# List of organisms named after famous people (born 1900–1949)

In biological nomenclature, organisms often receive scientific names that honor a person. A taxon (e.g., species or genus; plural: taxa) named in honor of another entity is an eponymous taxon, and names specifically honoring a person or persons are known as patronyms. Scientific names are generally formally published in peer-reviewed journal articles or larger monographs along with descriptions of the named taxa and ways to distinguish them from other taxa. Following rules of Latin grammar, species or subspecies names derived from a man's name often end in -i or -ii if named for an individual, and -orum if named for a group of men or mixed-sex group, such as a family. Similarly, those named for a woman often end in -ae, or -arum for two or more women.
This list is part of the List of organisms named after famous people, and includes organisms named after famous individuals born between 1 January 1900 and 31 December 1949. It also includes ensembles (including bands and comedy troupes) in which at least one member was born within those dates; but excludes companies, institutions, ethnic groups or nationalities, and populated places. It does not include organisms named for fictional entities, for biologists, paleontologists or other natural scientists, nor for associates or family members of researchers who are not otherwise notable; exceptions are made, however, for natural scientists who are much more famous for other aspects of their lives, such as, for example, Japanese emperors Hirohito and Akihito.
Sir David Attenborough was formerly included in this section of the list as one of these exceptions, since despite his formal training as a natural scientist, he is more widely known to the public as a documentary filmmaker. However, due to the high number of taxa named after him (over 50 as of 2022), he has been removed; his patronyms can be found in the List of things named after David Attenborough and his works.
Organisms named after famous people born earlier than 1900 can be found in:
* List of organisms named after famous people (born before 1800)
* List of organisms named after famous people (born 1800–1899)
Organisms named after famous people born later than 1949 can be found in:
The scientific names are given as originally described (their basionyms): subsequent research may have placed species in different genera, or rendered them taxonomic synonyms of previously described taxa. Some of these names may be unavailable in the zoological sense or illegitimate in the botanical sense due to senior homonyms already having the same name.

## List (people born 1900–1949)

* A
* B
* C
* D
* E
* F
* G
* H
* I
* J
* K
* L
* M
* N
* O
* P
* Q
* R
* S
* T
* U
* V
* W
* X
* Y
* Z
| Taxon | Type | Namesake | Notes | Ref |
| Abba Castanheira & Framenau, 2023 | Spider | ABBA | A genus of Australian orb-weaving spiders whose name "honours the Swedish pop group ABBA whose songs and subsequent musicals Mamma Mia! (2008) and Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again (2018), provided hours of entertainment for the authors." | |
| Abichites shahriari † Korn et al., 2015 | Ammonite | Mohammad-Hossein Shahriar | A fossil from the Permian of the Aras river valley, on the border between Iran and Azerbaijan, named "After Mohammad-Hossein Shahriar (1906–1988), the last poet of the lineage of classical legendary Iranian Azerbaijani poets." | |
| Abyssocladia hendrixii Eck, Kröner & Janussen, 2024 | Sponge | Jimi Hendrix | "Named after the famous guitarist, songwriter and singer Jimi Hendrix, whose music was a faithful companion throughout the time of the taxonomic work." | |
| Acanthella stanleei Nascimento, Cavalcanti & Pinheiro, 2019 | Sponge | Stan Lee | "in honor of the scriptwriter and editor of Marvel Comics, recently deceased." | |
| Acanthobunocephalus scruggsi Carvalho & Reis, 2020 | Catfish | Earl Scruggs | "Named after Earl Scruggs, a prominent American banjo player known for popularizing a three-finger banjo picking style, also known as "Scruggs style", which is characteristic of bluegrass music. The name of the species also makes an allusion to the common name given to aspredinid species in general (banjo catfishes), and the remarkable resemblance of the new species with this musical instrument." | |
