Bufonaria borisbeckeri Parth, 1996 (bursid sea snail) Etymology: "Ich widme die neue Art Boris Becker, dem meines Erachtens größten deutschen Einzelsportler aller Zeiten." [Spixiana 19(1): 129]

Cretalamna bryanti Ebersole & Ehret, 2018 (Cretaceous shark) "in honor of the Bryant family, whose commitment to education and ongoing support of the University of Alabama, the ALMNH [Alabama Museum of Natural History], and MSC [McWane Science Center[ have enhanced the reputations and missions of all three institutions." [PeerJ 6:e4229] Alabama football coach 'Bear' Bryant is the most promient of that family.

Eulaema atleticana Nemésio, 2009 (bee) Named in honor of the 100-year anniversary of Clube Atlético Mineiro, a Brazilian football (soccer) team. The black and yellow stripes on the bee's metasoma resemble the striped official players' t-shirt.

Mastophora dizzydeani Eberhard, 1984 (spider) Named after a baseball player. The spider uses a sticky ball on the end of a thread to catch its prey.

Salmonella enterica enterica serovar Mjordan (bacterium serotype)

Agaporomorphus colberti Wheeler & Miller, 2009 (diving beetle) Wheeler said, "Last year, Stephen shamelessly asked the science community to name something cooler than a spider to honor him. His top choices were a giant ant or a laser lion. While those would be cool species to discover, our research involves beetles, and they are 'way cooler' than a spider any day."

Albunea groeningi Boyko, 2002 (sand crab (Crustacea: Anomura: Albuneidae)) named for Matt Groening, creator of "The Simpsons".

Aleiodes elleni Shimbori & Shaw, 2014 (parasitic wasp) Named after Ellen DeGeneres. [ZooKeys 405: 1]

Aleiodes falloni Shimbori & Shaw, 2014 (parasitic wasp) Named after James Thomas (Jimmy) Fallon.

Aleiodes stewarti Shimbori & Shaw, 2014 (parasitic wasp) Named after Jon Stewart of The Daily Show.

Campsicnemius charliechaplini Evenhuis, 1996 (dolichopodid fly) "Etymology: This species is named in honor of the great silent movie comedian, Charlie Chaplin, because of the curious tendency of this fly to die with its midlegs in a bandy-legged position." [Bishop Mus. Occ. Pap. 0(45):54]

Cuspicephalus scarfi Martill and Etches, 2011 (pterosaur) Named for artist/cartoonist Gerald Scarfe, whose caricatures mostly have very pointed noses.

Baeturia laureli and B. hardyi de Boer, 1996 (cicadas)

Garylarsonus (beetle)

Hyloscirtus sethmacfarlanei Reyes-Puig et al. 2022 (frog) Honoring the creator of such shows as "Family Guy" and "American Dad" for his conservation work.

Montypythonoides riversleighensis Smith & Plane, 1985 (fossil snake) The genus is no longer valid; this species is now called Morelia riversleighensis.

Scinax fontanarrosai Baldo et al. 2019 (frog) In honor of Argentine writer and cartoonist Roberto "El Negro" Fontanarrosa. "His work always included elements of nature, like the amphibians."

Sula abbotti costelloi Steadman, Schubel & Pahlavan, 1988 (a subspecies of Abbot's booby, recently extinct)

Anatoma tobeyoides Geiger & Jansen, 2004 (snail) Named for American abstract expressionist painter Mark Tobey, because the sculpture on the snail shell is reminiscent of his work.

Daptolestes leei Robinson & Yeates, 2020 (robber fly) Named after comic book icon Stan Lee; the fly shares his characteristic sunglasses and white moustache. See also four related flies named after Marvel characters.

Effigia okeeffeae Nesbitt 2007. (Archosaur) from Ghost Ranch, New Mexico, near where the artist Georgia O'Keeffe lived.

Elysia manriquei Ortea & Moro, 2009 (sea slug from Lanzarote) Named in honor of artist Cesar Manrique "for the architecture and colorful designs of its body"

Gaudipluma Artal et al. 2013 (Eocene crab) Its carapace resembles the buildings of Catalan architect Antoní Gaudí. [Zootaxa 3652: 343]

Microchilo elgrecoi Bleszynski, 1966 (crambid moth) After the Spanish painter El Greco. [Acta Zool. Cracoviensia 11: 451]

Microchilo murilloi Bleszynski, 1966 (crambid moth) After the Mexican painter Murillo (Dr. Atl). [Acta Zool. Cracoviensia 11: 451]

Pseudoparamys cezannei Hartenberger, 1987 (Ischyromyidae, extinct rodent)

Raphaelana Girault (wasp)

Spintharus manrayi Chomitz & Agnarsson, 2018 (spider) for visual artist Man Ray (Emmanuel Radnitzky).

Torvosaurus guernyei Hendrickx & Matteus, 2014 (Jurassic theropod) "In honor of the paleoartist James Gurney, creator of the utopic world of Dinotopia." [PLoS ONE 9(3): e88905]

Pseudocatharylla gioconda Bleszynski, 1964 (crambid moth) "Described from a unique female" and "very distinctive." [Acta Zool. Cracoviensia 11: 683]

Aleiodes frosti Shimbori & Shaw, 2014 (parasitic wasp) Named after Robert Frost, in reference to his poem "The Road Not Taken." This wasp is unique in its genus in exiting its host caterpillar through a posterior side hole.

Alsasuacaris nostradamus Bakel et al., 2011 (cyclid crustacean) One of the authors had predicted a year beforehand that cyclids would be found in the area.

Aptostichus dorothealangeae Bond 2012 (trapdoor spider) Named for photojournalist Dorothea Lange.

Aptostichus edwardabbeyi Bond 2012 (trapdoor spider) Named for author and environmentalist Edward Abbey.

Aesopichthys Poplin & Lund, 2000 (fossil actinopterygian fish) Named for Aesop.

Aligheria Girault (wasp) named for Dante Aligheri.

Arthurdactylus conandoylensis Frey & Martill, 1994 (Brazilian pterosaur) Named after Arthur Conan Doyle in honor of his story The Lost World, which is set in jungle similar to where the fossil was found, and in which a living pterosaur is brought back to London.

Draculoides bramstokeri Harvey & Humphreys, 1995 (schizomid) Bram Stoker was the author of Dracula.

Cacomorphocerus madseni Fanti & Damgaard, 2018 (Eocene soldier beetle) In honour of the Danish novelist Svend Åge Madsen. [Baltic J. Coleop. 18: 5]

Carlyleia Girault, 1916 (eulophid wasp) named for Thomas Carlyle.

Crichtonpelta Lü et al., 2007 (Cretaceous ankylosaurid) Named after Jurassic Park author Michael Crichton. ("Pelta" means small shield.)

Cyclocepahala casanova Ratcliffe and Cave, 2009 (scarab beetle) So named for the heart-shaped mark on its wing covers.

Daisya obriani Anderson, 2003 (weevil) Named for Patrick O'Brian, writer of English naval books.

Darwinilus sedarisi Chatzimanolis, 2014 (rove beetle) Named after writer/humorist David Sedaris "as an appreciation for his fascination with the natural world."

Eadya annleckieae Ridenbaugh, 2018 (wasp) Named in honor of science fiction writer Ann Leckie.

Emersonella Girault, 1916 (eulophid wasp) named for Ralph Waldo Emerson.

Etheostoma faulkneri Sterling & Warren, 2020 (darter) Named after writer William Faulkner, a Mississippi native (like the fish) and avid fisher.

Etmopterus benchleyi (ninja lanternshark) Honoring Peter Benchley, author of Jaws and advocate for shark conservation.

Fanteichthys Carnevale 2007 (Miocene fish) Named for Italo-American writer John Fante, whose parents came from the town where the fossil was found.

Goethaeana Girault, 1920 (eulophid wasp) named for Johann Goethe. One species is G. shakespearei.

Hemingwaya Sytchevskaya & Prokofiev, 2002 (Paleocene billfish) for Ernest Hemingway.

Ibyka Skog and Banks, 1973 (fossil plant) "from the poet Ibykos whose murder was revealed by cranes. This plant was only discovered because of quarrying operations [involving a different sort of crane] for the construction of Gilboa dam." [Amer. J. Bot. 60: 368.]

Kankuamo marquezi Perafán, Galvis & Gutiérrez, 2016 (tarantula) Named after Nobel-prize winning author Gabriel García Márquez, who, like the spider, lived in Columbia. [ZooKeys 601: 89]

Keatsia Girault (wasp) named for poet John Keats.

Goniopholis kiplingi Andrade, 2011 (Cretaceous crocodile) in recognition of Rudyard Kipling's enthusiasm for natural sciences.

Idiomacromerus longfellowi Girault, 1917 (torymid wasp) Named after Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

Lampanyctus steinbecki Bolin, 1939 (longfin lampfish) Bolin created this name to repay Steinbeck's giving him a signed first edition of one of his novels. Apparently, Steinbeck was not pleased, because he asked for the book back.

Legionella shakespearei Verma et al. 1992 (bacterium) Isolated from a cooling tower in Stratford-upon-Avon.

