Meet The New Millipede Species Named After Taylor Swift

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A newly-found millipede species was named Nannaria swiftae, in honor of Taylor Swift (Credit: Derek Hennen et..all.

Taylor Swift has received numerous music awards and even an Emmy. Now, the popular American singer-songwriter can add an unusual achievement to her growing list of accolades — a new millipede species named after her. The Nannaria swiftae (N. swiftae) is one of 17 new twisted-claw millipede species recently identified by Dr. Derek Hennen and his team at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia.

"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 honor!" Hennen tweeted.

The discovery was part of a multi-year research project to find and analyze species of the millipede genus Nannaria. They were among 1,835 millipede specimens found by the team during their multi-year search across 13 states in the biodiverse Appalachian Mountain region. While some of the newly-revealed twisted-claw species had been previously collected, they were unidentified until the recent study, published in the journal Zoo Keys on April 15, 2022.

The team collected and analyzed 1,835 millipede specimens for their study (Credit: Derek Hennen et al.)

The N. swiftae has reddish-orange spots, a chestnut brown body, and distinguishing bumps on its legs. Hennen said the "beautiful" creepy-crawly belongs to a group called cherry millipedes. The arthropods release a chemical defense against predators that smell like cherries or almonds. "It's a potent defense against predators but is harmless to humans," he added.

The millipede species was found only in Tennessee — where Swift began her career as a country singer. Hence, naming it after the artist made perfect sense. The entomologist called another species Nannaria marianae in honor of his wife, Marian. The rest of the new species were named after the plants or areas where the specimens had been found.

Hennen named another new millipede species after his wife, Marian (Credit: Hennen et al.)

Though they may appear creepy to some, millipedes are important for our ecosystem. They consume decomposing plant matter and release nutrients that enrich the soil. The harmless creatures are efficient diggers and spend most of their lives underground. When threatened, they release chemical toxins that deter but do not kill a potential predator.

Swift is not the first celebrity to have an animal species named after her. In 2020, a new venomous snake species found in the Gulf of Guinea was named Atheris hetfieldi, after Metallica's lead singer, James Hetfield. American music performer Lady Gaga received similar recognition in the form of a new treehopper insect species dubbed Kaikaia gaga,

Resources: zookeys.pensoft.net, npr.org, livescience.com

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93 Comments
  • wujebapuruzy
    wujebapuruzy3 months
    Of course it's Taylor Swift
    • vonabelle
      vonabelleabout 1 year
      Awesome! Three celebrities named after other species.
      • fires
        firesover 1 year
        And I would love to have a bug named after me
        • fires
          firesover 1 year
          I love Taylor so much I actually cry when my mom turns off her songs. #Futuresinger
          • bethanybeach
            bethanybeachover 1 year
            As much as I love Taylor Swift I would not go near that,I really do not like bugs
            • winifredlishus
              winifredlishusover 1 year
              I mean... that's cool and all but i aint that big on TS or bugs guys ngl
              • saylortwift
                saylortwiftover 1 year
                me and this bug have a love-hate relationship, I love Taylor Swift but hate bugs. eww!. Go Swifties!!!
                • cocoacat
                  cocoacatabout 2 years
                  I would like it if someone named a bug after me.
                  • boba_addiction
                    boba_addictionalmost 3 years
                    wow! ( does she even know though? ) that's just weird! i don't think the famous Tayler Swift matches to a milipede! but hopes she's happy her fans like it! LOL
                    • adroit_avimimus
                      adroit_avimimusalmost 3 years
                      That is so cool! I mean, getting named after a hit singer is a huge honor! Congrats little millipede! Bugs are soo cool!