Taylor Swift Drops New Insect Species
Thanks to a graduate student who is a “lifelong Swiftie” The post Taylor Swift Drops New Insect Species appeared first on Nautilus .
A new insect species, named Swiftiephylus, has been discovered by a doctoral student at the University of California, Riverside. The genus name honors pop star Taylor Swift, as a doctoral student is a "lifelong Swiftie." The insects are pale yellow with red accents, which helps them blend in with the reddish-orange flowers of their preferred plants, the she-oaks of Australia.
The true bug, a member of the Order Hemiptera, feeds on plant sap without posing a threat to humans or other animals. Four distinct species were identified, including the original Swiftiephylus taylorae, along with S. amator, S. intrepidus, and S. poetorum. The discovery was made by Sara Schroeder, who found the new genus while studying 593 specimens housed at two museums.
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