Livyatan melvillei Lambert et al. 2010 (fossil sperm whale) Named for the author of Moby Dick, which book includes, in addition to its famous whale, a chapter on whale fossils.

Malthinus rifbjergi Fanti & Damgaard, 2018 (Eocene soldier beetle) In memory of Danish writer Klaus Rifbjerg. [Baltic J. Coleop. 18: 20]

Malthodes henningseni Fanti & Damgaard, 2018 (Eocene soldier beetle) In memory of Danish author, critic, architect, and designer Poul Henningsen.

Nabokovia Hemming, 1960 (lycaenid butterfly) Named after Vladimir Nabokov, himself an entomologist who studied butterflies in the same subfamily. See also Names from Fictional Characters for butterfly names derived from Nabokov's writings.

Noergaardia Fanti & Damgaard, 2018 (Eocene soldier beetle) In honour of the Danish author, journalist, and scriptwriter Lise Nørgaard, recognizing her 100th birthday and her contributions. [Baltic J. of Coleop. 18: 8]

Orthaspidoceras schilleri (Oppel, 1863) (Jurassic cephalopod) Originally Ammonites schilleri. Perhaps the oldest described species named after a non-ancient poet, Freidrich Schiller.

Palmnickeneoceras ejersboi Fanti & Damgaard, 2018 (Eocene soldier beetle) In memory of Danish journalist and writer Jakob Ejersbo. [Baltic J. Coleop. 18: 13]

Papilio antimachus Drury, 1782 (swallowtail) Named for Greek poet Antimachus of Colophon. (Linnaeus chose names of Greek heroes for butterflies in the genus Papilio; others have expanded on that convention.)

Plato Coddington, 1986 (spider)

Plutarchia Girault, 1925 (eurytomid wasp) named for classical biographer Plutarch.

Richteria Girault, 1920 (mymarid wasp) named for German humorist and novelist Jean Paul (born Johann Paul Friedrich Richter).

Sappho Reichenbach, 1849 (hummingbird)

Shakespearia Girault, 1928 (encyrtid wasp)

Psephophorus terrypratchetti Köhler, 1995 (Eocene fossil turtle) Terry Pratchett wrote a series of fantasy books set on a world carried on the back of a giant turtle. [J. Royal Soc. N.Z. 25:371]

Pterostichus neilgaimani Chaladze et al. 2017 (ground beetle) "Named after author Neil Gaiman, for bringing back what has been forgotten." [Zootaxa 4329: 91] The beetle was discovered in a sacred grove in the western Caucausus.

Serendipaceratops arthurcclarkei Rich & Vickers-Rich, 2003 (Cretaceous ceratopsian dinosaur from Australia). Named for sci-fi author Arthur C. Clark, who in 1956 emigrated to Ceylon/Sri Lanka, formerly known as Serendib.

Stentorceps abbotti Nielsen & Buffington, 2011 (figitid wasp) Named after E.A. Abbott, author of Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions (1884). "The distinctive flat, circular dorsal terminus of the corniculum" inspired the name.

Tetramorium adamsi Hita Garcia & Fisher, 2012 (ant) Named for Douglas Adams, best known for "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" series. [Zootaxa 3592: 51]

Thoreauia Girault (wasp) named for Henry David Thoreau.

Tolkienia Lieberman & Kloc, 1997 (Devonian trilobite) [Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. His. 232: 21]

Beethovena Girault, 1932 (encyrtid wasp)

Bythaelurus bachi Weigmann 2016 and B. vivaldii Weigmann & Kaschner 2017 (catsharks) Weigmann named the shark after J.S. Bach simply because he liked Bach's music. The Vivaldi name evokes the close morphological similarities between the two species.

Mozartella beethoveni Girault, 1926 (encyrtid wasp)

Fernandocrambus chopinellus Bleszynski, 1967 (crambid moth) [Acta Zool. Cracoviensia 12: 39]

Salinoctomys loschalchalerosorum Mares, Braun, Barquez & Díaz, 2000 (Chalchalero Viscacha rat) "named for the great Argentine folklore group, 'Los Chalchaleros,' in honor of their 52 years singing the traditional music of western Argengina, its habitats, and its history." [Mares et al., 2000. Occasional Papers, Museum of Texas Tech University 203: i+27]

Terebellides sepultura Garrafoni & Lana, 2003 (polychaete worm) Sepultura is a Brazilian heavy metal band.

Themus bennyianderseni Fanti & Damgaard, 2018 (Eocene soldier beetle) In honour of Danish songwriter, poet, author, composer, and pianist Benny Andersen. [Baltic J. Coleop. 18: 19]

Desis bobmarleyi Baehr et al. 2017 (spider) Named after Bob Marley and his song "High tide or low tide." The spider lives, sometimes underwater, in the intertidal zone of Australian reefs.

Funkotriplogynium iagobadius Seeman & Walter, 1997 (mite) from Iago, "James" and badius, "brown," named after James Brown, the King of Funk.

Milesdavis Lieberman, 1994 (trilobite) [Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 0(223) 1-176].

Agra beegees Erwin (ground beetle)

Petula Clark, 1971 (tineid)

Mackenziurus johnnyi, M. joeyi, M. deedeei, M. ceejayi Adrain and Edgecombe, 1997 (trilobites) Named after the Ramones.

Sinatra Buffington, 2011 (figitid parisatoid wasp) Named for singer Frank Sinatra.

Acanthobunocephalus scruggsi Carvalho & Reis, 2020 (banjo catfish) Named after Earl Scruggs, American banjo player who popularized the banjo picking style which characterizes bluegrass. The name also alludes to the common name of the family, which comes from the fishs' resemblance to banjos.

Aleiodes shakirae Shimbori & Shaw, 2014 (parasitic wasp) Named after Colombian singer Shakira, who is famous for her belly-dancing. The parasite causes its host to bend and twist its abdomen.

Alviniconcha strummeri Johnson et al., 2014 (sea snail) Because it is studded with spikes, has purple blood, and lives in an extreme environment, the researchers named this snail after a punk rock icon, Joe Strummer of The Clash.

Anacroneuria carole and A. taylori Stark, 2004 (stoneflies) Named after Carole King and James Taylor, respectively.

Aphonopelma hollyi Smith, 1995 (tarantula) Named after Buddy Holly, who, like the tarantula, came from Lubbock, Texas.

Aphonopelma johnnycashi Hamilton, 2016 (tarantula) Named after Johnny Cash because males are all black, and it was found near Folsom Prison. [ZooKeys 560]

Aptostichus bonoi Bond 2012 (trapdoor spider) Named "in honor of Bono from the Irish rock group U2 and in recognition of the Joshua Tree album released in March of 1987". [ZooKeys 252: 1]

Aricidea bbkingi Barroso et al. 2020 (marine annelid)

Autosilis annisettaekoppelae Fanti & Damgaard, 2018 (Eocene soldier beetle) In honour of Danish singer Anisette Koppel (of the band Savage Rose). [Baltic J. Coleop. 18: 28]

Avalanchurus simoni and A. garfunkeli Adrain & Edgecombe, 1997 (trilobites)

Avalanchurus lennoni, A. starri Edgecombe & Chatterton, 1993 (trilobites) Named for Beatles John Lennon and Ringo Starr.

Arcticalymene viciousi, A. rotteni, A. jonesi, A. cooki, A. matlocki Adrain and Edgecombe, 1997 (trilobites) for the Sex Pistols. [J. Paleo. 71(4)]

Barbaturex morrisoni Head et al., 2013 (giant Eocene lizard) "Species nomen honors Jim Morrison, vocalist [of The Doors] and lizard king." [Proc. R. Soc. B. 280 no. 1763]

Beardius dioi Pinho, Mendes & Andersen, 2013 (chironimid fly) Named after Ronnie James Dio, former vocalist for the bands Rainbow and Black Sabbath and his own band Dio.

Brezinacantha tolis Thuy et al., 2018 (Cretaceous brittle star) Named after Sakis and Themis Tolis, founding members of a Greek Black Metal band. Apropos to Black Metal, the ophiuroids "gathered in great numbers in a spooky, toxic environment on top of their dead predecessors' remains." [Sci. Reports 8: 9617]

Cacomorphocerus bentifabrici Fanti & Damgaard, 2018 (Eocene soldier beetle) In honour of the Danish musician Bent Fabricius-Bjerre, known as Bent Fabric. [Baltic J. of Coleop. 18: 4]

Capoeta shajariani Jouladeh-Roudbar et al. 2017 (scraper) honoring Iranian classical singer Mohammad-Reza Shajarian.

Coltraneia Lieberman & Kloc, 1997 (Devonian trilobite) For jazz saxophonist John Coltrane.

Dendropsophus ozzyi Orrico et al., 2014 (frog) Named after British rock singer John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne. The frog's call is high-pitched and batlike, and Ozzy Osbourne also has an association with bats after famously biting off the head of one. [Zootaxa 3881: 354.]

Depressizona exorum Geiger, 2003 (snail) named after the Dutch post-punk-white-noise band "The Ex". The band later featured this snail on their CD "The Turn".

