bimaculata

Bimaculata is a Latin descriptive term used as a species epithet in binomial nomenclature. It means "two-spotted" or "having two maculae" and is used to describe a distinguishing marking on the organism. The form bimaculata is the feminine singular of the adjective; masculine form is bimaculatus and neuter bimaculatum; the final form in a given scientific name must agree with the grammatical gender of the genus.

The epithet is widespread across taxonomic groups, appearing in insects, arachnids, mollusks, birds, and plants. It is typically applied when a species possesses two notable spots, patches, or markings that help differentiate it from related taxa. Because it is descriptive, multiple unrelated lineages may bear the epithet bimaculata in their species names, and the same species label can be found in different genera in different kingdoms.

In taxonomic literature, bimaculata is one element of the binomial name, often accompanied by the author citation and the year of description. Researchers sometimes refer to a "two-spotted" pattern when documenting identification keys, field observations, or morphology.

Related terms include bimaculatus and bimaculatum, which serve the same descriptive purpose in other grammatical genders, and two-spotted as an English equivalent. The epithet should not be confused with similar-looking epithets such as maculata found in other species.