A newly-discovered moth species has been named after Donald Trump.
According to a January 17 article on the website livescience.com, “A miniscule moth with a wingspan of just 0.4 inches (9 millimeters) is the first species to be named after the soon-to-be president of the United States, Donald Trump”.
So, just ahead of his inauguration on Friday (20 January) – when USA’s president-elect will formally metamorphose into its president –this peculiar news made me think.
It made me think of at least two other famous people, and of a flower and a sheep named after them.
But, let us come to that nomenclature of those two a bit later.
'Neopalpa donaldtrumpi’. That’s the scientific name given to the classification of the newly discovered moth species of the genus ‘Neopalpa’.
Apparently, the Canadian scientist Vazrick Nazari, who first discovered the moth in January 2017 felt that the yellow and white scales topping the moth's head resembled Trump's signature hairstyle. And thus, was born the name.
The moth’s occurrence is mainly in Southern California and Northern Mexico which - interestingly and surprisingly - is the very place where its namesake is proposing to build a wall!
Earlier in 2016, according to TIME, "a critter found in the Peruvian Amazon hit the headlines because of its striking resemblance to Trump’s hairdo. The flannel moth caterpillar (Megalopyge opercularis), was subsequently dubbed the ‘Trumpapillar’ by researchers".
Some twelve years ago, I remember reading that a special variety of ‘orange and yellow edged’ tulips, in Netherlands, was being named after the Indian actress, and former Miss World, Aishwaria Rai.
“This tulip represents all the beautiful things of Holland. This tulip will be named after one of the most beautiful women in the world — Aishwarya Rai," said Hans van Driem, the then Managing Director of Netherlands Board of Tourism during a special ceremony in Amsterdam in 2005, before sprinkling the tulips with champagne.
Dolly the sheep is important to the world of science because she was the first mammal to be cloned from an adult cell.
Announced to the world in February 1997, Dolly captured public imagination and sparked a global public debate, about the possible benefits and dangers of ‘cloning’, and of genetically modified livestock.
But why did the scientists name the sheep ‘Dolly’?
It is because Dolly’s DNA came from a mammary gland cell. And everyone knows that a famous country music singer, the buxom Dolly Parton, is personally privileged in that department!
Besides the moth, flower and sheep, there is a fish too! Named after Obama.
Yes. Not many are aware that a species of fish is also named after Barack Obama.
Discovered in June 2016, this new species of Hawaii’s coral-reef was given the formal scientific name ‘Tosanoides Obama’.
Even George W Bush has been immortalized in zoology. ‘Agathidium bushi’ is a beetle named after him.
That’s not all. ‘Trigonopterus Chewbacca’ is a beetle with hairy legs, named after the ‘Star Wars’ Character Chewbacca. ‘Scaptia beyonceae’ is a species of horse fly with a shapely golden behind named after singer Beyoncé. Don’t ask me why . ‘Gnathia marleyi’, is a crustacean parasite found in the Caribbean named after the reggae legend Bob Marley.
I wonder if people become presidents of big countries, or singers on world stage, thinking that they will leave their mark on the plant and animal world. But they should ideally help conserve the rich and varied eco system of our beautiful planet.
Is it not astounding that even after centuries of zoological research we are still finding new species, every other month?
Talking of Trump, our moth-discoverer Vazrick Nazari had said: "I hope that the president will make conservation of fragile ecosystems in the U.S. his top priority. These ecosystems still contain many undiscovered and undescribed species, and deserve to be protected for future generations."
According to a January 17 article on the website livescience.com, “A miniscule moth with a wingspan of just 0.4 inches (9 millimeters) is the first species to be named after the soon-to-be president of the United States, Donald Trump”.
 |
| Yellow and White Scaled Minuscule Moth - Neopalpa DonaldTrumpi |
It made me think of at least two other famous people, and of a flower and a sheep named after them.
But, let us come to that nomenclature of those two a bit later.
'Neopalpa donaldtrumpi’. That’s the scientific name given to the classification of the newly discovered moth species of the genus ‘Neopalpa’.
Apparently, the Canadian scientist Vazrick Nazari, who first discovered the moth in January 2017 felt that the yellow and white scales topping the moth's head resembled Trump's signature hairstyle. And thus, was born the name.
The moth’s occurrence is mainly in Southern California and Northern Mexico which - interestingly and surprisingly - is the very place where its namesake is proposing to build a wall!
Earlier in 2016, according to TIME, "a critter found in the Peruvian Amazon hit the headlines because of its striking resemblance to Trump’s hairdo. The flannel moth caterpillar (Megalopyge opercularis), was subsequently dubbed the ‘Trumpapillar’ by researchers".
 |
| Trumpapillar - Megalopyge opercularis |
“This tulip represents all the beautiful things of Holland. This tulip will be named after one of the most beautiful women in the world — Aishwarya Rai," said Hans van Driem, the then Managing Director of Netherlands Board of Tourism during a special ceremony in Amsterdam in 2005, before sprinkling the tulips with champagne.
Dolly the sheep is important to the world of science because she was the first mammal to be cloned from an adult cell.
Announced to the world in February 1997, Dolly captured public imagination and sparked a global public debate, about the possible benefits and dangers of ‘cloning’, and of genetically modified livestock.
But why did the scientists name the sheep ‘Dolly’?
It is because Dolly’s DNA came from a mammary gland cell. And everyone knows that a famous country music singer, the buxom Dolly Parton, is personally privileged in that department!
Besides the moth, flower and sheep, there is a fish too! Named after Obama.
Yes. Not many are aware that a species of fish is also named after Barack Obama.
Discovered in June 2016, this new species of Hawaii’s coral-reef was given the formal scientific name ‘Tosanoides Obama’.
Even George W Bush has been immortalized in zoology. ‘Agathidium bushi’ is a beetle named after him.
 |
| Australian horse fly - Scaptia beyonceae |
I wonder if people become presidents of big countries, or singers on world stage, thinking that they will leave their mark on the plant and animal world. But they should ideally help conserve the rich and varied eco system of our beautiful planet.
Is it not astounding that even after centuries of zoological research we are still finding new species, every other month?
 |
| Beetle named after Star Wars' character Chewbecca - Trigonopterus Chewbacca |
