User:Awkwafaba/List of organisms with the shortest names

This is a list of organisms with the shortest scientific names. This list does not consider common names. It includes organisms with specific epithets that are one or two letters longs, as well as some genera with only two letters.

Naming restrictions
The International Code of Zoological Nomenclature mandates genus, subgenus, species, and subspecies names be at least two letters each. Thus the shortest binomial is 4 letters (and a space). Names for superfamilies, families, subfamilies, tribes, and subtribes all include suffices of at least three letters, and are based on the generic names.

The International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants does not have a specified minimum length for genus, species, or infrasepecific names. Taxa names of families and higher ranks typically have suffices of at least four letters.

The International Code of Nomenclature of Prokaryotes also does not specify a minimum name length. The suffices for ranks from order to subtribe are three or more letters

The International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses states that taxa of genus rank or higher must include certain suffices of four or more letters depending on rank. Species names typically are more than one word, but this is not a requirement. In the 2018b taxonomy release, The shortest virus species names are eight letters (and a space) each, Una virus and Orf virus. The longest virus species names are 58 characters each, Sclerotinia sclerotiorum debilitation-associated RNA virus and Choristoneura fumiferana DEF multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus.

Species with one-letter specific epithets

 * Plesiothrips o Girault 1929 – the oriental rice thrip, but the name is a synonym for Stenchaetothrips biformis (Bagnall, 1913)

Species-level epithets with two letters
Species names can be abbreviated to the first letter of the genus, a period, a space, and the full epithet. For example, Stenolicmus ix can be abbreviated as S. ix.
 * Adansonia za Baillon, 1890 ♦♣ – a Madagascan baobab. The name is from a common name in Malagasy, za.
 * Aha ha Menke, 1977 ♥ – an Australian wasp
 * Aglais io (Linnaeus, 1758) ¿ - the European peacock butterfly, name possibly related to the Io of myth
 * Agra ce Erwin, 2010 – the graceful elegant canopy beetle, named in honor of Peruvian ornithologist, Grace Servat, as was Agra grace.
 * Alaptus ah Girault, 1930 ¿ – a fairy wasp
 * Alaptus oh Girault, 1930 ¿ – another fairy wasp
 * Austrolestes io (Selys, 1862) ¿ (originally Lestes io) – the iota ringtail
 * Automeris io (Fabricius, 1775) ¿ - the io moth
 * Balantiopteryx io Thomas, 1904 ¿ – Thomas's sac-winged bat, It is presumed to be named after the Io found in Greek mythology, who was cursed by Hera to be eternally chased, because bats seem to be "flighty".
 * Campsicnemus aa Evenhuis, 2009 ♦ - a Marquesan vowel fly, in Marquesan, aa means 'defender.'
 * Campsicnemus ee Evenhuis, 2009 ♦ – a Marquesan vowel fly, in Marquesan, ee means 'disappeared,' as the species is hard to find.
 * Campsicnemus ii Evenhuis, 2009 ♦ – a Marquesan vowel fly, in Marquesan, ii means 'energy/force.'
 * Campsicnemus oo Evenhuis, 2009 ♦ – a Marquesan vowel fly, in Marquesan, oo means 'grated/rubbed,' as the holotype was damaged.
 * Campsicnemus uu Evenhuis, 2009 ♦ – a Marquesan vowel fly, in Marquesan, uu means 'shake/stutter/tremble.'
 * Caryota no Becc. 1871 ♦♣ – a giant fishtail palm from Borneo. The name is from the Malaysian name, cajù nó.
 * Cercospora ii Trail ¿ – Now called Passalora murina (Ellis & Kellerm.) U.Braun & Crous, in Crous & Braun 2003 (syn. Mycovellosiella murina (Ellis & Kellerm.) Deighton )
 * Charis ma Harvey & Hall, 2002 ♥ – a South American metalmark butterfly. The name was chosen to resemble the word charisma.
 * Chinoperla yi Sivec & Stark, 2010 - A stonefly, theepithet honors the local Yi people
 * Chirothrips ah Girault 1929 – a thrip
 * Erythroneura ix Myers 1928 ¿ - The current name is Anzygina zealandica (Myers, 1923) . a leafhopper. Allegedly it was his ninth species of Erythroneura.
 * Ia io Thomas, 1902 ¿ – the great evening bat
 * Limnophyes er Sæther, 1985 ♦ – a midge from northern Europe with notably more setae on its body. Er means 'hedgehog' in Latin.
 * Pison eu Menke, 1988 ♦ - a wasp from Central and South America. Eu is a Greek prefix meaning 'good' or 'true' and refers to the validity of the species.
 * Prosotas gracilis ni (de Nicéville, 1902) ¿, formerly Nacaduba ni – a butterfly from Southeast Asia
 * Stenolicmus ix Wosiacki, Montag and Coutinho, 2011 ♦ – a Brazilian catfish. Ix is from the Mayan language word for 'jaguar', as this species has similar spots.  Oddly, Mayan is not spoken in Brazil.
 * †Yi qi Xu et al., 2015 ♦ - a flying dinosaur. The name is from the Mandarin Chinese, Yi means 'wing' and qi means 'strange.'


