Science Writing And Editing: How To Write Scientific Names

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March 14, 2011

Science writing and editing: How to write scientific names The Latin scientific name of a species, be it plant, animal, bacterium, fungus, etc., is a two-part name consisting of the genus name first (by the way: one genus, two genera) and the species name second. For example, the domestic cat is known as Felis catus. Although the genus name can be used on its own (there are several other species in genus Felis, for instance the wildcat, Felis silvestris), the species name never appears on its own.

The basic rule for writing a scientific name

  1. Use both genus and species name: Felis catus.
  2. Italicize the whole name.
  3. Capitalize only the genus name. (In the past you would capitalize the species designation if it was derived from a proper name, e.g., Megalonyx Jeffersonii, but now the species designation is always lowercased: Megalonyx jeffersonii.)

Rules for abbreviating the genus name

After the first use, the genus name can be abbreviated to just its initial: F. catus.
  1. When a section of the text might be displayed on its own, you might want to spell out the name in full the first time it appears there. For instance, some academic journals require that you write out the genus in full the first time it is used in the abstract, and in all tables and table captions.
  2. When you introduce the name of another species in the same genus, you can use the abbreviated genus name for the new species:1 The domestic cat is species Felis catus. Both F. catus and its wild relative, F. silvestris . . .
  3. If you are discussing two species that belong to different genera that nevertheless start with the same letter, say, Leopardus pardalis, the ocelot, and the Canada lynx, Lynx canadensis, it is better not to abbreviate their genus names.
  4. Abbreviations of more than one letter: I’ve seen a few instances of two-letter abbreviations of genus names, for instance Au. afarensis and Ar. ramidus for Australopithecus afarensis and Ardipithecus ramidus, and I’ve seen discussion of two- or three-letter genus abbreviations for some taxonomic groups. Butcher’s Copy-editing2 says they are to be avoided, but they’re permissible to avoid ambiguity.3 I recommend checking with your target publication to see whether they allow this style.
  5. Sometimes the full genus name isn’t spelled out on first use. Some organisms, such as the famous study organisms E. coli and C. elegans, are so well known that it’s common in informal discussion to just use the abbreviated version of the name.

Names of taxonomic levels above the genus level

The names of higher taxonomic levels (family, order, class, phylum or division, and kingdom) should be capitalized but not italicized (see Chicago 8.126 and Butcher’s 13.5.1). Common names derived from taxon names, for instance “felines” for members of the family Felidae, are not capitalized. A common name that is derived from a genus name, such as gorilla, is not capitalized either (see Chicago 8.127).

Names of taxonomic levels below the species level

Below the level of species there are subspecies and varieties.
  1. The subspecies name is italicized.
  2. In zoology, the subspecies is not indicated by any label; it just follows the species name: the European wildcat is Felis silvestris silvestris. If the subspecies name is the same as the species name, it can be abbreviated: Felis s. silvestris.
  3. In botany, the subspecies is indicated by “subsp.” or “ssp.” (Butcher’s recommends subsp.4): Juncus effusus subsp. solutus. The “subsp.” label is not italicized.
  4. The name of a variety is italicized, but the “var.” label is not: The insecticide BTK is produced by Bacillus thuringiensis var. kurstaki.

Unknown or unspecified species

When referring to an unidentified species, use the abbreviation “sp.”: The meadow contained several sedge plants (Carex sp.). The plural form is “spp.”: The forest floor contained several species of pixie cup lichen (Cladonia spp.). The “sp.” and “spp.” labels are not italicized.

