Tibicen

Berthold, 1827

Tibicen is a suppressed name in the Cicadidae, officially rejected by the International Commission on Zoological in 2021. Originally published by Latreille in 1825 and made available by Berthold in 1827, the name was applied to over 100 cicada across the Northern Hemisphere during the 20th century, particularly to North American dog-day cicadas. Longstanding nomenclatural controversy centered on whether the original publications validly established the genus, with competing type species designations creating taxonomic confusion. The 2021 suppression placed Tibicen on the Official Index of Rejected and Invalid Generic Names in Zoology. Former European species now reside in genus Lyristes, while North American and Asian species have been reassigned to genera including Neotibicen, Megatibicen, Auritibicen, and Hadoa.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Tibicen: /ˈtɪbɪˌkɛn/

These audio files are automatically generated. While they are not always 100% accurate, they are a good starting point.

Human Relevance

The name Tibicen persists in recent literature and field guides due to its century-long usage for common North American cicadas, particularly dog-day cicadas. The 2021 suppression requires updated in educational materials, with Neotibicen now the accepted for many familiar . -group names derived from Tibicen (Tibiceninae, Tibicenini, etc.) are also no longer available under Article 39 of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature.

Similar Taxa

LyristesContains the European formerly placed in Tibicen; established by Horváth in 1926 as a junior synonym that became valid upon suppression of Tibicen
NeotibicenNorth American established in 2015 containing many dog-day cicada previously assigned to Tibicen; name reflects historical connection while providing nomenclatural stability
MegatibicenNorth American erected in 2016 for large-bodied formerly in Tibicen
AuritibicenAsian established in 2015 containing formerly placed in Tibicen
HadoaNorth American established in 2015 for western formerly in Tibicen
TibicinaDistinct with similar spelling, established by Kolenati in 1857 with haematodes as type ; source of persistent misspelling confusion with Tibicen

Misconceptions

Tibicen was widely treated as valid for nearly a century despite fundamental nomenclatural problems with its original 1825/1827 publication. Many authors assumed the was properly founded on plebeja Scopoli, 1763, when in fact the original indication was ambiguous and potentially referred to a different . The resulting confusion led to competing interpretations of which biological group the name should apply to, with some using Tibicen for European cicadas (now Lyristes) and others for North American cicadas (now Neotibicen, Megatibicen, etc.). The 2021 Commission ruling resolved this by suppressing the name entirely rather than attempting to salvage it with a fixed type species.

More Details

Nomenclatural history

The Tibicen case illustrates the challenges of applying modern nomenclatural rules to 19th-century publications. Latreille's 1825 work and Berthold's 1827 translation both listed the new name without description, immediately followed by 'c. plebeia' or ' plebeia' without authorship. This failed to meet requirements for availability under the International Code of Zoological , yet the name entered common usage. A 1984 petition by Melville and Sims to suppress the name was not resolved until 2021, demonstrating the slow pace of Commission decision-making.

Molecular drivers of reclassification

Prior to the 2021 suppression, molecular phylogenetic studies had already prompted removal of Asian and American from Tibicen to new . This taxonomic restructuring facilitated the suppression decision by ensuring that no major species groups would be left without valid generic names.

Etymological legacy

The stem 'tibicen' (Latin for 'flute-player' or 'piper') persists in the names of replacement (Neotibicen, Megatibicen, Auritibicen, etc.), preserving a connection to the historical name while providing nomenclatural clarity. This practice acknowledges the century-long usage of Tibicen in without perpetuating the invalid name itself.