fasciatus

Fasciatus is a Latin adjective used in the scientific names of many organisms as a species epithet. Derived from fascia, meaning a band or stripe, fasciatus describes a banded or striped pattern on the organism’s morphology. In botanical and zoological nomenclature, the epithet is not unique to a single species but is reused across disparate genera to convey a similar descriptive feature. Because Latin adjectives must agree in gender with the genus name, the form of the epithet varies: fasciatus (masculine), fasciata (feminine), and fasciatum (neuter). The epithet can refer to color bands on wings, scales, leaves, stems, or other structures.

The use of fasciatus spans many groups, including insects, reptiles, birds, fishes, and plants. It is common for taxonomists to name a newly described species fasciatus when a banded pattern is prominent, but the epithet alone does not indicate any phylogenetic relationship between species sharing it. Because it is a descriptive adjective, multiple genera independently assign fasciatus to different species.

In practice, the exact appearance and name can be ambiguous without the full binomial. Researchers consult taxonomic revisions and databases (for example ITIS, GBIF, or the International Code of Nomenclature) to verify current usage and the correct gender ending for a given genus.