Did you know that some species of insects, arachnids, reptiles and even dinosaurs bear the surname of a famous person in their scientific name? Here are a dozen curious examples.
Caloplacea obamae.It is the name with which a lichen found in California was baptized. According to its discoverer, I name it in honor of Barack Obama, President of the United States, “to thank his support for science and science education.”
Anisotoma go.Beetle that owes its specific epithet (vaderi) to its physical resemblance to Darth Vader, the popular fictional character fromStar Wars.
Aegrotocatellus JAGGERI.In 1995, two paleontologists gave this name to an extinct trilobite found in Canada to pay their particular tribute to theBritish musician Mick Jagger.
Eristalis gatesi.It is a fly from the flower family of the hoverflies that lives in the forests of Costa Rica and owes its name to the creator of Microsoft, Bill Gates.
Gnathia marleyi.It is the scientific name of a parasite that infects certain fish that inhabit the reefs of the Caribbean. It hides among the corals and waits for a fish to pass by to jump on it and use it as a host. Paul Sikkel, professor of marine ecology at the University of Arkansas, chose this name to remember Bob Marley from the Caribbean and his music.
Goetheana shakespearei. This is the name of a wasp that doubly honors two historical literary figures, Goethe and Shakespeare.
Draculoides bramstokeri.Australian arachnid whose name is reminiscent of the Irish writer Bram Stoker, author of the novelDracula(1897).
Hitler’s Anophthalmus.A species of blind beetle that lives in wet caves in Slovenia. It was named after a German in 1933 in honor of Adolf Hitler.
Dalailama bifurcates.Name of a moth that lives in China, in the region of Tibet, and whose name refers to the Buddhist spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama.
Attenborosaurus conybeari. A species of plesiosaur -water reptile- from the Jurassic that lived in England, and whose name pays tribute to the popularizer and naturalist David Attenborough.