The species author and the sp. nov. tag for introducing new species in the literature

When a species is being formally introduced in a scientific paper, the name of the author (the person who first described the species in academic literature) is usually given.
  1. The author name is not italicized: The straightleaf rush is Juncus orthophyllus Coville.
  2. The name may be abbreviated. Carolus Linnaeus, a biologist who is such a hero his name was Latinized, gets the abbreviation “L.”: The European meadow rush is Juncus inflexus L.
  3. If the author name is in parentheses, that indicates that the species was originally assigned to a different genus.
  4. The abbreviation “sp. nov.” indicates that a species is being introduced in the literature for the first time. Do not italicize “sp. nov.”: “Pyrococcus furiosus sp. nov. represents a novel genus of marine heterotrophic archaebacteria growing optimally at 100°C”

References

Chicago Manual of Style
  • The Chicago Manual of Style, 17th Edition has a short but useful section on scientific names of organisms. See section 8.119 and following: “Scientific Names of Plants and Animals.”
  • Butcher’s Copy-editing, 4th Edition has a good section on biological classification and nomenclature in its science and mathematics chapter.
  • For a more in-depth treatment of the subject, Chicago recommends: Council of Science Editors Scientific Style and Format, the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature, and the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature
    • Butcher’s Copy-editing
  • The New Hart’s Rules also has some useful information on the format of Latin names.
  • Wikipedia has a comprehensive entry on binomial nomenclature.

More help with writing scientific papers

For some more help with formatting and style in scientific writing, see “Making your science papers look good.”

Notes

1 Butcher’s Copy-editing 4th Edition, p. 328 2 Judith Butcher, Caroline Drake, and Maureen Leach, Butcher’s Copy-editing, 4th Edition. Cambridge University Press, 2006. ISBN: 9780521847131 3 Butcher’s Copy-editing 4th Edition, p. 328 4 Butcher’s Copy-editing 4th Edition, p. 329

Labels: academic editing, science editing, science writing, self-editing

59 comments:

  1. AnonymousMarch 23, 2014 at 10:43 AM

    Thank you so much for this valuable resource!

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  2. AnonymousMarch 16, 2015 at 8:55 AM

    Thanks for the reference. Fyi, it's Canada lynx, not Canadian lynx. The same is true for the Canada goose.

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    1. EvaMarch 16, 2015 at 9:05 AM

      Thanks for the comment! I've made the change.

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  3. AnonymousMarch 31, 2015 at 5:12 AM

    When you cite only the genus name, I think it is not italicized. What do you do?

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    1. EvaApril 14, 2015 at 5:42 PM

      Chicago style italicizes the genus name when it's used on its own (see 8.119). For example "it belonged to the genus Smilodon."

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  4. AnonymousApril 1, 2015 at 10:25 AM

    What if I want to write the latin name in the title, JUNCUS INFLEXUS L. or JUNCUS INFLEXUS LINNAEUS? Because as far as i'm concern we are not allow to use abbreviation in title.

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    1. EvaApril 15, 2015 at 10:00 AM

      Yes, I think whether you abbreviate or spell out "Linnaeus" just depends on your publication's preferred style. I definitely see some people spelling out Linnaeus in titles, so you'll be in good company.

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  5. AnonymousJune 5, 2015 at 12:09 PM

    Thanks for your useful comments. I was looking for the rule that says when (in your reference list) you write the title of a book that includes the scientific name and the title is supposed to be in italics, then the scientific name is written in non-italic font, when all the other words are in italics. Can you confirm this?

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  6. UnknownJuly 25, 2015 at 6:18 AM

    I understand the 'spp.' does not have to be underlined. What about the genus before the 'spp.'? E.g. in Eimeria spp., do I have to underline the 'Eimeria' alone when writing or not?

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    1. UnknownOctober 19, 2015 at 11:23 AM

      Yes, you have to underline Eimeria.

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    2. EvaOctober 23, 2015 at 11:15 AM

      Yes, as Ricardo says, when Eimeria appears alone or in "Eimeria spp.," it should be in italics. If you're underlining instead of using italics, then underline. (As a side note, I recommend using underlining only when you're not able to use italics, for example if you're writing by hand or using a typewriter.)

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  7. Sharda HinkelAugust 22, 2015 at 7:32 AM

    I hope you will keep sharing more interesting posts.

