Taxonomy Name-Change Pitfalls in Slime Mold Identification

Many ID arguments are naming arguments, not morphology arguments.

Common pitfalls in repeated community records

• Older genus names and newer combinations used in the same thread.
• Species labels copied from old photo captions without update.
• Different members using different synonym standards.

Safe recording format

Use this structure in notes:

Current name (reported as older name in source thread)

This preserves traceability while reducing confusion.

Why this matters

A name mismatch can look like a biological contradiction. In many cases, it is only a taxonomy-version mismatch.

Minimum checklist before publishing names

1. Keep original reported name in note.
2. Add current accepted usage if available in project taxonomy policy.
3. Mark unresolved synonyms as provisional.
4. Avoid hard claims when morphology is incomplete.

Related reading: Community Claims Validation Protocol, Arcyria, Comatricha, and Cribraria, Is Physarum polycephalum Wild in Europe.