Revealed: Plants and animals named after our favourite celebrities

What's in a name?

There are many reasons scientists choose particular names for their new discoveries but how exactly do they come up with the names? The classification is based on the method introduced by Carolus Linnaeus, the father of modern taxonomy. You take the organism's genus as the first part, then add the new species name, whether that's inspired by a family member or, in this case, their favourite celebrity. From a succulent with a musical connection to a horsefly named after Queen B. herself, these plants and animals have all been named after famous people.

Beyoncé horsefly

Although this species of horsefly was discovered as early as 1981, it wasn't scientifically described until 2011 by research scientist Bryan Lessard who named it Scaptia beyoncea. “It was the unique dense golden hairs on the fly’s abdomen that led me to name this fly in honour of the performer Beyoncé as well as giving me the chance to demonstrate the fun side of taxonomy – the naming of species,” he said in a public announcement.

Kate Winslet beetle

A new species of beetle found in Costa Rica in 2002 was named after Kate Winslet thanks to her iconic role in Titanic. The name Agra katewinsletae was given to highlight the threat posed to many species by deforestation of the native rainforests. Terry Erwin, the entomologist responsible for the naming of the beetle, said: "Her character did not go down with the ship, but we will not be able to say the same for this elegant canopy species, if all the rainforest is converted to pastures."

Michelle Obama orchid

There is a White House tradition of naming orchids after the First Lady that dates back to 1929 when Lou Hoover received the first one. Orchid grower Arthur E. Chadwick, who cultivated the new orchid, named the lavender- and fuchsia-coloured plant Cattleya Michelle Obama. “The colour is really spectacular, just a beautiful, glistening magenta, and the fact that the flower just lasts forever, that’s unheard of for cattleyas,” he said.

Taylor Swift millipede

The Grammy and Emmy award winner Tay-Tay now has a millipede named after her. A twisted claw millipede called Nannaria swiftae to be exact. The new species was found in the Appalachian Mountains in 2022 in Tennessee after a study through 17 US states specifically aimed at finding new species of the composting millipede. The lead scientist on the project was Derek Hennen, who is a huge fan of Taylor Swift. He said: "Her music helped me get through the highs and lows of graduate school, so naming a new millipede species after her is my way of saying thanks.”

Brad Pitt parasitic wasp

Brad Pitt was honoured in 2016 when a new wasp species was named after him. Conobregma bradpitti, is a parasitic wasp native to South Africa. The wasp measures less than two millimetres in length and is deep brown in colour with a brownish-yellow head, antennae and legs. It belongs to a large worldwide group of wasps who lay their eggs into a host, which then starts hardening and acts as a 'mummified' cocoon.

Sir David Attenborough dinosaur

One of the most important naturalists of our time, Sir David Attenborough has over a dozen species named in his honour, from an extinct marsupial lion and a dragonfly to a crustacean, a fish, a grasshopper, a spider and a number of plants. The biggest discovery, a dinosaur,  was made in Dorset, England in the 1880s but renamed Attenborosaurus in 1993 when palaeontologist Robert Bakker realised it was different enough from other plesiosaurus to deserve its own genus.

Lady Gaga ferns

Lady Gaga has an entire genus of ferns named after her, Gaga (also known as Gaga lipfern). The genus now features 19 gender-fluid ferns which also uncannily resemble an outrageous outfit that she wore to the 2010 Grammy Awards. Kathleen Pryer, Duke University biology professor and director of the Duke Herbarium said: "We wanted to name this genus for Lady Gaga because of her fervent defence of equality and individual expression."

Jennifer Lopez aquatic mite

Litarachna lopezae was discovered in Bajo de Sico, a coral reef system off the coast of Puerto Rico where the famous singer is from. The lead scientist on the project Vladimir Pešić from the University of Montenegro said: “The reason behind the unusual choice of name for the new species is that J.Lo’s songs and videos kept the team in a continuous good mood when writing the manuscript and watching World Cup Soccer 2014."

Shakira parasitic wasp

Aleiodes shakiraeafter is a parasitic wasp whose sting causes host caterpillars to move in a way that reminded the scientists of Shakira’s dance moves. Discovered by Dr Eduardo Shimbori and Dr Scott Shaw in the cloud forests of Ecuador, Dr Shaw said: "These wasps are helping to naturally control the populations of plant-feeding caterpillars, so they help to sustain the biodiversity of tropical forests."

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Sting frog

It might seem somewhat disappointing that instead of a bee or a wasp, it's a frog that's named after the famous singer. Moises Kaplan of the University of Michigan discovered the new species of frog in the Colombian mountains and dedicated Dendropsophus stingi to honour Sting’s "commitment and efforts to save the rainforest".

Tobey Maguire spider

Could it have been anything else? Filistata maguirei was discovered in Iran in 2015 by Yuri M. Marusik and Alireza Zamani named the new discovery after the first Spider-Man actor. Pretty appropriate, if you ask us.

Andrew Garfield spider

Andrew Garfield also has a spider named after him by the same scientists who discovered the Filistata maguirei. The Pritha garfieldi was described in the same year and was named after the actor who followed Tobey Maguire as the web-slinging superhero. Now, let's hope there's another species of spider to discover to be named after Tom Holland.

Stephen Colbert beetle

Stephen Colbert has five species named after him, including this diving beetle. Quentin Wheeler, the director of the International Institute for Species Exploration at Arizona State University called the new discovery after the talk show host because he “shamelessly asked the science community to name something cooler than a spider to honour him". Apparently, his top choices included a giant ant or a lion.

Angelina Jolie trapdoor spider

Aptostichus angelinajolieae, discovered in Monterey County, California in 2012 is a nocturnal spider who, terrifyingly, capture their prey by leaping out of their burrows and injecting it with venom. Professor Jason Bond of Alabama's Auburn University named the spider after the famous actress to recognise the work she has done on the United Nations High Commission for Refugees.

Jimi Hendrix succulent

Famous for his musical talents, Jimi Hendrix will also be remembered in the botanical world, thanks to a succulent that was discovered in Baja California in Mexico by Stephen McCabe, a retired botanist. At the exact moment of discovery, he was listening to Hendrix’s song Voodoo Child and so the Dudleya hendrixii was named in his honour.

Leonardo DiCaprio tree

The tropical tree, which is a member of the ylang-ylang family, was found in the Ebo Forest in Cameroon by scientists from England and Cameroon. Researchers chose the name because the actor and environmentalist had lobbied to prevent logging in the forest in 2020 – a decision which helped to protect many endangered and threatened species which may otherwise have become extinct. He also has numerous critters named in his honour, including two beetles and two spiders.

Barack Obama lichen

Caloplaca obamae, nicknamed firedot lichen, was first discovered on Santa Rosa Island off the coast of California in 2007. It was the first organism to be named after the 44th president. Kerry Knudsen, the lichen curator in the University of California Herbarium, picked the name to "show my appreciation for the President's support of science and science education". Pictured is the similar common orange lichen.

John Cleese lemur

Monty Python and Fawlty Towers legend John Cleese has a woolly lemur named after him. Avahi cleesei, also known as Cleese's woolly lemur, was so-named by scientist Urs Thalman in 2005 to honour Cleese’s fondness for lemurs. The famous actor has worked on several projects featuring the plight of lemurs, including the movie Fierce Creatures and documentary Operation Lemur With John Cleese. Here, the actor is pictured with a red ruffed lemur at Bristol Zoo.

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