Nomenclature and type material of the marine gastropod Euplica scripta (Lamarck, 1822) (Sorbeoconcha: Buccinoidea: Columbellidae)
This contribution stabilises the species-level nomenclature of a very common and widespread IndoPacific species of dove snail (Columbellidae). This species has had a confused nomenclature through uncertainty over secondary homonymy. Despite bearing the same epithet, the scientific names Murex scriptus Linnaeus, 1758 and Colombella (sic) scripta Lamarck, 1822 are not, and never have been, secondary homonyms because the species they represent are located in separate genera (and subfamilies) in the Columbellidae (i.e., presently in Mitrella (Pyreninae) and Euplica (Columbellinae), respectively) and the Lamarckian epithet has never been formally or intentionally replaced on the grounds of homonymy. A case of secondary homonymy would only arise in the future if an author considered them congeneric which, given the current trend for greater generic splitting in the family to accommodate monophyletic clades, appears highly unlikely. In order to settle the nomenclature unambiguously and avoid possible future taxonomic difficulties with species related to E. scripta i.e., E. varians (G.B. Sowerby 1, 1822), E. bidentata (Menke, 1843) and E. borealis (Pilsbry, 1904), a specimen from the Philippine Islands is herein selected as neotype for both Columbella scripta and C. versicolor G.B. Sowerby 1, 1832, the most frequently used junior synonym, in the absence of any definite syntypes. In other words, the names Colombella scripta Lamarck and Columbella versicolor G.B. Sowerby 1 are henceforth objective synonyms.