 * Acanthiops io Lugo-Ortiz & McCafferty in Lugo-Ortiz, Barber-James & McCafferty, 2001
 * Acrasiodes io (Viette, 1954)
 * Acratocnus ye MacPhee et al. 2000
 * Agamerion io Girault, 1935
 * Anachis io P. Bartsch, 1915
 * Anisocentropus io Douglas Eric Kimmins, 1962
 * Antheraea io (Fabricius, 1775) – Automeris io (Fabricius, 1775)
 * Aprostocetus io (Girault, 1913)
 * Araphura io Bamber, 2005
 * Automeris io coloradensis Cockerell, 1914
 * Automeris io draudtiana Lemaire, 1973
 * Automeris io io (Fabricius, 1775)
 * Automeris io lilith Strecker, 1877
 * Automeris io neomexicana Barnes & Benjamin, 1922
 * Automeris io potosiana Brechlin, Meister & van Schayck, 2011
 * Automeris io texana Barnes & Benjamin, 1922
 * Axanthosoma io Girault, 1915
 * Bradybaena io Minato, 1983
 * Callionymus io Fricke, 1983
 * Cancellaria io W. H. Dall, 1908
 * Cerithiopsis io W. H. Dall & P. Bartsch, 1911
 * Cloacina io Beveridge, 1998
 * Cosmopterix io
 * Dicycla oo (Linnaeus, 1758) – Heart Moth
 * Encyrtocephalus io Girault, 1931
 * Epitranus io (Girault, 1915)
 * Eterusia ni (Swinhoe, 1915)
 * Ethirothrips io (Girault, 1926)
 * Euderus io (Girault, 1929)
 * Gabrius io Smetana, 1984
 * Gonatocerus io Girault, 1938
 * Gotoblemus ii Ueno, 1970
 * Gulella io Verdcourt, 1974
 * Helluomorphoides io Reichardt, 1974
 * Ibidion io Thomson, 1867 – Thoracibidion io (Thomson, 1867)
 * Inachis io (Linnaeus, 1758) – Peacock Butterfly
 * Io cecrops Boisduval, 1875 – Automeris cecrops (Boisduval, 1875)
 * Io fluvialis (Say, 1825)
 * Io spinosa Lamarck, 1819 – Melanatria spinosa Lamarck, 1819
 * Koppe no Deeleman-Reinhold, 2001
 * La spatule Bonnaterre, 1788 – Pegasus volitans Linnaeus, 1758 – Slender Seamoth


 * Lo magnifica – Siganus magnificus (Burgess, 1977) – Magnificent Rabbitfish
 * Lo magnificus Burgess, 1977 – Siganus magnificus (Burgess, 1977) – Magnificent Rabbitfish
 * Lo unimaculatus Evermann & Seale, 1907 – Siganus unimaculatus (Evermann & Seale, 1907) – Blotched Foxface
 * Lo uspi (Gawel & Woodland, 1974) – Siganus uspi Gawel & Woodland, 1974 – Bicolored Foxface
 * Lo vulpinus (Schlegel & Müller, 1845) – Siganus vulpinus (Schlegel & Müller, 1845) – Common Foxface
 * Mecyclothorax aa Liebherr, 2008
 * Megalyra fasciipennis io Girault, 1932 – Megalyra fasciipennis Westwood in Griffith, 1832
 * Menneus wa Coddington, Kuntner & Opell, 2012
 * Navicula my Cleve 1895 (alternately Schizonema my (Cleve) Kuntze, 1898 ) – a diatom
 * Nymphalis io (Linnaeus, 1758) – Inachis io (Linnaeus, 1758) – Peacock Butterfly
 * Oa Girault, 1929 – Pteroptrix Westwood, 1833
 * Ophiomyia io Pakalniškis, 1998
 * Papilio io Linnaeus, 1758 – Inachis io (Linnaeus, 1758) – Peacock Butterfly
 * Paropsisterna io (Blackburn, 1898)
 * Pholcus yi Yao & Li, 2012
 * Ploceus nigricollis po Hartert, 1907
 * Polyrhachis io Forel, 1915
 * Rhogeessa (Rhogeessa) io Thomas, 1903 – Rhogeessa tumida io Thomas, 1903
 * Rhogeessa io Thomas, 1903 – Rhogeessa tumida io Thomas, 1903
 * Rhogeessa tumida io Thomas, 1903
 * Rissoina io P. Bartsch, 1915
 * Sigmophora io (Girault, 1913)
 * Stigmella oa Kemperman & Wilkinson, 1985
 * Strix nivicola ma (A. H. Clark, 1907) – Strix nivicolum ma (A. H. Clark, 1907)
 * Strix nivicolum ma (A. H. Clark, 1907)
 * Synalpheus ul Ríos & Duffy, 2007
 * Thoracibidion io (Thomson, 1867)
 * Trichoplusia ni (Hübner, 1803) – Cabbage Looper Moth
 * Trichoplusia ni granulosis virus
 * Trigonidium ua Otte, D., 1994
 * Vulcanochthonius aa Muchmore, 2000
 * Xylocopa io Vachal, 1898