Dicrotendipes thanatogratus Epler, 1987 (chironomid) From Gk "thanatos", dead, and Latin "gratus", grateful; after the Grateful Dead.

Elvisaurus Holmes, 1993 [nomen nudum] (Antarctic dinosaur) so called for it's 'pompadour-like' crest. Now Cryolophosaurus.

Extraordinarius andrematosi Rheims, 2019 (spider) Named after Andre Matos, Brazilian heavy metal singer.

Frippia Bannikov & Carnevale, 2012 (Eocene fish) After British musician and composer Robert Fripp.

Gaga germanotta Li et al., 2012 (fern) Named after Lady Gaga "because of her fervent defense of equality and individual expression." Lady Gaga's given name is Stefani Germanotta. Another species in the genus, Gaga monstraparva, honors Lady Gaga's fans, whom see calls "little monsters." [Syst. Bot. 37: 845]

Hendrixella Bannikov & Carnevale, 2009 (Eocene fish) In honour of James Marshall (Jimmy) Hendrix. [Swiss J. Geosci. 102: 482]

Heteropoda davidbowie P. Jaeger, 2009 (large Malaysian spider) for singer David Bowie.

Hyla stingi Kaplan, 1994 (Columbian tree frog) Named after the British rock star Sting in recognition of his work for the rain forest.

Japewiella dollypartoniana Allen & Lendemer, 2015 (lichen) Named in honor of Dolly Parton, a famous native of the southern Appalachians, where this species grows abundantly. [Castanea 80(1): 59]

Kalloprion kilmisteri Eriksson 2006 (fossil polychaete) Named after Lemmy Kilmister of the heavy metal band Motörhead.

Kingnites diamondi Eriksson et al. 2012 (Silurian polychaete worm) Named for Danish heavy metal singer King Diamond. Eriksson has composed a metal song, "Deep Time Predator", performed by Seetyca and Invertia.

Lapidaster coreytaylori Thuy, 2013 (Cretaceous brittle star) "In honor of Corey Taylor, lead vocalist of the rockgroup Slipknot and Stone Sour . . ." "Lapidaster" itself derives from the Latin for "rock" and Greek for "star", "in reference to three species of the genus being named after rockstars." [Euro. J. Tax. 48: 47]

Lapidaster hystricarboris Thuy, 2013 (Jurassic brittle star) "Name derived from Hystrix, a genus of porcupine, and arbor, Latin for 'tree', in honour of Steven Wilson, Richard Barbieri, Gavin Harrison and Colin Edwin of Porcupine Tree, whose music was a fertile source of inspiration . . ." [Euro. J. Tax. 48: 31]

Lapidaster mastodon Thuy, 2013 (Jurassic brittle star) Named in honour of the rockgroup Mastodon. [Euro. J. Tax. 48: 42]

Laqueichnus baloffi Kappel, 2002 (Cretaceous trace fossil) In honor of Paul Baloff, deceased singer from Exodus.

Lepidocephalichthys zeppelini Havird & Tangjitjaroen, 2010 (loach) A bony plate in the loach reminded the senior author of Jimmy Page's double-necked guitar.

Leucothoe eltoni Thomas, 2015 (amphipod) honoring rock musician Sir Elton John. "Specifically, in reference to the large shoe-like first gnathopod of this species and the oversize boots Elton John wore as the local pinball champion in the movie 'Tommy' (1975)." [ZooKeys 518: 51-66]

Litarachna lopezae Pesic et al., 2014 (mite) Named after Jennifer Lopez because the discoverers like her music, and because she and the mite are both from Puerto Rico. [ZooKeys 425: 89]

Loureedia Miller et al., 2012 (velvet spider) As it is a velvet spider which lives underground, it was named after Lou Reed, lead singer and songwriter of the Velvet Underground.

Macrocarpaea dies-viridis J.R. Grant, 2007 (gentian) for the punk rock group Green Day. [Harvard Papers in Biology 11: 129.]

Maldybulakia angusi and Maldybulakia malcolmi Edgecombe, 1998 (Devonian myriapods) Named for AC/DC's co-founders Angus and Malcolm Young. [Records of Austr. Mus. 50: 293]

Masiakasaurus knopfleri Sampson et al., 2001 (theropod dinosaur) Named after Dire Straits singer/songwriter Mark Knopfler. Sampson said, "Whenever we played Dire Straits in the quarry, we found more Masiakasaurus, and when we played something else, we didn't." Knopfler replied, "The fact that it's a dinosaur is certainly apt, but I'm happy to report that I'm not in the least bit vicious." ("Masiaka" is Malagasy for "vicious.")

Melusinaster arcusinimicus Thuy & Stöhr, 2018 (Jurassic basket star) The species name is the Latin translation of Arch Enemy, Swedish death metal band. [Sci. Reports 8, 8493]

Mercurana Abraham et al. 2013 (tree frog) Commemorating Freddie Mercury, lead singer of the rock band Queen, who spent much of his childhood in Panchgani, India, where the frog was discovered. [Zootaxa 3640: 177.]

Mesoparapylocheles michaeljacksoni Fraaije et al. 2012 (fossil hermit crab) discovered on the same day that the researchers learned of pop superstar Michael Jackson's death, and named in his honor.

Metallichneumon neurospastarchus Wahl and Sime, 2002 (ichneumonid wasp) "Neurospastarchus" translates as "Master of Puppets," which is the seminal album by the thrash metal band Metallica. The name refers to the larval ichneumonid's manipulation of its host insect.

Myrmekiaphila neilyoungi Bond and Platnick, 2007 (trap-door spider) for rock musicial Neil Young [Am. Mus. Novitates 3596: 1].

Nannaria swiftae (Hennen, Means & Marek, 2022) (millipede) Named as a thanks to singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, whose music helped the lead author "get through the highs and lows of graduate school".

Opaluma ednae Lessard & Woodley, 2020 Named after drag queen Dame Edna Everage.

Ophiogojira Thuy et al. 2021 (Jurassic brittlestar) Honoring the French metal band Gojira for producing intense, beautifully dark and heavy songs "exploring the abyss of life and death, of human strength and error, and of thriving and yet threatened oceans."

Orbitestella dioi Hybertsen & Kiel, 2018 (Eocene snail) For musician Ronnie James Dio. [Acta Palaeontologica Polonica 63: 762]

Orectochilus orbisonorum Miller, Mazzoldi & Wheeler, 2008 (whirligig beetle) Named for singer Ray Orbison and his widow Barbara. It's tuxedo-like elegant appearance is one reason for the naming.

Paracidaris eluveitie Hostettler & Menkveld-Gfeller, 2015 (Jurassic sea urchin) The specific epithet refers to a form of the word "Helvetios", a Celtic people who lived in what is now Switzerland, and is dedicated to the Swiss band Eluveitie, which combines Celtic folklore with metal sound in their music. The detailed sculpturing of the fossil are reminiscent of "Celtic gold" jewelry.

Paramaka pearljam Mariano, 2011 (mayfly) "Named to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Pearl Jam." [Zootaxa 3038: 49.]

Pinkfloydia Dimitrov & Hormiga, 2011 (spider) Named after the rock band Pink Floyd.

Pseudocorinna brianeno Jocque & Bosselaers, 2011 (spider) after the musican Brian Eno.

Qiliania graffini Ji et al., 2011 (Cretaceous entiornithine bird) Named for Dr. Greg Graffin, a paleontologist and member of the punk rock group Bad Religion, at the suggestion of coauthor Jingmai O'Connor, a longtime fan of the band.

Quadricona madonnae Topper et al., 2011 (Cambrian bivalve arthropod) Named for American entertainer Madonna, because nodes on each valve of the arthropod resemble the conical brassiere she made famous in the 1980s and 1990s. (The genus name also refers to four conical nodes on the bivalve's shield.) [Gondwana Res. 19: 322]

Rollinschaeta Parry et al., 2015 (Cretaceous polychaete) For Henry Rollins, lead singer of the seminal Punk Rock band Black Flag (+ chaeta, bristle). [BMC Evolutionary Biology 15:256]

Scaptia (Plinthina) beyonceae Lessard 2011 (horse fly) Named after singer-songwriter Beyoncé Knowles, inspired by her hit single "Bootylicious" and the dense patch of golden hairs on the fly's abdomen.

Selenacentrus Morris & Dietrich, 2016 (treehopper) This insect from southwest Texas and Mexico honors Tejano singer Selena Quintanilla-Pérez. (The "-centrus" refers to its subfamily, Centrotinae.) [Annals Ent. Soc. of America 109(2)]

Sericomyrmex radioheadi Ješovnik & Schultz, 2017 (ant) For the English rock band Radiohead, acknowledging both their environmental activism and their music.

Sinusichnus priesti Kappel, 2002 (Cretaceous trace fossil) In honor of Judas Priest.

