4 New Insect Species Named After Taylor Swift
Pop star Taylor Swift has expanded her cultural footprint beyond the human species, with entomologists naming four newly discovered Australian insect species and a Tennessee millipede after the Grammy-winning artist. According to a study published in Insect Systematics & Evolution by University of California, Riverside researcher Sarah Schroeder, four brightly colored plant bugs native to Australia have been grouped into a newly established genus named Swiftiephylus.
The Discovery of the Swiftiephylus Genus
The newly classified insects are small, measuring just fractions of an inch long, but display distinct colors that pop under a microscope. As detailed in Schroeder’s research, the specimens were part of a collection of 593 insects gathered during expeditions to Australia more than 20 years ago. These specimens sat on museum shelves until Schroeder began examining them in 2022 as a first-year Ph.D. student.
By comparing the DNA and physical traits of the museum specimens with others held globally, Schroeder identified four distinct species within the new genus. The titular species, featuring red in the middle of its back, was named Swiftiephylus taylorae. The other three species draw their names directly from Swift’s album catalog: S. amator references the 2019 album Lover; S. intrepidus honors the 2008 release Fearless; and S. poetorum recognizes the 2024 album The Tortured Poets Department.
According to the study, these true bugs belong to a family of plant bugs that live short lives lasting one to two months. They feed by inserting piercing and sucking mouthparts into the stems and shoots of sheoak trees, slurping up plant juices while using chemical pheromones to find mates. Christiane Weirauch, Schroeder’s mentor and co-author on the study, noted that all four species share a defining anatomical trait: spines located near the tips of their penises, the exact function of which remains under scientific investigation.
Expanding the Taxonomic Record in Appalachia
According to research published in the journal ZooKeys led by Derek Hennen, a newly discovered twisted-claw millipede found in southeast Tennessee was named Nannaria swiftae.
Hennen explained in a press release that he chose to name the millipede after Swift because her music helped him navigate the demands of graduate school. Part of a group known as cherry millipedes, Nannaria swiftae utilizes a chemical defense mechanism that releases an aroma reminiscent of cherries or almonds to deter predators. These organisms play an essential ecological role as decomposers, breaking down leaf litter and returning nutrients to the soil across regional forests.
The discovery of both the Australian plant bugs and the Appalachian millipede highlights how much of the natural world remains undocumented, even among leaf-litter critters residing in local backyards. As entomologists continue to process museum archives and field expeditions, taxonomy and popular culture occasionally intersect in unexpected ways.
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