{"id":16621,"date":"2022-05-09T08:00:33","date_gmt":"2022-05-09T06:00:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.discoverwildlife.com\/?p=60794"},"modified":"2022-05-09T12:32:13","modified_gmt":"2022-05-09T10:32:13","slug":"12-animals-named-after-celebrities","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcwildlife\/rss_feed\/12-animals-named-after-celebrities\/","title":{"rendered":"12 animals named after celebrities"},"content":{"rendered":"

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By Leoma Williams\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Monday, 09 May 2022 at 12:00 am<\/p>

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Somewhere between 15,000 and 18,000 new species of plants and animals are discovered every year, and consequently, need to be named. Although many are bestowed very mundane and descriptive names, others are given more flashy monikers.<\/p>\n

Scientists often turn to their favourite icons from popular culture, or else ones that relate to some interesting aspect of the species \u2013 its colour, pattern, or behaviour. As well as being fun, there are some very good reasons for doing this.<\/p>\n

It can be a very effective way of bringing much-needed attention to endangered or threatened species, the media coverage bringing awareness to their plight. Here is a list of some of the more interesting and humorous examples.<\/p>\n

12 animal species named after celebrities<\/h2>\n

Aleiodes shakirae<\/em> \u2013 Shakira<\/h3>\n
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Aleiodes shakirae (female is pictured), wasp. \u00a9\u00a0Eduardo Shimbori<\/em><\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

In one of the most fun examples, this wasp species is named after the iconic Colombian singer-songwriter Shakira. The scientists who discovered the wasp in the eastern Andes mountains of Ecuador have explained that the name was inspired by a specific and fascinating behaviour.<\/p>\n

This wasp belongs to the Braconidae family of parasitoid wasps, meaning that to breed they lay their eggs inside the body of another animal \u2013 a host. This particular species does so inside a species of caterpillar, and the larvae actually hatch inside. This causes the caterpillar\u2019s body to twist and twist in a way that reminded them of the famous dance moves of the \u2018Hips don\u2019t Lie\u2019 singer!<\/p>\n

Read the full paper in ZooKeys.<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

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Shakira performs onstage during the Pepsi Super Bowl LIV Halftime Show 2020 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Florida. \u00a9\u00a0Jeff Kravitz\/FilmMagic\/Getty<\/em><\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

Plinthina beyonceae<\/em>\u00a0\u2013 Beyonce<\/h3>\n
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Plinthina beyonceae, fly.<\/em> \u00a9\u00a0CSIRO, Bryan Lessard<\/em><\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

This species is also named after a legendary and mononymous female pop star, Beyonce. This time it isn\u2019t named after her moves, however. The horse fly, discovered in 1981 but not named and described until 2011, has a distinctive shiny bum, due to a dense patch of golden hairs on its abdomen.<\/p>\n

The link to Beyonce is a combination of the fact that this reminded the researchers of her song \u2018Bootylicious\u2019, and because they thought it the \u201call-time diva of flies\u201d. Beyonce is yet to comment on this extraordinary honour.<\/p>\n

Read the\u00a0full\u00a0paper in Australian Journal of Entomology<\/i><\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Beyonce Knowles performs on stage in Cardiff in 2018. \u00a9\u00a0Kevin Mazur\/Getty Images For Parkwood Entertainment<\/em><\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

Over 40 species \u2013 Sir David Attenborough<\/a><\/h3>\n
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A male <\/em>Pristimantis attenboroughi. \u00a9 Edgar Lehr and Rudolf von May. Used under Creative Commons\u00a0via Wikimedia.<\/em><\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

It\u2019s unsurpising that there are many species named\u00a0Sir David Attenborough<\/a>\u00a0(though Charles Darwin does have more, with over 250 species), with over 40 species of animals, plants and even protists bearing his name \u2013 including\u00a0Attenborough\u2019s rubber frog (Prisimantis attenboroughi, pictured above<\/em>),\u00a0Attenborough\u2019s pitcher plant (Nepenthes<\/em> attenboroughii<\/em>) and the burgundy snail (Attenborougharion\u00a0rubicundus<\/em>).<\/p>\n

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Sir David Attenborough with a photo of <\/em>Attenborougharion rubicundus, at an event where he received the Lifetime Patron Award from Australia Museum in 2017. \u00a9 James D. Morgan\/Getty<\/em><\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

Heteragrion freddiemercuryi, H. brianmayi, H. rogertaylori and H. johndeaconi<\/em> \u2013 Queen<\/h3>\n

Not just one famous singer, but a whole group! Clearly a massive Queen fan, this researcher named four species in the same damselfly genus after the rockstars, one for each member. This was done to mark the 40th anniversary of the founding of the band, as well as to honour their remarkable talents.<\/p>\n

Read the full paper in .<\/p>\n

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British rock band Queen, London, 1973. Left to right: drummer Roger Taylor, singer Freddie Mercury (1946 \u2013 1991), guitarist Brian May, and bassist John Deacon. \u00a9\u00a0Michael Putland\/Getty<\/em><\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

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