Talabrica elotroyoae Santelli & del Río, 2014 (bivalve) Named for the alternative rock band "El Otro Yo" from Argentina. [Ameghiniana 51: 311]

Tarkus squirei Carnevale & Pietsch, 2010 (Eocene fish) "Tarkus" is from the name of an album by Emerson, Lake, and Palmer depicting a half-armadillo/half-tank creature; the fossil fish also had a thick dermal covering of bony tubercles. The species is named for British musician and composer Chris Squire, commonly known by his nickname 'Fish'.

Villa manillae Evenhuis, 1993 (bee fly) Inspired by Millie Vanillie. [Idesia 12:19]

Vologesia rollingstones Schlüter & Wiese, 2017 (Cretaceous sea urchin)

Websteroprion Eriksson et al., 2017 (Devonian polychaete) Named after Alex Webster, "a 'giant' of a bass player" best known from the band Cannibal Corpse (+ prion, 'saw'). [Sci. Reports 43061]

Xanthosomnium froesei Sime and Wahl, 2002 (ichneumonid wasp) "Xanthosomnium" is a translation of the synth band Tangerine Dream. The species is "named after Edgar Froese, the founder and continuity behind Tangerine Dream."

Xestochironomus virgoferreae Pinho & Souza, 2013 (chironomid fly) The species name is the British heavy metal band Iron Maiden translated to Latin.

Vunicothoe Boyko 2009 (copepod) From Nicothe, an existing copepod genus (named, incidentally, for a harpie from Greek myth), plus VU for Velvet Underground, in homage to the 1967 album "The Velvet Underground and Nico" [Proc. of the Biol. Soc. of Wash. 122: 206]

Zappa (Roberts), 1989 (goby) "in honour of Frank Zappa for his articulate and sagacious defense of the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution." [Rec. of Austrl. Museum suppl 11: 53] Murdy, who renamed the genus, also says, "I like his music."

Agra catbellae Erwin, 2002 (ground beetle) Named for Catherine Bell, actress in the TV program "JAG", because the beetles share the forest with jaguars.

Agra katewinsletae Erwin, 2002 (ground beetle) For actress Kate Winslet, "starlet of the movie Titanic. 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 rain forest is converted to pastures." [Zootaxa 119: 1-68.]

Agra liv Erwin, 2002 (carabid) "The first name of the actress Liv Tyler, starlet of the movie, Armageddon. The existence of this species of elegant beetle is dependent upon the rainforest not undergoing an Armageddon ..."

Agra schwarzeneggeri Erwin, 2002 (carabid) "The family name of the actor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, in reference to the markedly developed (biceps-like) middle femora of the males of this species reminiscent of the actor's physique."

Daviesia schwarzenegger and Daviesia devito Crisp & L.G.Cook, 2017 (Fabaceae shrubs) DNA analysis revealed, unexpectedly, that these were two cryptic species, so the authors named them after the actors playing unlikely twins in the movie "Twins". D. schwarzenegger is the more robust of the species. [Phytotaxa 300.]

Aptostichus angelinajolieae Bond, 2008 (trapdoor spider) after actress Angelina Jolie.

Attenborolimulus Bicknell & Shcherbakov, 2021 (Triassic horseshoe crab) "In honour of Sir David Attenborough and his unparalleled contributions to natural history and conservation."

Avahi cleesei 2005 (woolly lemur) Named for actor/comedian John Cleese, who played a lemur-happy zookeeper in the film Fierce Creatures, hosted a documentary on lemurs, and is concerned with wildlife conservation.

Baru darrowi Willis , Murray and Megirian, 1990 (Miocene semi-aquatic crocodylian from Australia) Honoring Paul Darrow, British actor "best known for his role in the television series 'Blake's Seven', in recognition of his support of continuing palaeontological investigation of the Riversleigh deposits" [Memoirs of the Queensland Museum 29, 522.] Baru is an aboriginal name for a crocodile ancestor.

Calponia harrisonfordi Platnick, 1993 (caponiid spider) Named after Harrison Ford in appreciation of his narrating a documentary.

Cantharis mikkelsenorum Fanti & Damgaard, 2018 (Eocene soldier beetle) In honour of Danish actors Lars Dittmann Mikkelsen and Mads Dittmann Mikkelsen. [Baltic J. Coleop. 18: 12]

Coloborhynchus spielbergi Veldmeijer 2003 (pterosaur) Honoring Steven Spielberg, director of the "Jurassic Park" movies.

Corambis jacknicholsoni Patoleta & Zabka, 2019 (spider) Named for actor Jack Nicholson.

Ctenus monaghani Jäger, 2013 (spider) Named for actor Dominic Monaghan, who filmed a documentary with the author. [Zootaxa 3670: 91]

Dendropsophus kubricki Rivadeniera et al, 2018 For filmmaker and director Stanley Kubrick. [ZooKeys 726: 25]

Eridanula susannaebierae Fanti & Damgaard, 2018 (Eocene soldier beetle) In honour of the Danish film director Susanne Bier. [Baltic J. of Coleop. 18: 7]

Europatitan eastwoodi Fernández-Baldor et al. 2017 (Cretaceous sauropod) Dedicated to actor Clint Eastwood, whose film "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly" was partly filmed near the site of the fossil's discovery.

Frammia bachae Adrain & Edgecombe 1997 (trilobite) For actress and model Barbara Bach.

Grouvellinus leonardodicaprioi Freitag et al., 2018 (riffle beetle) Honoring actor Leonardo DiCaprio for promoting environmental awareness and addressing problems of climate change and biodiversity loss. [ZooKeys 754:1]

Gynacantha chaplini Khan, 2021 (dragonfly) Markings on the dragonfly's postfrons resemble Charlie Chaplin's iconic toothbrush moustache.

Harryhausenia Boyko, 2004 (fossil sand crab (Crustacea: Anomura: Albuneidae)) for movie animator Ray Harryhausen (7th Voyage of Sinbad, Jason and the Argonauts, etc.). He animated a sand crab for the movie "The Mysterious Island."

Hydroscapha redfordi Maier et al. 2010 (beetle) Named for Robert Redford, who played Jeremiah Johnson, whom the authors (mistakenly) believed was the source of the name of the Jerry Johnson Hot Springs where the beetle was discovered, but also for his support of conservation in the Rocky Mountains. [Coleopterists Bulletin 64: 289]

Idris elba Lomeli-Flores et al. 2019 (parasitic wasp) The genus Idris was named by Förster in 1856; I don't know why. The paper describing this species says elba "is an arbitrary combination of letters." But Elijah Talamas, one of the authors of this description, once joked, after hearing of British actor Idris Elba, that "someone has just got to name a species Idris elba" and said after the fact, "It was too funny not to do it." [J. Hymen. Res. 73: 125; Smithsonian.com, A. Michelson, 11/21/2019]

Juratelacrima ballingi Fanti & Damgaard, 2018 (Eocene soldier beetle) In honour of Danish film and TV director Erik Balling. [Baltic J. Coleop. 18: 13]

Kootenichela deppi Legg, 2013 (Cambrian arthropod) Named for Johnny Depp, star of Edward Scissorhands, among other roles. Said Legg, "When I first saw the pair of isolated claws in the fossil records of this species I could not help but think of Edward Scissorhands. Even the genus name, Kootenichela, includes the reference to this film as 'chela' is Latin for claws or scissors." (Kootenay is a Canadian national park where the fossil was found.)

Liturgusa krattorum Svenson, 2014 (mantis) for Chris and Martin Kratt, creators and hosts of children's TV shows Kratts' Creatures and Wild Kratts. [ZooKeys 390: 137]

Loureedia phoenixi Zamani & Marusik, 2020 (spider) Named after Joaquin Phoenix, star of the 2019 movie "Joker", whose facial makeup in that movie resembles markings on the spider.

Meenoplus roddenberryi Hoch & Naranjo, 2012 (true bug) Named after Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry. The mission statement of that show, ". . . to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life . . .", the authors suggest, applies also to the speleology which uncovered this cavernicolous bug. [Deutsche Entomo. Zeit. 59(2): 207]

Nepenthes 'Helen' (pitcher plant) a cross of spathulata x spectabilis, named after Helen Mirren.

Norasaphus monroeae Fortey (trilobite) after Marilyn Monroe; it has an hourglass shaped glabella.

Olea hensoni Filho, Paulay, & Krug, 2019 (sea slug) Named after Muppets creator Jim Henson. "Jim Henson was one of those people who created things that were educational, positive and impactful and made the world a better place. That's something that should be honored." [Patrick Krug, from an interview]

Ophiojagtus acklesi Thuy, 2013 (Cretaceous brittle star) "Species named in honour of Texas-born actor Jensen Ackles; my wife urged me to do so." [Euro. J. of Tax. 48: 219]

Orsonwelles othello, O. macbeth, O. falstaffius, O. ambersonorum Hormiga, 2002 (giant Hawaiian linyphiid spiders). These species are named after famous Orson Welles roles. Hormiga named the genus after Welles because he was a giant of filmmaking.

Pristimantis jamescameroni Kok, 2013 (frog) Named after James Cameron for alerting people to environmental issues and encouraging veganism, the latter being an effective way to reduce human impact on the frog's ecosystem.

Rostropria garbo Early (diapriid wasp) Described from "a solitary female".

