'Lover,' 'Fearless,' 'Poets'
Entomologists have named a newly discovered genus of Australian plant-feeding insects 'Swiftiephylus' in honor of pop star Taylor Swift. The four new species are characterized by their blonde bodies and red accents, mirroring the singer's iconic aesthetic.
Why it matters
This naming convention serves as a creative outreach tool to increase public interest in entomology and the discovery of new insect biodiversity.
Hear this story Meet the newest members of the Swiftie universe. They're blonde, accented in red and have names like "Lover," "Fearless" and "Poets."
They've also been hiding out in Australia for decades.
Scientists have named a newly discovered genus of plant-feeding insects "Swiftiephylus" in honor of Taylor Swift .
Sarah Schroeder, a doctoral student in entomology at the University of California, Riverside, along with professor Christiane Weirauch, described the bugs in a study published Sept. 9 in the journal "Insect Systematics & Evolution." The pair examined 593 specimens collected throughout Australia between 1995 and 2004 and described 12 new species across five new genera.
"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 has yet to be discovered," Schroeder said in a UC Riverside release.
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