utahensis

Utahensis is a Latin adjectival species epithet used in the scientific names of organisms to indicate a connection with Utah, United States. The suffix -ensis derives from Latin and means "originating from" or "pertaining to." When used in a binomial name, utahensis is the specific epithet and is written in lowercase, while the genus name is capitalized. In zoological and botanical nomenclature, such toponymic epithets are common for species first described from material collected in Utah or strongly associated with that region.

The epithet appears across a range of taxonomic groups, including plants, fungi, invertebrates, and vertebrates, reflecting Utah's biodiversity and geographic history. The use and spelling of utahensis follow the relevant nomenclatural codes (ICZN for animals; ICN for plants, algae, and fungi), with standard rules about Latinization and gender agreement applied as specified by the describer.

Toponymic epithets like utahensis help document provenance and biogeographic relationships, but they do not imply any particular biological traits beyond geographic association. The form remains utahensis rather than changing with different genera or sexes in most modern usage.

See also: biogeography, toponymic epithet, Utah biodiversity, Latin in scientific nomenclature.