Tarantobelus jeffdanielsi Schurkman et al. 2022 (nematode) The nemadode parasitizes and ultimately kills tarantulas. It is named after Jeff Daniels, who starred in the movie "Arachophobia." "And of course," Daniels said, "in Hollywood, you haven't really made it until you've been recognized by those in the field of parasitology."

Theognete weiri Anderson, 2010 (weevil) Named for Peter Weir, director, among other things, of the film "Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World", based on Patrick O'Brian's series of books.

Uma thurmanae Derycke et al. 2020 (fringe-toed lizard) Honoring actress Uma Thurman for promoting wildlife conservation and human rights.

Astraptes viracocha Brower 2010 (skipper butterfly) "The name viracocha, a noun in apposition, is the name of a bearded white god of the Incas. The species is named for Dan Janzen." Janzen's inventory of Central American caterpillars was part of the work which led to discovering this species. One must be familiar with the lore of both Viracocha and Dan Janzen to fully appreciate the aptness of this name. [Syst. Biodivers. 8: 486]

Bobkabata kabatabobbus Hogans & Benz, 1990 (parasitic copepod) Named after parasitologist Bob Kabata.

Cartwrightia cartwrighti Cartwright, 1967 (scarab beetle) Islas established the genus in 1958 in honor of coleopterist Oscar L. Cartwright, who later named this species for his brother. (For a couple cases of biologists who did name species after themselves, see Wright, The Naming of the Shrew, 34-35.)

Carukia barnesi Southcott, 1967 (jellyfish) Notable because the research that earned Dr. Jack Barnes the honorific also earned him a Darwin Award honorable mention.

Chrysina cavei Hawks & Bruyea, 1999 (scarab) Named after collaborator and friend Ronald Cave, who was always cold when working in the cloud forests. Hawks said, "This species' blue tarsi remind me of Ron's perpetual cold feet!"

Cicinnurus respublica Bonaparte, 1850 (Wilson's bird of paradise) Charles Lucien Bonaparte, nephew of Napoleon, was irked at so many species being named after aristocrats and royalty, so he chose this name to honor the republic instead.

Dransfieldia (palm) and Soejatmia (grass). The only husband and wife botanists who both have plant genera named in their honor are John Dransfield and Soejatmi Dransfield.

Eumorbaeschna adriankini Bechly & Kin, 2012 (Jurassic dragonfly) Adrian Kin died during the preparation of the paper. Günter Bechly both named the species after him and included him as coauthor. Technically, this contravenes a convention against naming a species after a person naming it. The paper, however, makes it clear that Bechly alone is responsible for the name choice. [Acta Palaeo. Polonica 58: 121]

Euphorbia ballyana Rauh, 1966, E. ballyi Carter, 1963, and E. proballyana Leach, 1968 (African plants) Three species in one genus named for the same person, botanist Peter R.O. Bally.

Exoryza ritaashleyae, Promicrogaster fabiancastroi, P. naomiduarteae Fernandez-Triana, 2016, and 17 others (wasps) Twenty Costa Rican schoolchildren (4th, 5th, and 6th graders) had species named after them after winning a drawing contest. Dan Janzen, adviser to the Guanacaste Conservation Area, wanted to dedicate a group of species to Richard and Rita Ashley for their contributions, the Ashleys asked instead that the species be dedicated to local children.

Gomphonema lange-bertalotii Reichardt and Gomphonema reichardtii Lange-Bertalot (diatoms) Taxonomists honoring each other within the same genus.

Gonomyia alexanderi (Johnson, 1912) (crane fly) One of the relatively few tipulids named after Charles P. Alexander (1899-1981), the most prolific taxonomist after Linnaeus. He described 11,755 insect taxa, mostly in the Tipulidae (crane flies), or approximately one per day of his professional life. (Linnaeus described approximately 12,100, including 4,400 animals and 7,700 plants.)

Hoia hoi Avdeev & Kazatchenko, 1986 (parasitic copepod) Named after Ju-Shey Ho.

Navicula austrocollegarum Lange-Bertalot & R.Voigt (diatom) To honor all the austrian colleagues of the author.

Panoploea rickettsi Shoemaker, 1931 (sand flea)

Roloffia (Roloffia) roloffi roloffi (Roloff, 1936) (freshwater fish) The fish had this designation only for a while. It was originally Aphyosemion roloffi Roloff 1936, and is now in genus Scriptaphyosemion. [Wochenschrift Aquar.-Terr. 33(25): 387] (Roloff also named Rivulus roloffi after himself [1938, Wochenschrift Aquar.-Terr. 35: 597.)

Solanum baretiae Tepe, Ridley, and Bohs, 2012 (understory vine) Jeanne Baret, in 1766 when French law prohibited women aboard naval vessels, disguised herself as a man to work with botanist Philibert Commerson on a three-year expedition commanded by Louis Antoine de Bougainville. An accomplished botanist in her own right, she also became the first woman to circumnavigate the world.

Tessmannianthus quadridomius Wurdack, 1989 (flowering plant: Melastomataceae) Dr. José Cuatrecasas, a botanist at the Smithsonian, was an important collector of plants in Colombia and had many species named after him, all of them "cuatrecasasii". When a colleague wanted to make an original tribute, he translated "Cuatrecasas" ("four houses" in English) into Latin, hence "quadridomius." [Revista Acad. Colomb. Ci. Exact. 14(65):247]

Thiara carolitaciturni (snail) Named after the Dutch zoologist Karel Dammerman, who was famous among his colleagues for being shy and retiring, i.e., taciturn.

Archimedes Lesueur, 1842 (bryozoan with a corkscrew support)

Araniella villanii Zamani et al. 2020 (orb-web spider) Named after Cédric Villani, French mathematician, winner of the 2010 Fields Medal, for his "mysterious love" of spiders.

Aristotelia L'Hér. (Elaeocarpaceae tree)

Brahea Mart. (palm) Named for Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe.

Celsia Linnaeus (Mediterranean subshrub) Named after the Celsius to whom the centigrade thermometer is credited, who was also an amateur botanist and a mentor to Linnaeus. In Celsius's original scale, water freezes at 100 and boils at zero. Linnaeus himself was the first to propose the inverted scale that we use today.

Copernicia (palm) After the astronomer Copernicus.

Crikey steveirwini Stanisic, 2009 (land snail) In honor of "Crocodile Hunter" Steve Irwin and his famous catch-cry. [Zootaxa 2206: 62]

Cyclocephala freudi Endrödi, 1963 (scarab)

Conyza montigena var. fosseyae Beentje, 2002 (Compositae) after Dian Fossey, of gorilla fame, who collected the type specimen.

Dawkinsia Pethiyagoda et al. 2012 (cyprinid fish) Named for Richard Dawkins. [Ichthyol. Explor. Freshwaters 23: 69.]

Electrophorus voltai de Santana et al. 2019 (electric eel) In honor of Alessandro Volta, inventer of the battery. The eel can generate up to 860 volts of electricity.

Gaussia H. Wendl. (palm) honoring German mathematician Karl Friedrich Gauss. (Also an asteriod, 1001 Gaussia.)

Grouvellinus andrekuipersi Freitag et al., 2018 (riffle beetle) "Named after the Dutch astronaut André Kuipers in recognition of his engagement against the loss of the planet's natural resources and his ambassadorship for various entomological organizations." The name was elected in an online public contest. [ZooKeys 754:1]

Haeckeliania Girault, 1912 (trichogrammatid wasp) named for Ernst Haeckel.

Hippocratea (tropical vine) and its family Hippocrateaceae, named after Hippocrates.

Leonardo davincii Bleszynski, 1965 (pyralid moth)

Janibacter hoylei (bacterium) named after astrophysicist Fred Hoyle. The bacterium was found in the upper stratosphere.

Linnaea borealis Gronovius (twinflower) Linnaeus wrote, "Linnaea . . . is a plant of Lapland, lowly, insignificant, disregarded, flowering but for a brief space -- from Linnaeus who resembles it." It was mock modesty; Linnaeus arranged for the plant to be named for him.

Megachile chomskyi Sheffield, 2013 (leafcutter bee) Named for linguist Noam Chomsky.

Pasteurella (plague bacterium) Named for French chemist Louis Pasteur.

Phalacrocorax aristotelis (Linnaeus, 1761) (European shag) named for Aristotle.

Phanaeus changdiazi Kohlmann and Solís, 2001 (scarab) Named after Costa Rican physicist and astronaut Franklin Chang-Diaz.

Pleurothallis hawkingii Karremans & J.E.Jiménez (orchid) Named after physicist Stephen Hawking.

Plinia L. (myrtle) for Pliny the Elder.

Pristimantis chomskyi, P. teslai Páez & Ron, 2019 (frog) Named for linguist Noam Chomsky and inventer Nikola Tesla.

Pristionchus maxplancki Kanzaki et al., 2013 (nematode) Named after physicist Max Planck. The Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology works with nematodes in this genus. [Zoolog. Sci. 30: 680]

Rhinogradentia steineri Amsel, 1970 (pyralid moth) Named after Gerolf Steiner, creator of the Rhinogradentia (q.v. under Unused Names).