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  8. UnknownOctober 19, 2015 at 11:22 AM

    Hi Eva, Thanks for posting this article. I need some help: what does ¨f¨ mean in Columba livia f. domestica? Thanks!!!

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  9. Dick HartzellOctober 20, 2015 at 12:21 PM

    I arrived here because as a proofreader for a large international publisher I was trying to determine how to correct a book title containing a scientific name: The Diverse Faces of Bacillus Cereus. Ultimately I decided that the title as displayed on an accompanying cover image of the book, where it appears as The Diverse Faces of Bacillus cereus (with "Bacillus cereus" italicized and the species name set in lowercase), was correct. Do you concur? Thanks for your help!

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    1. EvaOctober 23, 2015 at 11:20 AM

      Yes, I think that's a good decision. Chicago's guideline is to lowercase the species name in a title-case headline, and it also suggests maintaining the italics in the title (setting them in roman type if the rest of the title is in italics, or italics if the rest of the title is roman).

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    2. Dick HartzellOctober 23, 2015 at 11:46 AM

      Thanks, Eva! I appreciate your prompt response. (And I'm relieved I made the right decision!)

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  10. AnonymousMarch 20, 2016 at 12:55 AM

    Would any one be able to explain to me exactly why some things have to be italicized?Is it for clarification?Cheers

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    1. EvaJune 20, 2016 at 9:23 AM

      Good question. I think the short answer is that it's a widely-used convention, so following it helps your reader understand your writing easily. But italicizing the scientific name fits in with the common style convention of italicizing foreign words, since the scientific name was traditionally in Latin.

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  11. AnonymousMarch 29, 2016 at 8:07 PM

    Anybody recognize "Colegii Blosoromii Insula' Longa' "?It's the name of a college on a medical school diploma, possibly in Europe.

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  12. Ben K. GreenfieldMay 27, 2016 at 2:04 PM

    Nice informative post! Another question is: in the title of an article, when reporting both the common and scientific name, which format is better?...common name (Genus species)vs....common name, Genus speciesvs....common name Genus speciesIn the above, Genus species are italicized of course. I prefer to include both the common and scientific name so that the audience doesn't need to look it up if unfamiliar (e.g., red swamp crayfish, Procambarus clarkii) but which of the above presentations is best is quite unclear to me - perhaps it doesn't matter...

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    1. EvaJune 20, 2016 at 9:10 AM

      I prefer the parentheses, but I think the comma will probably also be reasonably clear. There's no rule or convention as far as I know.

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  13. UnknownOctober 13, 2016 at 4:12 AM

    When the genus name is used alone, i.e. "... several Brassica species...", should it be italicised? kthxbi

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    1. EvaOctober 17, 2016 at 4:40 PM

      If you're using the genus name alone as a genus name then it should be italicized: "Brassica campestris and other species of Brassica." But if you feel that in the context, brassica is being used as a common name, then I would lowercase it and not use italics: "Many brassicas have yellow flowers."

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  14. AnonymousOctober 17, 2016 at 4:13 AM

    I'm querying about thesis title which request to capitalize. Example, should it be ''EVOLUTION OF ESCHERICHIA COLI'' or ''EVOLUTION OF Escherichia coli''

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    1. EvaOctober 17, 2016 at 4:42 PM

      If the style of the document requires the title to be in all capital letters, then I would put the genus and species in full caps, as in your first example.

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    2. AnonymousOctober 28, 2017 at 1:01 PM

      I would put the title all in caps and then underline (or italicise, if allowed) Escherichia coli.

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  15. AnonymousNovember 17, 2016 at 7:51 PM

    how to properly write this: Cymbopogon citratus (DC.) Stapf

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  16. AnonymousApril 7, 2017 at 9:57 PM

    I am of the opinion that when scientific names are written in capitals, they should not be in italics.

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  17. Warren LayberryJuly 7, 2017 at 12:36 PM

    I am copyediting a manuscript that talks about 'bitter cucumber', i.e., _Citrullus colocynthis_ as simply Colocynthis. When using only the species name, rather than genus/species binomial form, do you capitalize the species (my guess is no) or italicize it (I am not sure)?

