forma albocincta

This page was created based on information provided by Frans Janssens regarding those springtail images identified as Entomobrya cf. albocincta or Entomobrya clitellaria forma albocincta. His remarks are as follows:

"This is a pure technical taxonomic matter. The 'cf.' in this case is not because we [are] not sure about the identification, but it is an indication that the name of the European 'albocincta' is not accepted by US collembologists for US specimens that look like albocincta. Currently all US 'albocincta'-looking specimens are lumped together under the name 'clitellaria'. But the albocincta colour form is quite a remarkable and easy to distinguish colour form. That is why I prefer to keep its reference to the European albocincta and called it E. cf. albocincta.

I would like to propose an alternative naming convention: Entomobrya clitellaria forma albocincta.

In this way you can put the albocincta colour forms under the currently in the US accepted name clitellaria. This [is] to comply with current US naming practice. And at the same time you keep the reference to the special colour form that is named differently by European collembologists.

In principle this issue requires a revision of the two species clitellaria and albocincta. But as long as this is not done I prefer to keep the reference to both names as in 'Entomobrya clitellaria forma albocincta'."