dumerilii

Dumerilii is a Latinized species epithet used in zoological nomenclature as a patronym, meaning it is intended to honor a person with the surname Duméril. It appears in the scientific names of various animal species and is not restricted to a single taxon.

The epithet derives from the French surname Duméril and is commonly used to honor one or both members of the Duméril zoological line, including André Marie Constant Duméril (1774–1830) and his son Auguste Duméril (1812–1870). In zoological naming, the possessive is rendered in Latin genitive form, typically resulting in endings such as -i or -ii to indicate the honoree.

A well-known example is Varanus dumerilii, commonly referred to as Dumeril's monitor, a large monitor lizard. It is native to parts of northern Australia and the region of New Guinea and nearby islands. This species illustrates how the epithet is used across different groups to acknowledge a contributor to the field rather than to describe a trait of the organism.

Because dumerilii is a patronym, it can be found in multiple genera and across diverse animal lineages. The use of such epithets reflects a long-standing tradition in taxonomy of recognizing scientists and contributors by incorporating their names into the scientific names of newly described species.