Agathidium maculosum
Brown, 1928
Agathidium maculosum is a of slime mold in the , first described by in 1928. The species epithet 'maculosum' refers to spotted or mottled coloration. It belongs to a known for feeding on slime molds (Myxomycetes). The species has been recorded in western North America.
Pronunciation
How to pronounce Agathidium maculosum: //ˌæɡəˈθɪdiəm ˌmækjʊˈloʊsəm//
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Distribution
Western North America. Recorded from Canada (British Columbia) and the United States (California, Oregon, Washington).
Similar Taxa
- Agathidium vaderiAnother in the same named after a fictional character (Darth Vader), though A. maculosum was described earlier and has a descriptive rather than eponymous name
- Agathidium bushi named after a political figure, illustrating the 's notoriety for with culturally referenced names
- Agathidium cheneyi named after a political figure, part of the same naming controversy in this
More Details
Nomenclatural note
There is a conflict in authorship dates between sources: Catalogue of Life lists 'Fall, 1934' with status as synonym, while GBIF, NCBI, and iNaturalist recognize ', 1928' as the accepted authority. This appears to represent a case of synonymy resolution or homonymy that requires further verification.
Genus context
Agathidium is a of small commonly known as slime mold beetles. Several in this genus have received attention for their eponymous names referencing political figures (A. bushi, A. cheneyi, A. rumsfeldi) and fictional characters (A. vaderi). A. maculosum predates this trend with a traditional descriptive Latin epithet meaning 'spotted'.