Rothschildia Grote, 1896 (saturniid moth) According to Steve Jones in Almost Like a Whale (1999), renowned 19th century naturalist Lord Walter Rothschild (founder of the Tring Museum) has 153 insects, 58 birds, 18 mammals, 3 fish, 3 spiders, 2 reptiles, 1 millipede and 1 worm named after him.

Silurus aristotelis (Agassiz, 1857) (Aristotle's catfish) Named after Aristotle, who was the first to describe the reproductive behavior of this endemic Greek fish.

Thomashuxleya Ameghino, 1901 (Eocene mammal)

Trigonopterus cricki and T. watsoni Riedel, 2019 (weevils) Named after Francis HC Crick and James D Watson, for contributions in the discovery of DNA. [ZooKeys 828:1]

Wallacea darwini Hill, 1919 (stratiomyid fly) Charles Darwin is probably the most eponymized person in biology, with more than 220 species and at least 25 genera named after him (Darwinella (sponge), Darwinhydrus (dytiscid beetle), Darwinia Rudge, 1815 (shrub), Darwinia Pereyaslawzewa, 1892 (flatworm), Darwinicardia (Cenozoic bivalve), Darwinida (barnacle), Darwiniella Speg. 1888 (fungus), Darwiniella Anderson, 1992 (barnacle), Darwiniera (orchid), Darwinilithus (Mesozoic alga), Darwinilus (rove beetle), Darwiniothamnus (Asteraceae shrub), Darwiniothrips (thrips), Darwiniphora (phorid fly), Darwinites (Paleozoic mollusc), Darwinius (Eocene primate), Darwinivelia (water strider), Darwinneon (jumping spider), Darwinocoris (lygaeid bug), Darwinomyia (anthomyiid fly), Darwinoplectanum (flatworm), Darwinopterus (pterosaur), Darwinula (ostracod), Darwinysius (lygaeid bug), and Microdarwinula (ostracod); there are also families Darwinellidae, Darwinulidae). This species is named also after Alfred Russel Wallace, co-discover of the theory of evolution.

Wodyetia bifurcata (foxtail palm) named after Wodyeti, last aboriginal to live in the Melville Range area in Queensland, Australia, and last to hold the traditional native knowledge of the area.

Aptostichus muiri Bond 2012 (trapdoor spider) Named after John Muir, who explored and fought to preserve Yosemite Valley, where the spider was discovered.

Brachypanorpa sacajawea Byers, 1990 (Rocky Mountain scorpionfly) named for Lewis and Clark's guide and interpreter.

Clarkia Pursh (flower, Onagraceae) for Captain William Clark.

Doronomyrmex pocahontas Buschinger 1979 (ant) Named for Princess Matoaka, precocious daughter of Chief Powhatan who served as a bridge between the Native Americans and the English settlers of Jamestown. She is better known by her father's nickname for her, Pocahontas, which means "little mischievous one." The ant, from Alberta, Canada, is a threatened species.

Dysanema irvinei and D. malloryi Uvarov, 1925 (grasshoppers) These two grasshoppers were collected above 14,000 feet on the 1924 British expedition to Mt. Everest on which Andrew Irvine and George Mallory both disappeared.

Lewisia Pursh (bitterroot) for Meriwether Lewis, who encountered the species in 1806. One of its species, Lewisia sacajaweana B.L. Wilson, honors Lewis and Clark's guide.

Liturgusa fossetti Svenson, 2014 (mantis) Named for businessman and aviator Steve Fossett "for his inspirational dedication to adventure and exploration". [ZooKeys 390]

Mammuthus columbi Falconer, 1857 (Columbian mammoth) Named after Christopher Columbus. It was widespread in southern North America in the late Pleistocene.

Pristimantis humboldti Lehr et al. 2017 (frog) after German naturalist and explorer Alexander von Humboldt.

Aegomorphus wojtylai Hilszczanski & Bystrowski, 2005 (beetle) Dedicated to Karol Wojtyla (Pope John Paul II).

Alberta magna E.Mey. (Natal flame bush) Named after Saint Albertus Magnus. The genus has just the one species.

Buddhaites Diener, 1895 (mollusk)

Confucius Distant, 1907 (bug)

Dalailama Staudinger, 1896 (bombycid moth) from Tibet.

Diogenes Dana, 1851 (hermit crab) for the Cynic philosopher Diogenes of Sinope.

Kerygmachela kierkegaardi Budd, 1998 (Cambrian arthropod)

Lutheria Girault (wasp) named for Martin Luther.

Marxella Girault, 1932 (encyrtid wasp) named for Karl Marx.

Plato (spider)

Socratea (palm) Named after Socrates.

Wulfila O.P.-Cambridge, 1895 (anyphaenid sac spider) Named after Wulfila (a.k.a. Ulfilas), a 4th-century Goth missionary and Bible translator.

Zanabazar Norell et al., 2009 (troodontid dinosaur from Mongolia) Named in honor of Zanabazar, first spiritual head of Tibetan Buddhism in Outer Mongolia.

Agathidium bushi, A. cheneyi and A. rumsfeldi Miller and Wheeler, 2005 (slime mold beetles) Named after the U.S. president, vice president, and defense secretary.

Agathidium cortezi Miller and Wheeler (slime mold beetle) for conquistador Hernan Cortez, conquerer of the Aztec empire and colonial administrator of New Spain.

Allendia Noonan, 1974 (carabid) Named after Chilean president Salvador Allende.

Anolis (Xiphosurus) roosevelti Grant, 1931 (lizard) from Puerto Rico; possibly extinct. It is named in honor of Theodore Roosevelt, Jr., who was then governor of Puerto Rico.

Anophthalmus hitleri Scheibel, 1933 (blind cave beetle) Named by an amateur entomologist admirer of the Fürher (though Dutch biologist/writer Midas Dekkers suggests that naming a blind cave beetle after Hitler was an attempt to ridicule him). It is found in only five Slovenian caves and is endangered by collectors of Hitler memorabilia. [Entomologische Blätter 33: 438]

Aptostichus chavezi Bond 2012 (trapdoor spider) Named for labor and civil rights activist César Chávez.

Arsinoetherium (Oligocene ungulate) Named for the Egyptian-Ptolemaic queen Arsinoe near whose palace the first remains were found.

Blighia K.D.Koenig (ackee) Named for Captain William Bligh (most famously of the HMS Bounty), who brought the fruit from Jamaica to England.

Caligula (saturniid moth)

Cleopatrodon Bown and Simons, 1987 (Eocene mammal from Egypt) named after Cleopatra.

Cheguevaria Kazantsev, 2006 (firefly) "The new genus is named after E. 'Che' Guevara, the legendary Latin American revolutionary, very popular in the Caribbean region." [Russian Entomol. J. 5(4): 367-392.]

Cherokeea attakullakulla Sullivan & Quinter (moth) Named after Attakullakulla, the influential 18th-century Cherokee leader. [ZooKeys 421: 181]

Clintonia Raf. 1818 (lily) Named after De Witt Clinton, botanist and politician most noted for championing the Erie Canal.

Colletes gandhi Kuhlmann, 2003 (bee)

Cremnops witgopegasus Tucker et al. 2015 (wasp) Named "for Crazy Horse, the Native American war leader of the Lakota people. Witko means crazy in the Lakota language and a Pegasus is a winged horse."

Crocidura attila Dollman, 1915 (Hun shrew)

Crocidura roosevelti Heller, 1910 (Roosevelt's shrew) from Africa; named after Theodore Roosevelt. Also named after Teddy:

Dasyurus spartacus Van Dyck, 1987 (bronze quoll)

Enyalioides binzayedi Venegas et al., 2013 (lizard) honoring Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE, who supports many conservation projects, including the field survey leading to this lizard's discovery. [ZooKeys 277: 69]

Epirhyssa shaka Rousse & van Noort, 2014 (wasp) From Democratic Republic of Congo and Cameroon. "Refers to King Shaka Zulu, another kind of population regulator of the Zululand region. He would certainly have been proud of giving his name to an ichneumon." [Euro. J. Tax. 91: 28]

Equus grevyi Oustalet 1882 (Grevy's zebra) Named after Jules Grevy (1807-1891), president of France from 1879-1887. The president of Abyssinia (now Ethiopia) sent the type specimen to France in 1882, the first zebra seen in Europe since Roman times.

Etheostoma teddyroosevelt, E. jimmycarter, E. clinton, E. gore, and E. obama Layman & Mayden, 2012 (darters) Named after former and current U.S. leaders who have worked to promote conservation and environmental protection. [Bull. Alabama Mus. Nat. Hist. 30: 1.]

Eucteniza panchovillai Bond & Godwin, 2013 (trapdoor spider) Named for Mexican historical figure Pancho Villa. The spider is found in Mexico.

Eudiospilus rubrumbarus Zhang & Sharanowski, 2014 (braconid wasp) "In honor of Baron Manfred von Richthofen, the 'Red Baron', as the coloration on the head of this species resembles that of a leather aviator helmet." [Zootaxa 3838: 125]

Eupatorium L. (herbaceous perennial aster) Named after Mithridates Eupator, king of Pontus.

