coquereli

Coquereli is a Latinized species epithet used in the scientific names of several organisms, typically chosen to honor the French naturalist Coquerel. In taxonomy, the epithet is not a genus or a family designation, but a secondary name that identifies a particular species within a genus.

Two well-known examples are Coua coquereli, commonly known as Coquerel's coua, a bird in the cuckoo family (Cuculidae) native to Madagascar. It inhabits dry forests and scrub areas and is part of the endemic Malagasy avifauna. Another example is Propithecus coquereli, known as Coquerel's sifaka, a lemur in the family Indriidae. This primate is also restricted to Madagascar and is typically found in forested regions.

The use of coquereli as a species epithet reflects a broader practice in taxonomy of naming species after people, a form of eponym. The practice honors researchers and collectors who contributed to the discovery or study of the species. The suffix -i in coquereli indicates a masculine namesake in Latinized form.

Beyond these two examples, the epithet coquereli has appeared in other organism names as taxonomic work progresses and new species are described. As with other eponymous epithets, the exact individual honored can vary by taxonomic revision or historical attribution. Overall, coquereli serves as a convention in scientific naming to recognize contributions of naturalists associated with the exploration or study of biodiversity.