Taylor Swift has added a rather unusual title to her long list of achievements. The Grammy-winning singer is now the namesake of a newly discovered genus of plant-feeding Australian insects with scientists giving the group the name Swiftiephylus.
The name is a nod to Swift’s huge fanbase with “Swiftie” being the name commonly used for her fans. The second part, Phylus, is a name frequently used for this group of insects.
The new genus was named by Sarah Schroeder, a doctoral student in entomology at the University of California, Riverside. As a lifelong Swiftie, Schroeder said she wanted to honour the singer while also drawing attention to insects that are still being discovered.
“It felt authentic to me as a lifelong Swiftie to honor Taylor in this way, as well as bring attention to the diversity of insects that have yet to be discovered,” Schroeder said as quoted by New York Post.
Which Insect Species Are Named After Taylor Swift?
The Swiftiephylus genus includes four newly identified species and each one has a connection to Taylor Swift or her music. They are Swiftiephylus taylorae, Swiftiephylus amator, Swiftiephylus intrepidus and Swiftiephylus poetorum.
Schroeder hopes that connecting the insects with Swift will help attract more public interest in them and encourage efforts to protect and study insect diversity.
This is also not the first time a scientist has used Taylor Swift’s name for a newly identified creature. In 2022, a millipede was named Nannaria swiftae after the singer.
Other Celebrities Who Have Had Species Named After Them
Taylor Swift is far from the only celebrity to receive an unusual scientific tribute. Several other stars have also had newly identified species named after them.
Beyoncé has a rare Australian horsefly named Scaptia beyonceae. The insect has a distinctive golden abdomen, and researchers chose the name as a reference to “bootylicious biodiversity.”
Shakira inspired the name Aleiodes shakirae, a parasitic wasp. Scientists noticed that the insect causes its host caterpillars to bend sideways, which reminded them of the singer’s famous belly dancing.
Leonardo DiCaprio has a Malaysian water beetle named Grouvellinus leonardodicaprioi, with the species named in recognition of his environmental activism.
David Bowie was honoured with Heteropoda davidbowie, an orange-haired huntsman spider found in Asia, with the name also referencing his famous Ziggy Stardust persona.
Stephen Colbert has had at least five different creatures named after him, including a trapdoor spider called Aptostichus stephencolberti, along with a diving beetle and a parasitic wasp.
Arnold Schwarzenegger also has a creature named after him. The Costa Rican beetle Agra schwarzeneggeri was named for him because of its unusually developed middle legs, which reminded scientists of the actor’s muscular physique.
