1. The first name of a species should be a Latinized noun, adjective, or participle. This name is always singular, even when referring to a group of individuals. For example, the scientific name of the common house cat is _Felis catus_.
2. The second name of a species should be a Latinized adjective that describes the species. This name should agree in gender with the first name. For example, the second name of the common house cat is _catus_, which means "domestic".
3. The scientific name of a species should be written in italics or underlined. For example, the scientific name of the common house cat can be written as _Felis catus_ or Felis catus.
4. The author of a species name should be cited immediately after the species name. The author's name is written in abbreviated form, using only the last name. For example, the scientific name of the common house cat is written as _Felis catus_ Linnaeus.
5. The publication year in which the species name was first published should be cited immediately after the author's name. For example, the scientific name of the common house cat is written as _Felis catus_ Linnaeus, 1758.
Additional Rules of Nomenclature
* The scientific name of a subspecies should be written as a trinomial, with the third name being a Latinized adjective or noun that describes the subspecies. For example, the scientific name of the Bengal tiger is _Panthera tigris tigris_.
* The scientific name of a variety should be written as a quadrinomial, with the fourth name being a Latinized adjective or noun that describes the variety. For example, the scientific name of the red rose is _Rosa gallica var. officinalis_.
* The scientific name of a cultivar should be written as a cultivar name in single quotes, followed by the scientific name of the species. For example, the scientific name of the 'Black Beauty' rose is _Rosa 'Black Beauty'_.