fulgidus

Fulgidus is a Latin adjective that appears in scientific names as a descriptive epithet meaning "shining" or "glowing." It derives from fulgere, "to shine," and occurs in masculine form fulgidus, feminine fulgida, and neuter fulgidum, with usage depending on the gender of the genus name.

In biological nomenclature, fulgidus is not a standalone genus. Rather, it is used as a species epithet in a variety of taxa to indicate a characteristic such as bright coloration, iridescence, or a gleaming appearance. The epithet occurs across several groups, including insects, birds, reptiles, and plants, reflecting a descriptive trait rather than a taxonomic relationship.

Because the epithet is descriptive, there is no single "fulgidus" species; different genera may have separate species named fulgidus that are unrelated. In scientific writing, the full binomial name would be something like Genus fulgidus, with the genus name differing per organism.

Notes: care should be taken not to confuse fulgidus with similar terms such as fulgid, fulgia, or with taxonomic terms like Fulgoridae (the lanternflies), which have different meanings or are unrelated. Fulgidus as a name element is a descriptive epithet, while Fulgoridae is a distinct taxonomic family.