Taylor Swift was recently bestowed with a new honor as newly-discovered plant-eating insects in Australia were named after her.
Popular American singer, Taylor Swift, was recently bestowed with a new honor, when newly-discovered plant-eating insects in Australia were named after her. Researchers at the University of California, Riverside, recently discovered four new species of insects in Australia, and all of the species have been named after the American artist.
The genus has been named “Swiftiephylus,” while the four individual species within that genus have been named Swiftiephylus taylorae, Swiftiephylus amator, Swiftiephylus intrepidus, and Swiftiephylus poetorum. This is a tribute to Taylor Swift and three of her albums, Lover, Fearless, and Poets.
As the news made its way to X, users were quick to share their reactions.
“is this taylor shade? aussies better watch out” – via laire4u/X
“They named a roach after Taylor Swift? That’s kinda disrespectful” – via ganyola_payola3/X
“Wait is this a shade or a cheer” – via hohohoe67/X
“I don’t ever want to hear anyone say swifties are dumb” – via smalltowncleo05/X
Taylor Swift or her team have not responded to this news so far.
Why was the newly discovered plant-eating insect species named after Taylor Swift?
University of California, Riverside entomology doctoral student, Sarah Schroeder revealed the reason why she chose to name the insect species after the megastar. Her reason primarily revolved around her intention to create more awareness regarding insect conservation.
She said,
“It felt authentic to me as a lifelong Swiftie to honor Taylor in this way, as well as bring attention to the diversity of insects that has yet to be discovered.”
However, Schroeder also noted the insects are predominantly pale yellow with streaks of red, and that the species name was chosen to honor Swift and raise awareness of insect conservation.
“Taylor Swift’s iconic look is her blonde hair and red lips. These insects are pale yellow with accents of red throughout. In the paper, I refer to them as blonde.”
Taylor Swift has a massive following all over the world, with many people being able to resonate with her music globally.
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