sp_list<- "common birdwing,  troides helena; golden birdwing, TROIDES AECUS; Malayan birdwing,    Troides Amphrysus; mountain birdwing, troides cuneifera"
names<-unlist(strsplit(sp_list,";"))
#names
newnames<-NULL
for(i in 1:length(names)){
common_name<-unlist(strsplit(names[i],","))[1]
scientific_name<-tolower(unlist(strsplit(names[i],","))[2])
temp<-unlist(strsplit(scientific_name,""))
First_lett_of_genus<-grep("[[:lower:]]",temp)[1]
temp[First_lett_of_genus]<-toupper(temp[First_lett_of_genus])
recompose_name<-paste(temp,collapse="")
newname<-paste(common_name,", ",trimws(recompose_name,"l"),sep="")
ifelse(i==length(names),txt<-"",txt<-";")
newnames<-paste(newnames,newname,txt,sep="",collapse="")
}
newnames
# [1] "common birdwing, Troides helena; golden birdwing, Troides aecus; Malayan birdwing, Troides amphrysus; mountain birdwing, Troides cuneifera"