10024, U.S.A. (e-mail: [email protected]) Jay M. Savage Department ofBiology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA 92182, U.S.A. (e-mail: [email protected]) Abstract. Thepurposeofthis application, underArticle 81 oftheCode, is toconserve the subsequent spelling of the specific name Hyloxalus panamensis as a justified emendation oiHyloxaluspanamansis Dunn, 1933 (currently Colostethuspananiansi.s) for a Central American dendrobatid frog species which is the subject of important behavioural, environmental and biochemistry studies. While the original spelling panamansis is presently valid, both spellings have been in use since 1940. Although neither spelling has been established in prevailing usage, the emended spelling is becoming more widely used and is expected to prevail in the near future. It is proposed that the spellingpanamensis be recognised as ajustified emendation. 40 Bulletin ofZoological Nomenclature 63(1) March 2006 Keywords. Nomenclature; taxonomy; Amphibia; Anura; dendrobatidae; Colostethiis; Hyloxalus panamansis; Hyloxalus panamensis; Central America; Panama; frog. 1. Dunn (1933) named the Panamanian species Hyloxaluspanamansis. Although an etymology is not provided in the original publication, it is clear that the specific name is in reference to the Panamanian origin of the taxon and is an incorrect latinization. In his next paperdealingwith this taxon, Dunn (1940) referred to it with the correct latinization, as Hyloxaluspanamensis, although he did not propose this as an explicit emendment ofthe previous spelling. In all his unpublished notes, Dunn used onlytheemended spelling, and thereisnodirect evidence that hewaseveraware ofhis lapsus. 2. Thetaxon wasinfrequentlytreated subsequently, and neitherspelling hasclearly come into prevailing usage. Duellman (1966) applied the original spelling as Prostherapis panamansis. Heatwole & Sexton (1966) followed the emended spelling when they treated the taxon as the subspecies Phyllohates inguinalis panamensis. Savage (1968) followed the emended spelling in placing Hyloxaluspanamensis in the synonymy of Colostethus inguinalis (Cope, 1868). Silverstone (1976) employed the original spelling, but also considered the taxon to be a synonym of Colostethus inguinalis, and Ibafiez et al. (1999) listed Prostherapis panamansis and Hyloxalus panamansis as 'familiar synonyms' of Colostethus inguinalis. Frost's (1999-2002) widely cited electronic catalogue listed both spellings and explicitly considered panamensis to be a justified emendation. The taxon remained in synonymy with Colostethus inguinalis (Cope, 1868) from 1968 until 2004, when the synonymy was refuted by Grant (2004, p. 6). 3. There is no evidence in the original publication itselfto aWowpanamansis to be treated as an inadvertent error. The specific name appears twice in the original pubhcation (pp. 69, 70), and in both instances it is speWedpanamansis. Therefore, the conditions ofArticle 32.5 (Incorrect original spellings) ofthe Code arenot met, since incorrect latinization alone is not to be considered an inadvertent error. Although Dunn's (1940) subsequent publication may be interpreted as evidence ofan intended correction by the original author, that publication appeared seven years later and therefore does not satisfy Article 32.5.1.1 (Simultaneous correction). 4. The retention of Dunn's (1933) original incorrect latinization as the correct spelling will undoubtedly cause confusion, as it has in the past (see above). Because the species was in synonymy formost ofthe last 35 years, during which time the vast majority of research on dendrobatid frogs has occurred, neither spelling has been established in prevailing usage. However, in resurrecting the species Grant (2004) suggested using the emended spelling. Hence the emended spelling of the name is hkely to begin to appear in themodern literature. This Central American specieswas the subject ofextremely influential papers in behavioural ecology, in all ofwhich it was erroneously synonymized with Colostethus inguinalis (Cope, 1868). In addition, this species of frog is the only dendrobatid known to possess tetrodoxin (all other alkaloids of dendrobatids are hpophilic), and the species is cited in the natural products/biochemistry literature. It is very likely that in the near future workers in Bulletin ofZoological Nomenclature 63(1) March 2006 41 these fields will refer to this species of frog using the combination Cohstetlms panamensis. 5. In order to avoid confusion and promote stability, as outlined in Article 81, we ask the Commission to exercise its plenary power to validate Hyloxaluspanamensis as ajustified emendation ofthe original spelling Hyloxaluspanamansis Dunn, 1933. 6. The International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature is accordingly asked: {1) to use its plenary power to rule that panamensis is a justified emendation of the original spelling panamansis Dunn, 1933, as published in the binomen Hyloxaluspanamansis; (2) to place the name panamensis Dunn, 1933, in the binomen Hyloxalus panamensis, on the Official List of Specific Names in Zoology; (3) to place the name panamansis Dunn, 1933, as published in the binomen Hyloxaluspanamansis, on the Official Index of Rejected and Invalid Specific Names in Zoology. References Duellman, W.E. 1966. Aggressive behavior in dendrobatid frogs. Herpetologica, 12: 1\1-11\. Dunn,E.R. 1933.Amphibiansandreptilesfrom ElValledeAnton, Panama. OccasionalPapers oftlie Boston Society ofNatural History, 8: 65-79. Dunn, E.R. 1940. New and noteworthy herpetological material from Panama. Proceedings of the Academv ofNatural Sciences ofPhiladelplua, 92: 105-122. Frost,D.R. 1999-2002. Amphibian SpeciesoftheWorld: An Online Reference. V2.21 (15July 2002). Electronic database available at http://research.amnh.org/herpetology/amphibia/ index.html Grant, T. 2004. On the identities of Colostetlnis inguinalis (Cope, 1868) and C. panamensis (Dunn, 1933), with comments on C. latinasus (Cope, 1863) (Anura: Dendrobatidae). American Museum Novitates, 3444: 1-24. Heatwole, H. & Sexton, O.J. 1966. Herpetofaunal comparisons between two climatic zones in Panama. American MidlandNaturalist. 75: 45-60. Ibafiez D., R., Rand, A.S. & Jaramillo, C.A. 1999. LosAnfibios delMonumento NaturalBarro Colorado, Parque Nacional Soherania y Areas Adyacentes 1 The Amphibians of Barro Colorado Nature Monument, Soberania National Park and Adjacent Areas. 187 pp. Editorial Mizrachi & Pujol, Panama. Savage, J.M. 1968. The dendrobatid frogs ofCentral America. Copeia, 1968: 145-176. Silverstone, P.A. 1976. A revision ofthe poison-arrow frogs ofthe genus Phyllobates Bibron inSagra(family Dendrobatidae). NaturalHistory MuseumofLosAngeles CountyScience Bulletin, 27: 1-53. Acknowledgement ofreceipt ofthis application was published in BZN 61:1. Comments on this case are invited for publication (subject to editing) in the Bulletin; they should be sent to the Execudve Secretary, I.C.Z.N., Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD, U.K. (e-mail: iczn(@nhm.ac.uk).