Posted by Kahis on 03-05-2008 22:42
#12
Xespok wrote:
I think a good species can be defined as at least two major differences from all known species falling into two different categories located on two developmentally distinct regions of the specimen consistent withing a series of individuals.
By categories of differences I mean that a difference should be noted in coloration and chetotaxy, but differences solely on chetotaxy or coloration etc are always suspect. Variation is less likely to affect more than one category of features consistently.
Many of the doli 'species' discussed above fulfill this requirement for a 'good species', but they are anothing but. There are (reasonably) consistent differences in both colour (legs), chaetotaxy (ornamentation of legs) & male genitalia at the same time. Many dolies are strongly sexually dimorphic and sexual intermediates produce 'new' forms of colour and chaetotaxy.