Swiftie-coded science: New bug species named after Taylor Swift

They named an entire group Swiftiephylus, combining “Swiftie”, the term for the singer’s fans, with “Phylus”, a common name element for this type of insect.

Singer-songwriter Taylor Swift’s influence has stretched well beyond the pop world and into the realm of science. In a unique honour, scientists have recently named several newly discovered Australian insects after the singer.

Four specific species were also named after the singer and her albums: Swiftiephylus taylorae after Taylor, Swiftiephylus amator after “lover”, Swiftiephylus intrepidus after “fearless”, and Swiftiephylus poetorum after “poets”. (Photo: Instagram)

Researchers from the University of California in the US have discovered 12 new species of plant-eating insects, with their finding published in the science journal Insect Systematics and Evolution.

They named an entire group Swiftiephylus, combining “Swiftie”, the term for the singer’s fans, with “Phylus”, a common name element for this type of insect.

Four specific species were also named after the singer and her albums: Swiftiephylus taylorae after Taylor, Swiftiephylus amator after “lover”, Swiftiephylus intrepidus after “fearless”, and Swiftiephylus poetorum after “poets”.

Sarah Schroeder, who led the discovery is herself a huge fan and chose the names hoping that the celebrity connect will bring attention to insect conservation and encourage people to learn about undiscovered species.