Key to etymology: ♣ = derived from a common name ♦ = from another language ♥ = wordplay and/or humorous derivation ¿ = unknown derivation

Genus-level names with two-letters
These genera and subgenera are two letters long. No genus is only a single letter long.
 * Aa Baker, 1940 ♦ – a subgenus of Hawaiian land snails in the Philonesia genus.
 * Philonesia (Aa) abeillei (Ancey), 1889
 * Philonesia (Aa) gouveiana H.B.Baker, 1940
 * Philonesia (Aa) mapulehuae H.B.Baker, 1940
 * Philonesia (Aa) sericans (Ancey), 1889
 * Philonesia (Aa) waiheensis H.B.Baker, 1940
 * Aa Rchb.f., 1854 – a mountain orchid genus
 * Aa achalensis Schltr. 1920
 * Aa argyrolepis Rchb.f. 1854
 * Aa aurantiaca D.Trujillo
 * Aa calceata (Rchb.f.) Schltr. 1912
 * Aa colombiana Schltr. 1920
 * Aa denticulata Schltr. 1920
 * Aa erosa (Rchb.f.) Schltr. 1912
 * Aa fiebrigii (Schltr.) Schltr. 1912
 * Aa figueroi Szlach. & S. Nowak, 2014
 * Aa hartwegii Garay 1978
 * Aa hieronymi (Cogn.) Schltr. 1912
 * Aa lehmanii Rchb.f. ex Szlach. & Kolan., 2014
 * Aa leucantha (Rchb.f.) Schltr. 1920
 * Aa lorentzii Schltr. 1920
 * Aa lozanoi Szlach. & S.Nowak, 2014
 * Aa macra Schltr. 1921
 * Aa maderoi Schltr. 1920
 * Aa mandonii (Rchb.f.) Schltr. 1912
 * Aa matthewsii (Rchb.f.) Schltr. 1912
 * Aa microtidis Schltr. 1922
 * Aa paleacea (Kunth) Rchb.f. 1854
 * Aa riobambae Schltr. 1921
 * Aa rosei Ames 1922
 * Aa schickendanzii Schltr. 1920
 * Aa sphaeroglossa Schltr. 1922
 * Aa trilobulata Schltr. 1922
 * Aa weddelliana (Rchb.f.) Schltr. 1912
 * Ba Solem, 1983 ♥ – a monotypic genus of land snail from Mba island
 * Ba humbugi Solem, 1983 ♥
 * Ia Thomas, 1902 ¿ – a type of vespertilionid bat
 * Ia io Thomas, 1902 ¿ – the great evening bat
 * †Ia lanna – an extinct bat species
 * Io  – a monotypic genus in Asteraceae
 * Io ambondrombeensis (Humbert) B.Nord. 2003
 * Io Lea, 1831 – a monotypic genus of freshwater snail, not to be confused with the plant genus
 * Io fluvialis (Say, 1825) – the spiny river snail
 * La Błeszyński, 1966
 * La benepunctalis (Hampson, 1919)
 * La cerveza B. Landry, 1995 ♥
 * La cucaracha Błeszyński, 1966 ♥
 * La paloma Błeszyński, 1966 ♥ (pyralid)
 * Lo Seale in Jordan & Seale, 1906 – rabbitfish, now synonymized to Siganus Forsskål, 1775
 * Oa Girault 1929 ¿ – a wasp genus in Aphelininae
 * Oa addenda Girault, 1930 ¿♥ – Chalcididae
 * Ua Girault 1929 ¿ – a wasp genus in Miscogasteridae
 * Ua maria Girault 1929 ¿ – a torymid wasp
 * †Yi Xu et al., 2015 ♦ – a monotypic genus
 * †Yi qi Xu et al., 2015 ♦ – a flying dinosaur. The name is from the Mandarin Chinese, Yi means 'wing' and qi means 'strange.'

Key to etymology: ♣ = derived from a common name ♦ = from another language ♥ = wordplay and/or humorous derivation ¿ = unknown derivation

Species with four-letter binomials
No species has a two- or three-letter binomial. A single letter binomial name is not allowed.
 * Ia io Thomas, 1902 ¿ – the great evening bat
 * †Yi qi Xu et al., 2015 ♦ – a flying dinosaur. The name is from the Mandarin Chinese, Yi means 'wing' and qi means 'strange.'