Grammatical gender and mandatory corrections of species-group nomina in genera derived from Elaphis Bonaparte, 1831 and Elaphe Fitzinger in Wagler, 1833 (Squamata, Serpentes)

The grammatical gender of a genus-group nomen determines the form of adjectival species-group nomina under the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature. The Greek noun ἐλαφίς (elaphís) is feminine; consequently, Elaphis Bonaparte, 1831 and the derived genus-group nomina Dendrelaphis Boulenger, 1890, Lielaphis Günther, 1863, Palaelaphis Rochebrune, 1884 and Xenelaphis Günther, 1864 are feminine. Elaphe Fitzinger in Wagler, 1833, although superficially similar, is not derived from Elaphis and is feminine independently. The species-group nomina considered here in Elaphe and the derived genera Archelaphe Schulz, Böhme & Tillack, 2011 and Pseudelaphe Mertens & Rosenberg, 1943 require no mandatory correction. Examination of the derivation and grammatical status of the species-group nomina associated with these genera identifies 22 mandatory corrections for gender agreement: 15 in Dendrelaphis, five in Lielaphis and two in Palaelaphis. The original spelling Dendrelaphis calligastra (Günther, 1867) is restored because the nomen is not a declinable adjective and its subsequent alteration to calligaster was unwarranted. The historical species-group nomen Coluber holochrous requires the feminine form holochroa when combined with Lielaphis. The species-group nomen heterurus Boulenger, 1893 is likewise restored to its original spelling when combined with Lielaphis because the compound ends in the Greek noun οὐρά (ourá, tail) and is therefore a noun phrase whose spelling is not governed by the gender of the genus. No mandatory correction is identified for Xenelaphis. Several adjectival, genitive, nominal and indeclinable formations are shown to require no change, whereas Dendrelaphis chairecacos (Boie, 1827) remains of uncertain grammatical status. The cases demonstrate that the grammatical category and internal construction of each species-group nomen must be established before gender agreement is applied.