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  18. Ben K. GreenfieldJuly 9, 2017 at 1:56 PM

    My vote: tell them to use the full scientific name. After that they can abbreviate as italicized: C. colocynthis

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    1. EvaSeptember 27, 2017 at 12:04 PM

      I agree. I was going to say that if "Colocynthis" was generally used as the common name as well as being the scientific name, then I would lowercase and not italicize, but it's clear from the question that "bitter cucumber" is the common name.

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  19. AnonymousSeptember 27, 2017 at 11:30 AM

    How will i write pisum sativum in on paper?

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    1. EvaSeptember 27, 2017 at 11:53 AM

      I would write Pisum sativum, with the name in italics

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  20. AnonymousOctober 28, 2017 at 1:04 PM

    I live in Brazil, so works like the Chicago Manual of Style are unavailable here. Also, I work primarily in EN-GB so wondered if there is something like the CMS but for British English. Suggestions?

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    1. EvaOctober 28, 2017 at 1:48 PM

      The Society for Editors and Proofreaders, a UK organization, recommends the New Hart's Rules and Butcher's Copy-Editing, among others: https://www.sfep.org.uk/resources/recommended-reference-books/general-editing-publishing-styleIn this post, I've mentioned a few items where Butcher's deviates from Chicago.

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  21. AnonymousJanuary 13, 2018 at 7:14 AM

    I have natural cursive handwriting. So should I or should I not underline?And thanks for the information you shared.

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    1. EvaJanuary 14, 2018 at 7:28 PM

      Yes, in a handwritten manuscript, it is conventional to use underlining.

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  22. AnonymousFebruary 15, 2018 at 4:19 PM

    Thanks for valuable info shared here. My query is, if I am writing any scientific name as stand alone (not as a part of a paragraph text) for example name plates for my insectary, should I need to italise/underline/Bold the scientific names? Thanks

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    1. EvaFebruary 19, 2018 at 12:36 PM

      I would italicize the names in a standalone label. I don't have any style guide recommendations to back that up though; it's just my feeling.

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  23. Cool GenesFebruary 16, 2018 at 6:14 PM

    If you are discussing results regarding an organism, but not specific to species, do you have to continually italicize a genus name? For example, does "Demodex" need to be italicized in this context? (2 places) The intimate relationship between Demodex mites and mammals is ancient, potentially dating back to the radiation of mammals from synapsids more than 200 million years ago. Although the mammalian host’s immune system is tolerant of these ubiquitous mites, it has been demonstrated in both humans and dogs that significant immune system perturbations can result in response to colonization with Demodex mites.

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    1. EvaFebruary 19, 2018 at 12:39 PM

      Yes, I would italicize the genus name when it's used alone, even if it is never used with the species name.

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  24. AnonymousFebruary 21, 2018 at 5:59 AM

    Hi,I am doing project on drug discovery for different bacterias. how to write this in the manuscript. Identification of drug targets in selected bacterial species. how to write this in manuscript?selected bacterial "ssp"orselected bacterial "sp"kindly help me in this regard.

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    1. EvaFebruary 27, 2018 at 9:27 AM

      If you are just writing the word "species" without it being part of a formal species name, then I recommend spelling it out. So, "we studied three species," "identification of drug targets in bacterial species," etc. It's only if you are using the Latin name of a species or group of species ("Streptococcus sp.") that you need to use "sp." or "spp."

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  25. UnknownFebruary 28, 2018 at 9:34 AM

    Hello! Please, can someone explain me why the scientific name is often followed by the name of the author sometimes put between brackets and sometimes not

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    1. AnonymousMay 7, 2018 at 10:03 PM

      Brackets are used around the author name and date to show that that species has been reclassified since its original description. If there are no brackets, that indicates the species is in the same taxonomic group as when it was first described.

