Singer-songwriter Taylor Swift’s influence has stretched well beyond the pop world and into the realm of science. In a unique honour, scientists have recently named several newly discovered Australian insects after the singer.
Researchers from the University of California in the US have discovered 12 new species of plant-eating insects, with their finding published in the science journal Insect Systematics and Evolution.
Sarah Schroeder, who led the discovery is herself a huge fan and chose the names hoping that the celebrity connect will bring attention to insect conservation and encourage people to learn about undiscovered species.
They named an entire group Swiftiephylus, combining “Swiftie”, the term for the singer’s fans, with “Phylus”, a common name element for this type of insect. Four specific species were also named after the singer and her albums: Swiftiephylus taylorae after Taylor, Swiftiephylus amator after “lover”, Swiftiephylus intrepidus after “fearless”, and Swiftiephylus poetorum after “poets”.
