In Her Insect 'Era': Scientists Caught the 'Swiftie' Bug and Named a Genus After Taylor Swift
Sarah Schroeder identified four plant bug species in a new genus, and the study says their colors and names honor Taylor Swift.
- On Wednesday, University of California, Riverside entomology doctoral student Sarah Schroeder named a new genus of Australian plant-feeding insects "Swiftiephylus" after Taylor Swift in a study published in Insect Systematics & Evolution describing 12 new species.
- Researchers collected 593 specimens in Australia between 1995 and 2004, but Schroeder spent years analyzing them before recognizing their pale yellow bodies with red accents resembled Swift's signature blonde hair and red lips.
- The genus includes four species named for Swift's albums: Swiftiephylus taylorae, S. amator for the 2019 album Lover, S. intrepidus for 2008's Fearless, and S. poetorum for 2024's The Tortured Poets Department.
- Schroeder emphasizes that "taxonomy is the cornerstone of conservation," arguing that "if we don't describe species, we don't know they exist" and cannot protect them from extinction.
- Naming species after celebrities follows a growing trend; a snake was named for actor Harrison Ford in 2023. Schroeder aims to document some of the 30 million insect species still awaiting discovery.
74 Articles
74 Articles
Scientists have named four newly discovered insect species after US superstar Taylor Swift, and the animals now belong to a new genus, Swiftiephylus, the University of California, Riverside, announced Wednesday.
A new bug coat and four species were named after the US singer Taylor Swift. The name is intended to attract more attention to the preservation of insects.
Researchers named four new types of soft bugs after singer Taylor Swift and her albums, including the appearance of insects.
One reason why she named the insects after Taylor Swift is according to doctoral student Sarah Schroeder the appearance of the bugs.
Superstar Taylor Swift has made a name for himself in the insect world: a new genus and four species were named after the singer.
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