Exyrias akihito Allen & Randall 2005 (goby) Named for ichthyologist and Japanese Emperor Akihito "in recognition of his significant contribution to our knowledge of gobiid systematics."

Falco eleonorae Gene, 1839 (Eleonora's falcon) Eleanor of Arborea was Juighissa (queen or lady-judge) of Arborea, national heroine of Sardinia for championing its independence, and first ruler in history to grant protection to hawk and falcon nests against hunters.

Gazella bilkis Groves & Lay, 1985 (gazelle, recently extinct) for King Solomon's paramour Bilkis, the Queen of Sheba. The gazelle came from Yemen, which may have been Sheba.

Franklinia Bartram, ~1770 (tree, Theaceae) Named after Ben Franklin. Extinct in the wild shortly after its discovery when the one grove of the trees (on the Altamaha R., GA) was cleared for farmland, but the Bartrams preserved seeds, and the tree is now a widespread ornamental.

Gentiana L., 1753 (gentian) The genus is the Greek name of the plant, which comes from Gentius, the last king of Illyria (180-167 BCE), who reputedly discovered its medicinal properties.

Glaucopsyche xerces Boisduval, 1852 (Xerces blue butterfly) an extinct butterfly from the coastal sand dunes of San Francisco. The Xerces name derives from the French spelling of Xerxes, the name of two Persian kings of the fifth century BC.

Godiva MacNae, 1954 (nudibranch) Yes, the "nud-" in nudibranch means naked.

Grimaldichthys profondissimus Roule, 1913 (deep sea fish),

Grotiusomyia Girault, 1917 (eulophid wasp) Named for Hugo Grotius, Dutch jurist, statesman and codifier of international law.

Harpagus Vigors, 1824 (tropical American kite) Named for the Median general Harpagus.

Hellinsia aguilerai, H. alfaroi, H. morenoi and H. sucrei Gielis, 2011 (moths) Named after politicians from the region's history: Jaime Roldos Aguilera, died in 1981; Jose Eloy Alfaro Delgado, assassinated in 1912; Gabriel García Moreno, assassinated in 1875 (all Ecuadorian presidents); and Antonio José de Sucre, second president of Bolivia. [Zool. Med. Leiden 85]

Heterospilus reagani Marsh, 2013 (wasp)

Horaglanis abdulkalami (catfish) Honoring former Indian president Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam for his contributions to science and science education.

Hyloscirtus princecharlesi Coloma, 2012 (Prince Charles stream tree frog) from Ecuador, honoring Prince Charles for his efforts towards rainforest conservation.

Hypsiboas alfaroi Caminer & Ron, 2014 (tree frog) Named for Eloy Alfaro Delgado, progressive president of Ecuador, 1897-1901 and 1906-1911. [Zookeys 370: 1]

Ilomantis ginsburgae Brannoch & Svenson, 2016 (mantis) Previously, biologists used only male genitalia when classifying mantises. Sydney Brannoch and colleagues began looking at female genetalia, and they named a new species they found in the process after Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg, who champions gender equality, and who sometimes wears a jabot, a decorative neck accessory which the mantis's neck plate resembles.

Jasminum bhumibolianum Chalermglin (jasmine) "Named in honor of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX), King of Thailand." He reigned 70 years, until his death in 2016. Also named after him:

Jeffersonia (L.) Pers., 1792 (twinleaf) Named when Thomas Jefferson was Secretary of State. The citation stated that "in botany and zoology, the information of this gentleman is equalled by few persons in the United States."

Jenghizkhan Olshevsky vide Olshevsky, Ford & Yamamoto, 1995 (Mongolian tyrannosaurid) named for Genghis Khan. (now syn. with Tarbosaurus)

Jubaea (palm) named after king Juba II of Mauretania (82 BC - 23 AD), writer of some books on natural history, possibly first explorer of Madeira and the Canary Islands, and married to Cleopatra Selene, daughter of Mark Antony and Cleopatra.
Euphorbia regis-jubae Webb and Berthelott (medicinal plant), one of Juba's discoveries, is also named after him.

Kalanchoe salazarii R.-Hamet (succulent) named for Portuguese dictator António Salazar.

Khruschevia ridicula Flower (worm) Named by its discoverer Rousseau H. Flower to show his dislike of former Soviet Premier Nikita Khruschev and the Communist Party in general.

Kirchnerala Petrulevicius & Gutiérrez, 2016 (Carboniferous insect) Named for Né Kirchner, Argentinean President (2003-2007), for his support of science programs (+ "-ala", wing).

Legionella gratiana Bornstein et al. 1991 (bacterium) Named for Roman emperor Gratianus, who bathed in the hot springs where the species was first isolated.

Leninia stellans Fischer et al. 2013 (Cretaceous ichthyosaur) Named after Russian revolutionist Vladimir Lenin. The full name means "Lenin the brilliant."

Lincolna Girault (pteromalid wasp) named for Abraham Lincoln.

Linguamyrmex vladi Barden & Grimaldi, 2017 (Cretaceous ant) Named after Vlad the Impaler (Romanian prince Vlad III), inspiration for Bram Stoker's Dracula. The ant's large mandibles and a horn-like appendage on its head presumably allowed it to impale soft-bodied invertebrates and consume their hemolymph.

Liturgusa algorei Svenson, 2014 (mantis) Named for vice president Al Gore "for his environmental activism including his efforts to raise public awareness of global climate change." [ZooKeys 390: 128]

Loricaria cuffyi Londoño-Burbano et al. 2021 (catfish) Honoring Afro-Guyanese slave Cuffy who, in 1763, led a slave revolt against the Dutch settlers in Berbice (former region of Guyana), leading to their freedom.

Mahidolia Smith, 1932 (goby) Named in honor of Prince Mahidol Adulyadej of Thailand, founder of Thailand's present royal family and regarded as the father of modern medicine and public health in Thailand.

Mandelia Valdes & Gosliner, 1999 (sea slug) in honor of Nelson Mandela, who led the struggle for multiracial government in South Africa. It is the only genus in the family Mandeliidae. Also named for him:

Maotherium Rougier, Ji, and Novacek, 2003 (Cretaceous symmetrodont mammal from China). Named for Communist revolutionary and leader Mao Tse-Deng.

Maxillaria gorbatchowii (Bolivian orchid) Named after Mikhail Gorbachev.

Menelikornis Boetticher, 1947 (Ethiopian turaco) Named for Menelik II (1844-1913), King of Shewa and Emperor of Abyssinia (Ethiopia). He claimed direct descent from King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba.

Mitra kamehameha Pilsbry, 1921 (Indo-Pacific marine mollusc) Named for King Kamehameha I, who unified the Hawaiian islands and presided over the opening of Hawaii to the rest of the world.

Napoleonaea imperialis (bromeliad)

Obamadon Longrich et al., 2012 (Cretaceous lizard)

Ornithoptera alexandrae Rothschild, 1907 (Queen Alexandra birdwing butterfly) This New Guinea butterfly is the world's largest. It is named after Alexandra of Denmark, Queen Consort to England's Edward VII and Empress of India.

Pachyrhinosaurus perotorum Fiorillo & Tykoski, 2011 (ceratopsid dinosaur) Named for H. Ross Perot, Margot Perot, and their family, for their long support of science and science education.

Parides montezuma (swallowtail) for Aztec emporer Montezuma.

Penicillium vanoranjei, P. maximae, P. amaliae, P. alexiae, and P. arianeae Visagie et al., 2013 (mold) P. vanoranjei, unusual for producing orange colonies, was named after Willem-Alexander Claus George Ferdinand, 'Zijne Koninklijke Hoogheid de Prins van Oranje' ('His Royal Highness the Prince of Orange') to coincide with his coronation. The other were named after his family: Princess Máxima, and her three daughters Princesses Amalia, Alexia and Ariane. [Persoonia 31: 42]

Poinsettia Willd. ex Klotzsch (ornamental spurge) Named after Joel Roberts Poinsett, physician, congressman, and U.S. Minister to Mexico, who introduced the plant to the United States.

Pristimantis matildae Székely et al. 2020 (frog) Named for Matilde Hidalgo Navarro (1889-1974), the first woman with a medical degree in Ecuador and the first woman in Latin America to exercise the right to vote in a national election.

Pseudapanteles josefigueresi , P. laurachinchillae , P. oscarariasi, and P. luisguillermosolisi Fernández-Triana & Whitfield, 2014 (wasps) Named after presidents of Costa Rica: Jose Maria Figueres, Laura Chinchilla, Oscar Arias, and Luis Guillermo Solís. Many other members of the genus are named after government officials associated with conservation in Costa Rica. [ZooKeys 446: 1-82]

Pundamilia nyererei (Lake Victoria cichlid) Named for Julius Nyerere of Tanzania, one of Africa's great leaders.

