Her insect era? How Taylor Swift became the namesake for newly described bugs
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- A UC Riverside student named a newly described Australian insect genus Swiftiephylus.
- The move blends pop stardom with taxonomy to spotlight the diversity of insects.
Where many people might see a plant-eating bug with light yellow coloration and a splash of red accents, Sarah Schroeder sees, in a way, Taylor Swift.
At least, that’s the scientist’s reasoning for why the names she chose for four newly described Australian insect species were inspired by her favorite world-famous pop star.
“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, a UC Riverside doctoral student, said in a statement.
The genus, which Schroeder named Swiftiephylus, comprises four species with references to the singer and her albums: Swiftiephylus taylorae, Swiftiephylus amator, Swiftiephylus intrepidus and Swiftiephylus poetorum, which are Latin versions of Taylor, lover, fearless and poets, respectively, according to a news release from UC Riverside. They are among the 12 new species of insects described in an article published in Insect Systematics & Evolution on Wednesday.
In the news release, Schroeder likened the insects’ coloring — pale yellow with red accents — to Swift’s “iconic” blonde hair and red lips. She believes the coloring helps them camouflage among she-oak flowers, with which they are closely associated.
The bug specimens were among 50,000 collected between 1995 and 2004 by researchers from the American Museum of Natural History and Australian collaborators, some of which have taken years to study and describe, according to the release.
Schroeder’s advisor and paper co-author, Christiane Weirauch, participated in that effort before joining UC Riverside as an entomology professor. She suggested that Schroeder examine some of the undescribed specimens as part of her dissertation, according to the news release.
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