Common or vernacular naming
It is an innate trait of humans to try to order the world around us. This is the case with all living things. In the 18th Century Carl Linneaus proposed a system of naming species that would allow the relationship between species to be indicated within the name. This binomial system of scientific, or Latin, naming has endured and evolved with strict rules. In the case of insects, the naming of species is overseen by the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN). Under the watchful eye of the ICZN all animal life is ascribed its binomial name and by such is given its place in the tree of life. As taxonomists better understand the boundaries between species and how those species relate to each other, the name may change but always in a manner that is both ordered and traceable.
Common names, also called vernacular names or trivial epithets, have their roots, not in science, but in social history. Trivial epithets are not set down in any international standards, nor are they in any way regulated. They do not come about as a result of any attempt to order or understand life and tend to be chaotic. The use of these trivial epithets in general is to be avoided when recording invertebrates or writing scientific papers.
As a rule, common names only exist were there has been a need for one person to convey recognition of a plant or animal to another person. A common name may reference a characteristic (e.g. Giant Horntail), habitat (e.g. Alder Wood-wasp) or geographic location of the species (e.g. Southern Hawker). A species will most likely have a common name if it fulfils one of the following criteria:
- The species, or group of similar looking species, is common and frequently seen
- The species, or group of similar looking species, is easily recognisable by eye
- The species, or group of similar looking species, is perceived as a pest or nuisance
- The species, or group of similar looking species, is charismatic, querky or has a specific habit or behaviour
Common names, despite their limitations, are to be valued if only as part of our cultural heritage. For example, woodlice (actually a number of different species) have over 40 common names in Britain alone. These names are part of a rich oral tradition and the name you use will likely indicate where in Britain you grew up. Occasionally, the common name may echo a point of scientific interest. For example, the Turnip Sawfly is the only common name used for Athalia rosae though most records these days would not reveal any association with turnips. The name is an echo of when Athalia rosae was a major pest of turnip crops when they were more widely grown as animal feed. The species came all but extinct in Britain in the early 20th Century before becoming widely distributed again in the latter part of the 20th Century but without the reliance on turnip crops.
In recent times, there have been trends in attempting to assign common names to a wider range of species to engage public attention. Whilst this may dilute and muddy the oral tradition there may be some merit in doing so. Recording species is becoming more important and engagement with the public as well as commercial sectors such as farming and gardening is therefore desirable. Vernacular names can help with establishing species in the collective knowledge and assists with writing articles in non-scientific magazines and other media. Those species without an established common name are sometimes arbitrarily assigned a generic name which may be unhelpful. For example, “Birch Sawfly” is widely used to represent both Cimbex femoratus and Nematus septentrionalis, ignoring the fact that there are 43 sawfly species in Britain and Ireland that feed on birches. Additionally, a common name may be used in different countries for different species, which is a particular issue when using internet search engines. For these reasons, an agreed list of names has been developed by the Sawfly Recording Scheme of Great Britain. These approved names are being added to the UK Species Index and are also being added to iNaturalist for users in Britain.
Only 43 species out of the 550 or so species present in Britain and Ireland appear to have established common names and the remainder have been assigned names based on interpretation of the scientific name, food plant preference or morphological characteristics.
The common names are given on each species page.