| Acanthophis hawkei Wells & Wellington, 1985 | Snake | Bob Hawke | An Australian death adder "Named for the Prime Minister of Australia, the Rt. Hon. Robert J. Hawke, in recognition of his part in saving the Tasmanian wilderness." This species was described in one of the papers involved in the Wells and Wellington affair and is one of the few from those papers that is accepted as valid by the scientific community and has not been synonymised. In turn, a military vehicle of the Australian Army, the Hawkei PMV, is named after this species. | |
| Acidovorax kalamii Pal et al., 2018 | Bacterium | A. P. J. Abdul Kalam | Isolated from a water sample of the river Ganges in India. | |
| Acritus bikoi Gomy, 2001 | Beetle | Steve Biko | A clown beetle native to South Africa. | |
| Acritus mandelai Gomy, 2001 | Beetle | Nelson Mandela | A clown beetle native to South Africa. | |
| Acrogonyleptes cheguevarai DaSilva & Pinto-da-Rocha, 2010 | Harvestman | Che Guevara | "In honor of Che Guevara (1928–1967), the famous Argentine socialist revolutionary, who undertook the battle for the people's freedom in Latin America and Africa." | |
| Acropora sirikitiae Wallace, Phongsuwan & Muir, 2012 | Coral | Sirikit | A stony coral found on the coast of Thailand, "named to honour the 80th year of Her Majesty Queen Regent of Thailand, Somdetch Phra Nang Chao Sirikit Phra Baromma Rajini Nath, who has supported biodiversity and conservation of Thailand's reef, and improved the lives of poor fishermen of Thailand, by her restoration project providing artificial reefs in Thai waters." | |
| Actinopus dioi Miglio, Pérez-Miles & Bonaldo, 2020 | Spider | Ronnie James Dio | "The specific name is in honor of musician Ronald James Padavona or Ronnie James Dio, one of Black Sabbath vocals, affiliated to several bands of heavy metal in addition to his solo career." | |
| Actinopus osbournei Miglio, Pérez-Miles & Bonaldo, 2020 | Spider | Ozzy Osbourne | "The specific name is in honor of musician John Michael Osbourne or Ozzy Osbourne, the founder of heavy metal, affiliated to a band called Black Sabbath, in addition to his solo career." | |
| Adaina jobimi Vargas, 2020 | Moth | Antônio Carlos Jobim | "dedicated to the memory of the great Brazilian musician Antônio Carlos Brasileiro de Almeida Jobim, best known as Tom Jobim, for his huge contribution to the development of the "Música Popular Brasileira" and his admiration of nature". | |
| Adenomera chicomendesi Carvalho et al., 2019 | Frog | Chico Mendes | "named after Francisco Alves Mendes Filho, better known as Chico Mendes, in recognition of his efforts and sacrifice as an environmentalist in the Amazon rain forest, especially in the Brazilian state of Acre, his homeland [where the type locality is]. He also fought for the human rights of indigenous peoples and rubber tapper communities of the region. As a consequence of his activism, Chico Mendes was assassinated on 22 December 1988 in his hometown of Xapuri, in Acre." | |
| Adoretus kennedyi Limbourg, Dekoninck & Seidel, 2024 | Beetle | Robert F. Kennedy | "Dedicated to the late Robert F. Kennedy for his civil rights position" | |
| Adoretus scotti Limbourg, Dekoninck & Seidel, 2024 | Beetle | Bon Scott | "Dedicated to the late Ronald Belford "Bon" Scott (1946–1980), lead vocalist and lyricist of the AC/DC hard rock band." | |
| Adoretus thomasi Limbourg, Dekoninck & Seidel, 2024 | Beetle | Terry-Thomas | "Dedicated to the late British actor Terry-Thomas (1911–1990) for the similarity between the shape of the big moustache of his character of Sir Reginald in the 1966 French-British comedy film La Grande Vadrouille and the long setae on the apex of the parameres of the new species." | |
| Aegires evorae Moro & Ortea, 2015 | Sea slug | Cesária Évora | A species native to the waters of Cape Verde "Named after Cesárea [sic] Évora, the queen of morna, universal interpreter of Cape Verdean music." | |
| Aegomorphus wojtylai Hilszczanski & Bystrowski, 2005 | Beetle | Pope John Paul II | A Polish beetle, posthumously named for the Pope's birth name, Karol Wojtyła. Subsequently synonymised with Aegomorphus obscurior. | |
| Aegrotocatellus jaggeri † Adrain & Edgecombe, 1995 | Trilobite | Mick Jagger | Perirehaedulus richardsi was named concurrently to honor fellow Rolling Stones member Keith Richards. | |
| Aegrotocatellus nankerphelgeorum † Adrain & Edgecombe, 1995 | Trilobite | Nanker Phelge | Collective pseudonym used by members of The Rolling Stones. | |
