New insect genus and four species named for Taylor Swift and her albums

Taylor Swift has become the namesake of a new genus of plant-feeding insects discovered in Australia. University of California, Riverside doctoral student Sarah Schroeder, who is a devoted fan of Swift, hopes that this unusual honor will raise awareness about these insects and insect conservation. A new paper published in the journal Insect Systematics and Evolution details the discovery of 12 new species, including the Swiftiephylus genus.

The four Swift-inspired species are Swiftiephylus taylorae, Swiftiephylus amator, Swiftiephylus intrepidus, and Swiftiephylus poetorum. The genus name combines "Swiftie," the term for Swift's fans, with "Phylus," a common name for this group of insects. These insects, belonging to the Miridae family, are found on Australian she-oaks and are not known to harm their hosts.

Their pale yellow coloration with red accents may aid in camouflage among she-oak flowers. The discovery of these species highlights the importance of taxonomy in documenting biodiversity and underscores the need to conserve the vast array of unknown insect species that still remain undocumented.