Achillesaurus Martinelli and Vera, 2007 (theropod dinosaur from Argentina) named for the Achilles' heel, because several of the animal's diagnostic features are found in its heel.

Betelgeuse Shaw, 1988 (braconid wasp) Named after the star in the constellation Orion, because Orion has a sword, and the female wasp has a conspicuous sword-like ovipositor. [Psyche 95: 289]

Ceratoperidinium yeye Margalef, 1969 (dinoflagellate) "Yeye" is the name of a popular 1960s dance in Spain. This microalga has two expansions suggesting the legs a girl dancing.

Chunia Woodburne and Clemens, 1986 (Australian Oligocene marsupial) Named after the Chun style of glazed pottery of the Sung Dynasty of China which, like the teeth of Chunia, exhibits numerous fine lines.

Cyclocephala rorschachoides Ratcliffe (scarab) Presumably it has an ink-blot-like pattern on it.

Cypraea isabella Linnaeus 1758 (Isabella's cowrie) Linnaeus named this parchment-colored, brown-streaked shell after the color "Isabella." The color was named after Archduchess Isabella of Austria, who vowed not to change her underwear until her father, Philip II, won the siege of Ostend. The siege lasted three years.

Diplocriterion yoyo (trace fossil) It loops up and down.

Galaxias (freshwater fish) The type species, Galaxias argenteus was so named for the white spotting on its body like stars in a galaxy.

Golfingia Lankaster, 1885 (Sipunculid) named "in honor of golf". Reportedly, it was discovered while two professors were golfing at St. Andrews. A ball was sliced and landed on a beach next to the unusual animal.

Gordius (horsehair worm) Named after the famously complex Gordian knot. These worms often twist themselves into knots.

Hylaeus tetris Dathe, 2000 (bee) Named for four marks on its scutellum, with reference to the computer game.

Legionella Brenner et al., 1979 (bacteria) This bacterium was first identified when an American Legion convention fell victim to it in Philadelphia in 1976.

Ludodactylus Frey, Martill, and Buchy 2003 (pterosaur) The name means "play pterosaur", in reference to toy models of Pteranodon which so often were inaccurately made with a beak of long, sharp teeth. Ludodactylus looks like Pteranodon but really has such teeth.

Mojoceratops Longrich 2010 (ceratopsid dinosaur) Named for the heart-shaped frill on its head. A mojo is a charm or talisman, usually to attract the opposite sex. The name started as a joke, but it sounded good and fit well, so it stuck. [J. Paleo. 84: 681]

Orizabus botox Ratcliffe and Cave, 2006 (scarab beetle) The scarab is unusually wrinkle-free as if it had an injection of botox.

Phyllidia polkadotsa Brunckhorst, 1993 (nudibranch)

Pseudatrichia atombomba Kelsey, 1969 (window fly (Scenopinidae)) Described from Alamagordo, New Mexico.

Atlascopcosaurus loadsi Rich & Vickers-Rich, 1989 (Australian dinosaur) named after the company Atlas Copco, which provided industrial equipment for the expedition, and for William Loads, the state manager for Atlas Copco at the time, who also assisted during the dig.

Dypsis mcdonaldiana Beentje, 1995 (palm from Madagascar) named for the hamburger company that funded the research.

Electrolux addisoni Compagno and Heemstra, 2007 (ray) "The name alludes to the well-developed electrogenic properties of this ray (collectors and photographers have experienced the shocking personality of this bold, active and brightly patterned electric ray first-hand), the discovery of which sheds light (Latin, lux) on the rich and poorly-known fish diversity of the Western Indian Ocean. And the vigorous sucking action displayed on the videotape of the feeding ray that was taken by Stephania and Peer Lamberti may rival a well-known electrical device used to suck the detritus from carpets, furniture, and other dust-gathering surfaces in modern homes..." [Smithiana Bulletin]

Fedexia Berman et al., 2010 (fossil amphibian) Named for the FedEx shipping company, which owns the land the fossil was found on.

Futalognkosaurus dukei Calvo et al., 2007 (Argentinian sauropod) Acknowledging the Duke Energy Corporation, a sponsor of the excavation. (The genus means "giant chief of the dinosaurs" in the Mapuche language.)

Gasosaurus constructus Dong & Tang, 1985 (Jurassic theropod) Named for the Dashanpu natural gas mining company (in China), whose construction uncovered it.

Krakatauia planticorum 2004 (long-legged fly) Named after Plantic Technologies, which won naming rights as part of the Australian Museum Eureka Prizes, for developing a biodegradable plastic.

