Synonymy of Biston strataria strataria:

Phalaena strataria Hufnagel, 1767
Biston strataria (Hufnagel, 1767)
Biston strataria strataria (Hufnagel, 1767)
Phalaena marmorata Sulzer, 1776
Geometra prodromaria Denis et Schiffermueller, 1775
Phalaena vernalis De Fourcroy, 1785
Amphidasys prodromaria nigricans Oberthuer, 1913


Note: Biston is the name of the son of Ares and Kallirrhoe in Greek mythology. It is therefore of masculine gender and all adjectival species-group names combined with it must take the masculine form as well. However, the formula-like species-group names in the Geometridae ending in "-aria" are of an unclear nature and their adjectival use is debated. The species-group name "strataria" is based on the Latin stratum ("saddle, saddle blanket"), and refers to the whitish "saddle" across the forewings, but is not a proper Latin form. Therefore, I do not regard it as an adjective or an adjectival form, but as a form comparable to Roman cognomina. These were also formed irregularly from a basic word (e. g. "Cicero" formed from the word "cicer" (chickpea) as the cognomen for Marcus Tullio Cicero). Most importantly, although the cognomina usually agreed in gender with the name-bearer, this was not a requirement: several cognomina did not agree in gender (as implied by the cognomen ending) with the bearer of the cognomen, e.g. Publius Cornelius Arvina, Gaius Antonius Hybrida, or Lucius Sergius Catilina. Thus, I regard "strataria" as a noun in apposition that does not change its form when combined with different genera.