New insect genus named after Taylor Swift
Scientists have named a newly identified genus of Australian plant-feeding insects after Grammy-winning singer Taylor Swift, reports a Qazinform News Agency correspondent, citing the University of California, Riverside.
The genus, named Swiftiephylus, includes four species inspired by the artist and her work: Swiftiephylus taylorae, Swiftiephylus amator, Swiftiephylus intrepidus and Swiftiephylus poetorum. Their names are derived from the Latin words for Taylor, lover, fearless and poets, respectively.
“It felt authentic to me as a lifelong Swiftie to honor Taylor in this way, as well as bring attention to the diversity of insects that has yet to be discovered,” said Sarah Schroeder, a UC Riverside doctoral student in entomology.
The four species were among 12 new insects described in a study published in the journal Insect Systematics and Evolution. They belong to Miridae, the world’s largest family of true bugs, comprising more than 11,000 known species.
The pale-yellow insects have red markings that may help them camouflage among the flowers of Australian she-oaks, the plants on which they live and feed.
“Taylor Swift’s iconic look is her blonde hair and red lips. These insects are pale yellow with accents of red throughout,” Schroeder said. “In the paper I refer to them as blonde.”
Although new to science, the specimens were collected in Australia between 1995 and 2004 and remained in museum collections for decades before being formally described.
“Taxonomy is the cornerstone of conservation,” Schroeder said. “If we don’t describe species, we don’t know they exist and can’t conserve them.”
Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that the 2026 Ig Nobel Prizes honored some of the world’s most unusual scientific studies, ranging from energy-rich cockroach milk and the aerodynamics of nose-blowing to mosquito-powered 3D printing.
