EasyBiologyHigh School (11–12)Diversity of Living Organisms › Biodiversity and NomenclatureConceptual
Read the name Apis mellifera Linn., the honey bee.
Contributed by StemPy LabTry it on paper first. A hint, the key idea and the worked solution are here when you need them.
Read the name Apis mellifera Linn., the honey bee. Say which word is the genus, which is the specific epithet and which is the author. Why is the last word not in italics?
Need a reminder? The key ideaShow
Binomial nomenclature (Linnaeus): two Latin words, the genus and the specific epithet. In print both are in italics; by hand each word is underlined separately. The genus starts with a capital letter, the epithet with a small one, and the author comes last in short form, for example Linn. Plants follow the ICN, and animals the ICZN.
The worked solution
Have you tried it?
Work it out on paper first. It is fine to get stuck or make a mistake: that is how we learn. When you are ready, go through the solution one step at a time, and check each step against your own.
Step 1. Genus. Apis, the first word, with a capital letter.
Step 2. Specific epithet. mellifera, with a small letter.
Step 3. Author. Linn., a short form of Linnaeus, who first described the species.
Step 4. Italics. Only the Latin binomial is in italics. The author is a person's name added to it.
Answer: genus Apis, epithet mellifera, author Linnaeus.
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