Oxybelus cocacolae Verhoeff (sphecid wasp)

Proceratium google Fisher, 2005 (ant from Madagascar) Named after the internet search engine company in hopes that it will cooperate on a database of all animal life. "Like Google, the ant is really good at finding obscure prey."

Roberthoffstetteria nationalgeographica Marshall, de Muizon & Sige, 1993 (Paleocene mammal) National Geographic probably bankrolled the expedition which found this animal. (Robert Hoffstetter is a paleontologist.)

Scissurella alto Geiger, 2003 Named for the Alto, the first personal computer, in honor of its developers at Xerox PARC and in recognition of the importance of personal computers in systematic biology.

Mantis religiosa Linnaeus, 1758 (praying mantis)

Parnassius apollo antijesuita Bryk. (a bufferfly) "Antijesuita" means "against jesuits". There's got to be a story behind this.

Presbyornis Wetmore, 1926 (fossil bird) The name refers to Presbyterians.

Saturnalia Langer et al., 1999 (prosauropod dinosaur) Named for the Roman winter solstice festival.

Sorex shinto Thomas, 1905 (Shinto shrew)

Strategus mormon Burmeister (scarab)

Tabanus yuleanus Philip, 1950 (horse fly) Named in honor of a memorable Christmas day in 1946.

Zen Jordan, 1903 (dory fish)

Agave tequilana Weber (blue agave) from which tequila is made.

Artemesia absinthium (wormwood) from which absinthe is distilled.

Coffea (coffee tree)

Cuttysarkus Estes, 1964 (fossil salamander) probably after a brand of whiskey. Synonymized with Prodesmodon.

La cerveza Landry (pyralid moth)

Pseudophoenux vinifera (Buccaneer palm from Hispaniola) Wine can be brewed from its sap.

Saccharomyces cerevisiae (brewers yeast) "Sugar-eating fungus of beer."

Schizosaccharomyces pombe (yeast) Isolated from an East African beer. "Pombe" is the Swahili word for beer.

Strychnos nux-vomica (Southeast Asian tree) Its seeds are the source of strychnine, brucine, and the bitter emetic nux-vomica.

Tastavinsaurus Canudo et al. 2008 (sauropod) Literally, "wine-tasting lizard", but it was named after the Tastavin River in Catalan, Spain, where it was discovered. [J. Vert. Paleo. 28: 712]

Zoogonecticus tequila (goodeid fish)

Alvinocaris Williams and Chace, 1982, Mirocaris Vereshchaka, 1997, Nautilocaris Komai and Segonzac, 2004, and Shinkaicaris Komai and Segonzac, 2005 (shrimp). There are just a few manned submersibles used for deep-ocean (>4000 m) scientific research: Alvin (USA), Mir-1 and Mir-2 (Russia), Nautil (France), and Shinkai-6500 (Japan). They are used, among other things, to explore deep-water hydrothermal vents, which often have endemic shrimp species. There is now a shrimp named for each submersible. [J. Crust. Biol. 2: 136; J. Mar. Biol. Ass. UK 77: 425; 84: 1179; J. Nat. Hist. 39: 1111]

Alvinella Desbruyeres and Laubier 1979 and Paralvinella Desbruyeres and Laubier 1982 (polychaete tube-worms). The latter genus has seven species in three subgenera, Paralvinella, Miralvinella and Nautalvinella. Together, these make up the family Alvinellidae.

Bacillus odysseyi La Duc, Satomi & Venkateswaran, 2004 (bacillus) isolated from the surface of the Mars Odyssey orbiter (before it left Earth).

Discoverichthys (deep-sea fish)

Frencrinuroides edseli Edgecombe et al., 1998 (trilobite)

Macrocarpaea canoëfolia, M. kayakifolia, and M. tabula-fluctivagifolia J.R. Grant, 2004 (Peruvian trees, Gentianaceae) Named, respectively, for leaves shaped like canoe, kayak, and surfboard (from "tabula", board + "fluctivagus", surf).

Sorolopha bruneiregalis Tuck & Robinson, 1994 (tortricid moth) after Royal Brunei Airlines.

Qantassaurus Rich & Vickers-Rich, 1999 (Ornithopod dinosaur) Named after Qantas Airlines.

Stenotabanus sputnikulus Philip, 1958 (horse fly) Named "in commemoration of the launching of the first man-made earth satellite, while this species was being described. The fly also undoubtedly buzzes about the earth, even though in a much more restricted way."