Rhyzodiastes (Temoana) xii Wang, 2016 (beetle) "dedicated to Dr. Xi Jin-Ping, the President of the People's Republic of China, for his leadership making our motherland stronger and stronger." The Chinese government reacted by banning any references to the beetle on Chinese media (see here for more details).

Romblonella coryae General and Buenavente 2015 (ant) Named after Corazon ("Cory") Aquino, former Filipino president. "It is fitting that a genus named after a Philippine island [Romblon] has a species named after a modern Filipino hero." [Halteres 6: 59]

Rooseveltia frankliniana O.F. Cook (palm) The genus is now regarded as a synonym of Euterpe, and the species is now sunk into E. macrospadix. Named after Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who, for the Presidential Cruise of 1938, a 24-day cruise beginning July 16, brought along a naturalist (Waldo Schmitt) and made fourteen collection stops in territories of Mexico, France, Ecuador, Costa Rica, and Colombia. Other species named for the cruise are:

Rotaovula hirohitoi Cate and Azuma, 1973 (rare marine mollusc) named for Michinomiya Hirohito, Emporer of Japan and marine biologist whose specific interests included hydroids and dominion over Asia.

Scipionyx dal Sasso & Signore, 1998 Named for Scipio Africanus. This is the first dinosaur found in Italy (and the first with fossilized internal organs).

Sirindhorn thailandiensis (princess moth) Named after Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn of Thailand. Other species named after her are:

Spartacus (leaf bug)

Spelaeornis troglodytoides indiraji (bar-winged wren-babbler) A subspecies named after Indira Gandhi.

Spintharus berniesandersi Agnarsson & Sargeant, 2018 (spider)

Strelitzia reginae Aiton, ~1773 (bird-of-paradise plant) Named for England's Queen Charlotte Sophia Mecklenburg-Strelitz, wife of Mad King George III. She took a marked interest in botany, generously sponsored the gardens at Kew, including expeditions and publications, and was a decent botanical illustrator herself.

Styphelia tameiameiae (Cham. & Schltdl.) F.Muell. (Pukiawe, a Hawaiian shrub) Named for King Kamehameha I, aka Kalani Pai'ea Wohi o Kaleikini Keali'ikui Kamehameha o 'Iolani i Kaiwikapu kaui Ka Liholiho Kunuiakea.

Syllipsimopodi bideni Whalen & Landman, 2022 (Carboniferous vampyropod) Named after president Biden.

Tecunumania Standley & Steyermark (wild gourd) named after Tecún Umán, Mayan general who was defeated by Pedro de Alvarado in the conquest of Guatemala.

Thysania agrippina Cramer, 1776 (owlet moth) Named for Julia Vipsania Agrippina, one of the most prominent women in the Roman Empire in the early 1st century.

Tupacsala Petrulevicius & Gutiérrez, 2016 (Carboniferous insect) "Dedicated to the memory of José Gabriel Condorcanqui Noguera, 'Túpac' Amaru II (1738- 1781) and to Milagro Amalia Ángela 'Sala' (1963-)." Túpac Amaru II was the leader of an Andean uprising in the Pervian struggle for independence from Spain. Milagro Sala is a prominent Argentine social leader, President of the Tupac Amaru Neighborhood Association. The original Túpac Amaru was the last Neo-Incan monarch. [Arquivos Entomolóxicos 16: 345]

Ulughbegsaurus Tanaka et al. 2021 (Cretaceous theropod) Named after 15th-century Timurid sultan Ulugh Beg in recognition of his scientific contributions in astronomy and mathematics.

Victoria 1838 (Victoria water lily) for the Queen.

Washingtonia (fan palm) after president George.

Xenopsylla cheopsis (Oriental rat flea; vector of Plague) Named for the pharaoh Cheops, whose tomb is the Great Pyramid.

Xiphophorus nezahualcoyotl Rauchenberger, Kallman & Morizot, 1990 (mountain swordtail) A fish named for the 15th-century Nahuan poet and ruler Nezahualcoyotl.

Zenaida Bonaparte, 1838 (dove) Named for Zénaïde Laetitia Julie Bonaparte, Princess of Canino and Musignano, niece of Napoleon Bonaparte. The name's author was Zénaïde's husband (and cousin), ornithologist Charles Lucien Bonaparte.

Carnegiea Britton & Rose (saguaro cactus) Named for steel magnate and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie.

Echinobothrium dougbermani Caira et al. 2013 (tapeworm) This guitarfish parasite is named after Doug Berman, most noted as producer of NPR's "Car Talk". [Comp. Parasit. 80: 22]

Eristalis alleni Thompson, 1997 (flower fly) for Microsoft founder Paul Allen.

Eristalis gatesi Thompson, 1997 (flower fly) Named after Bill Gates "in recognition of his great contributions" to dipterology, presumably referring to money, not to bugs of another sort.

Litokoala dicksmithi Black et al., 2013 (Miocene koala) Named for Australian entrepeneur, aviator, political activist, and philanthropist Dick Smith, for his long-term financial support of Australian science.

Neopalpa donaldtrumpi Nazari, 2017 (moth) So named in honor of Donald Trump because of the yellow-white scales covering the head, and also "to bring wider public attention to the need to continue protecting fragile habitats in the US that still contain many undescribed species." [ZooKeys 646: 79]

Neoperla teresa Stark, 2008 (stonefly) after Teresa Heinz Kerry, environmentalist, philanthropist, and wife of presidential candidate John Kerry.

Pheidole mooreorum Wilson, 2002 (ant) named after Gordon Moore and his wife for their environmental philanthropy. Moore, founder of Intel, is famous for expounding Moore's Law, about exponential growth of computing power.

Sylvilagus palustris hefneri Lazell, 1984 (Lower Keys marsh rabbit) An endangered rabbit named after Playboy founder Hugh Hefner. Lazell received financial help from the Playboy Corporation.

Apistogramma mendezi Römer 1994 (cichlid) Named for rubber tapper and rainforest defender Chico Mendes, but misspelled. [Aqua, J. Ichthy. Aquat. Biol. 1(1): 1-12]

Aptostichus pennjillettei Bond 2012 (trapdoor spider) Named for illusionist and intellectual Penn Jillette.

Blighia Koenig (tropical akee fruit) Named after Captain Bligh of the H. M. S. Bounty, who brought it to the West Indies as food for slaves.

Bobbichthys (fossil fish)

Cherax snowden Lukhaup et al., 2015 (crayfish) "[N]amed after the american freedom fighter Edward Joseph Snowden. He is honored due to of [sic] his extraordinary achievements in defense of justice, and freedom." [ZooKeys 518: 1-14]

Dasykaluta rosamondae (Ride 1964) (kaluta, an Australian "marsupial mouse") It has reddish fur and was discovered on a sheep farm called Woodstock Station living in prickly spinifex bushes. It was named after the King Henry II's red-headed mistress Rosamond, who was kept locked in the Royal Manor of Woodstock surrounded by a maze of prickly hedges.

Elseya irwini Cann 1997 (Irwin's turtle) for Steve and Bob Irwin, who discovered the species in the Burdekin River in 1990. Steve was best known as 'the Crocodile Hunter' on TV but did a lot of good herpetological work. Bob is his father. [Journal of the Victorian Herpetological Society 9(1)]

Geoballus caputalbus Crabill, 1969 (millipede) Named after its collectors, George Ball and Donald Whitehead.

Gretchena delicatana, G. dulciana, G. amatana, G. concubitana Heinrich, 1923 (moths) named by taxonomist Carl Heinrich after his love interest(?) Gretchen; the names are derived, in order, from "delicate", "sweet", "beloved", "lying together".

Kerevata jamesmayi, K. clarksoni, and K. hammondi Butcher & Quicke, 2014 (braconid wasps) Named after James May, Jeremy Clarkson, and Richard Hammond, presenters on the television series "Top Gear".

Kuskaella bajerae Fanti & Damgaard, 2018 (Eocene soldier beetle) In memory of the Danish women's rights activist and pacifist Pauline Matilde Theodora Bajer. [Baltic J. Coleop. 18: 25]

Malo kingi Gershwin, 2007 (jellyfish) Named after Robert King, and American tourist who died in Australia after being stung by it.

Nepenthes armin Jebb & Cheek, 2014 (pitcher plant) Named after Armin Rios Martin, Municipal Councilor on Sibuyan, who, on 3 Oct. 2007, was shot and killed by a mining company official while leading a protest of his community against clearing of the forest to facilitate mining. [Blumea 59: 147]

Schinderhannes Kühl, Briggs & Rust, 2009 (Devonian anomalocarid) Named with the nickname of a notorious German outlaw (Johannes Bückler, c. 1778-1803) who frequented the area of the fossil's discovery.

Stumpffia froschaueri Crottini et al. 2020 (frog) Christoph Froschauer (ca. 1490-1564), whose family name means "the man from the floodplain full of frogs", was a printer in Zurich who signed his books with a woodcut showing frogs under a tree. Among other important books, he printed Conrad Gessner's Historia animalium.

Thunberga greta Jäger, 2020 (huntsman spider) Named after Greta Thunberg, "a young and courageous climate activist fighting against global warming, ignorant stakeholders and for a better future on our planet."