Response to Tindall (2014) on the legitimacy of the names Solimonadaceae Losey et al. 2013, Xanthomonadaceae Saddler and Bradbury 2005 and Xanthomonadales Saddler and Bradbury 2005

A recent proposal by Tindall [Tindall, B. J. (2014). Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 64, 293– 297] fails to recognize the importance of taxonomy in nomenclature. Thus, it incorrectly asserts that the family name Solimonadaceae Losey et al. 2013 is illegitimate. While Tindall (2014) correctly asserts that the family and order names Xanthomonadaceae Saddler and Bradbury 2005 and Xanthomonadales Saddler and Bradbury 2005 are illegitimate, the reasons given are wrong. The names are illegitimate because the proposed circumscription included the genus Nevskia, which has priority over the genus Xanthomonas. It is the priority of the nomenclatural type and not the name itself which determines its legitimacy.