LOGGING OF THREATENED STAG BEETLES’ HABITAT STARTS –EXPERT ADVICE IGNORED

The Tasmanian Greens today have been informed that logging has commenced in the contentious north-east Coupe and are calling for urgent action by both the State and Commonwealth Governments to stop any further destruction of the habitat of the endangered Bornemissza’s stag beetle until there has been a full evaluation of the scientific evidence, sent to Forestry Tasmania on the 8^th of February this year.

Greens Shadow Native Forest Logging spokesperson Tim Morris MP said that the Minister responsible for Threatened Species, David Llewellyn, must immediately issue an Interim Protection Order under the Threatened Species Protection Act 1995, to cease logging of the coupe until scientific and expert advice recently supplied to the Federal Minister, Forestry Tasmania and the Forest Practices Authority have been evaluated and responded to.

“The logging of the Bornemissza’s stag beetle habitat that began on Monday, by Forestry Tasmania, is a pre-emptive strike that is likely to further endanger this state listed species and is intended to head off likely additional protection or prescription once the listing of this species is completed by the Commonwealth government,” Mr Morris said.

Naming noble chafers

The International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature has just ruled to suppress the senior name Aleurostictus for Gnorimus, and only use Gnorimus from now on, for species such as our rare noble chafer. In 1827 Kirby described a new taxon called Aleurostictus. The following year 1828 Le Peletier described Gnorimus, based on the same taxon, apparently not knowing that it had already got a name. Le Peletier's work became better known, and the scientific community began to refer to the 'beast with two names' as Gnorimus (the junior name) rather than Aleurostictus (the senior name). 150 years later, the error was noticed. At this stage the name Gnorimus was in universal use and the name Aleurosticus was forgotten. Finally a successful application was put to the Commission to suppress Aleurostictus, and the use of the junior, but prevalent, name Gnorimus to be used from now on. Anyone interested in this subject should check out the Bulletin of Zoological Nomenclature, which 'seeks to promote stability in the names of animals': It is a unique and incredibly valuable publication

http://www.nhm.ac.uk/hosted_sites/iczn/The_Bulletin.htm