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  26. AnonymousMarch 14, 2018 at 6:38 PM

    If you write animal or plant taxonomy, how to write a genus? italicized or not?example:......Family : MelanotaeniidaeGenus : Melanotaenia (italicized or not)Species : Melanotaenia boesemani (italicized)

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    1. EvaMarch 14, 2018 at 8:20 PM

      I would italicize the genus name in your example above, and also the species name, as you've indicated. That seems consistent with the general principles we know of. (I'd also recommend removing the space before the colon to be consistent with North American punctuation style.)

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  27. flaviaMarch 20, 2018 at 5:58 AM

    Very helpful article, thank you!

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  28. AnonymousMay 7, 2018 at 10:06 PM

    Do you have any advice for what to do when using genus and species names on a website page that cannot handle italics or underlining?We need to label some images with the genus species and authority i.e., ‘Uroptychus bispinatus’ Baba, 1988Would it be acceptable to use the single quotation marks or just leave it with no formatting?

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  29. MikeJanuary 21, 2019 at 6:15 AM

    I'm trying to figure out why some genus and common names are not capitalized in reference. An example is: "The Darwin's rhea (Rhea pennata), also known as the lesser rhea, is a large flightless bird, but the smaller of the two extant species of rheas." Why is Rhea/Rheas not capitalized? I took this example from Wikipedia. I also noticed this when a listing for a Tenanger was lowercase tenanger. I'm confused.

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  30. FUNtastic - Teacher LuMay 3, 2019 at 1:13 PM

    Hi! Is it correct to use articles(the or a or an) before a scientific name? Could you recommend references about using (or not) articles before scientific names, please?

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  31. UnknownSeptember 4, 2019 at 9:09 AM

    Very helpful article,thank you.

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  32. UnknownOctober 2, 2019 at 6:08 PM

    I'm writing a paper about a variety of anemone that will be mentioned dozens of times. There's a short common name, but it's used for all three varieties so could be misleading if referenced out of context. Is there a shorter way than spelling out A. virginiana var. cylindroidea dozens of times?

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    1. EvaOctober 3, 2019 at 1:58 PM

      I see your problem: even the abbreviation is too long. I think the way to go is to use the full formal name first, and then when possible use a descriptive phrase like "the cylindroidea variety" or similar to give the reader a break from too much repetition. Also use a pronoun ("it is found . . .") whenever possible without losing clarity.My only other tip is to use my favourite cheat, which is to do web searches to see how other writers on the same topic handled this problem (Google Scholar may be useful). You may find some helpful ideas there.

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  33. UnknownJanuary 27, 2021 at 10:21 PM

    Why do latin language used in naming

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    1. EvaJanuary 28, 2021 at 9:17 AM

      Using Latin for the official names of species is just a tradition from when Latin was the language used in Europe for all kinds of scholarship.

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  34. AnonymousJanuary 12, 2022 at 9:59 AM

    Thank you so much for this detailed explanation

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  35. AnonymousJune 29, 2022 at 7:39 AM

    Hi, Eva. Thanks very much for your informative post. Now I'm reviewing a manuscript for a scientific journal. The authors mentioned some bacterial species in the Pseudomonas genus and some pine species in the Pinus genus. They used P. as genus abbreviation for species in both genus. Sometimes in one paragraph the bacterial species and pine species are both mentioned. I think it is a bit confusing. In this case, what can I suggest them to do? Should I let them to use one letter genus abbrevation and let the readers to remember the specific name or should I suggest the authors to use two or three letters genus abbreviation?

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    1. EvaJune 29, 2022 at 9:07 AM

      I think I would suggest writing out the whole genus name when you feel it is needed for clarity. So in sections of the article that only discuss one of the species, it's probably clear enough if you use the P. abbreviation, but in paragraphs where both species are discussed, you might need to spell out both genus names. I don't think there is a hard and fast rule for this situation, so keep in mind that you want the article to be clear to the reader while avoiding unnecessarily writing out long names. Good luck!

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