Big news in the world of millipedes and scientific discovery!
Entomologist and myriapodologist Derek Hennen – who happens to be a Taylor Swift fan – has announced the discovery of 17 new species of millipede in North America’s Appalachian Mountains, and yes friends, one of those species is named after the superstar herself.
The twisted-claw millipede was discovered by a group of scientists from Virginia Tech and Hennen, who was lead author of the study decided to name the little creature “Nannaria swiftae.”
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“I named it after @TaylorSwift13! I’m a big fan of her music, so I wanted to show my appreciation by naming this new species from Tennessee after her. A high honour!” he shared on Twitter.
BIG NEWS! Our new paper describing 17 new species of Twisted-Claw Millipedes from Appalachia is published! I spent 5 years of my life searching for them with @Nannaria1 and @apheloria. I named a new species after my wife, and another after @taylorswift13! https://t.co/QXRT6gk1Px pic.twitter.com/kL4T56P4Qd
— Derek Hennen, Ph.D. (@derekhennen) April 15, 2022
Tay Tay hasn’t responded to the honour just yet…
FYI, Hennen named other species after his wife (Nannaria marianae) and various trees too.
(Feature Image Credit: Derek Hennen/Twitter; DFree/Shutterstock)