taeniatum

Taeniatum is a Latin adjective used in scientific names as the species epithet. It is derived from taenia meaning band, ribbon, or stripe, and is used in masculine taeniatus, feminine taeniata, and neuter taeniatum to agree with the genus.

Usage: The epithet taeniatum is descriptive rather than taxonomic. It typically indicates a banded, striped, or ribbon-like pattern on the organism’s body, shell, wings, or other features. Because it is a common descriptive term, taeniatum appears in many unrelated lineages across animals, plants, and fungi.

Examples: There are numerous species across different genera that have been described with the epithet taeniatum. The exact trait described depends on the morphology of the species and the author who named it.

Taxonomic notes: As with other epithets, taeniatum remains with the species even if the organism is reassigned to another genus, provided gender agreement is maintained. The epithet alone does not imply any close evolutionary relationship among the different taeniatum species.

See also: taenia, taxonomic epithet, Latin binomials.