A scientific tribute to Taylor Swift: four new insects bear her name

Entomology researchers from the University of California have described a new genus of bugs from Australia, naming it Swiftiephylus as a tribute to Taylor Swift and her fans. Four species in the new genus were named after her albums: Lover, Fearless, and The Tortured Poets Department. Lead researcher Sarah Schroeder, a devoted fan, noted that a visual resemblance between the yellow-red insect bodies and Swift's blonde hair and red lipstick influenced the choice. The specimens were collected in Australia between 1995 and 2004 and waited in museum drawers for nearly three decades.

Entomology researchers from the University of California, Riverside have described a new genus of bugs from Australia, naming it Swiftiephylus – a combination of Taylor Swift's fan nickname (Swifties) and a scientific suffix. Four species in the new genus were named after the pop star and her albums: Swiftiephylus taylorae (after her), Swiftiephylus amator (Lover), Swiftiephylus intrepidus (Fearless), and Swiftiephylus poetorum (The Tortured Poets Department). The study, led by doctoral student Sarah Schroeder and her advisor Prof. Christiane Weirauch, was published in the journal Insect Systematics & Evolution. The researchers described 12 new species from the family Miridae, four of which belong to the tribute genus. Schroeder, who identifies as a Swift fan, noted that the connection also arose from a visual resemblance: the insects' light-yellow bodies with red accents, reminiscent of the singer's blonde hair and red lipstick. The specimens were collected in Australia between 1995 and 2004 as part of a broad biological survey and were stored in drawers at the American Museum of Natural History and the Australian Museum until their current processing. The researchers emphasized that the insects are harmless to humans, animals, and plants.