| Aetana abadae Huber, 2015 | Spider | Pacita Abad | A cellar spider from the Philippines, "Named for Philippine-born cosmopolitan artist Pacita Abad (1946–2004), famous for her vibrant, colorful abstract work, but also for her paintings of tropical flowers and animal wildlife." | |
| Aetana kiukoki Huber, 2015 | Spider | Ang Kiukok | A cellar spider from the Philippines. | |
| Aetana manansalai Huber, 2015 | Spider | Vicente Manansala | A cellar spider from the Philippines, "Named for the Filipino painter and illustrator Vicente Silva Manansala (1910–1981), most famous for his 'Madonna of the Slums'" | |
| Aetana ocampoi Huber, 2015 | Spider | Hernando R. Ocampo | A cellar spider from the Philippines, "Named for the Filipino artist Hernando Ruiz Ocampo (1911–1978), famous for his work reflecting the harsh realities of his country after the Second World War, but also for his interest in depicting Philippine flora and fauna." | |
| Afgekia mahidoliae B.L.Burtt & Chermsir. | Legume | Srinagarindra | A climbing vine from Thailand "dedicated, with permission, to Her Royal Highness, the King's Mother, whose interest in the Thai flora is well known." | |
| Afghanella tereshkovae † Leven, 1967 | Protist | Valentina Tereshkova | A fossil foraminiferan found in Permian deposits throughout Eurasia, described from a holotype collected from the Pamir Mountains in Tajikistan (formerly part of the Soviet Union). | |
| Agathidium bushi Miller & Wheeler, 2005 | Beetle | George W. Bush | This beetle was named by Quentin D. Wheeler, and President Bush was pleased with the gesture, even calling Wheeler to thank him for the honor. Because of the problematic public image of Bush and his cabinet, and the fact that this is a slime-mold beetle which feeds on decaying fungi, some interpreted the naming to be intended as an insult; however, Wheeler clarified that this species, as well as A. cheneyi and A. rumsfeldi, were meant as homages: "We admire these leaders as fellow citizens who have the courage of their convictions and are willing to do the very difficult and unpopular work of living up to principles of freedom and democracy rather than accepting the expedient or popular". Co-author Kelly Miller said "We intended the names to be honorific... We were two conservatives in academia working together (which is not common). It was early in the Iraq war period, and we were both in favor of intervention there... And finally, we love our beetles! We wouldn't name a new species after someone we didn't like. [In interviews,] we compared it to the Lewis and Clark expedition naming the three forks of the Missouri after Jefferson, Madison, and Gallatin (President, Vice President, and Secretary of the Treasury [at the time])." | [25][26] [27][28] |
| Agathidium cheneyi Miller & Wheeler, 2005 | Beetle | Dick Cheney | | |
| Agathidium rumsfeldi Miller & Wheeler, 2005 | Beetle | Donald Rumsfeld | | |
| Agmasoma aquinoae Enriquez & Sprague, 1988 | Fungus | Corazon Aquino | This species of marine microsporidium was first identified in the Philippines. It is a parasite of prawns of the genus Penaeus. | |
| Agra schwarzeneggeri Erwin, 2002 | Beetle | Arnold Schwarzenegger | Named "in reference to the markedly developed (biceps-like) middle femora of the males of this species reminiscent of the actor's physique." | |
| Agraecia cesairei Hugel, 2009 | Katydid | Aimé Césaire | This species is endemic to Martinique. It was subsequently transferred to the monotypic genus Sylvainhugiella, named after the scientist who described it. | |
| Agrilus updikei Hespenheide, 2012 | Beetle | John Updike | A species of jewel beetle that mimics flies, "named in honor of the late writer John Updike. Although Updike published sparingly on Neotropical beetles (1963), his use of metaphors, widely admired by critics, recommends this honor because, in a sense, a species which mimics another is a kind of metaphor for the mimicked species and benefits by being confused for its model by uncritical predators." | |
| Akihito Watson, Keith, & Marquet, 2007 | Fish | Akihito | A freshwater goby endemic to Vanuatu. "The new genus name honors Emperor Akihito for his many contributions to goby systematics and phylogenetic research" | |
| Aleiodes kingmani Shimbori & Shaw, 2014 | Wasp | Eduardo Kingman | A parasitoid wasp from Ecuador, "named after Eduardo Kingman (Loja, February 23, 1913 – Quito, November 27, 1997), one of the greatest Ecuadorian artists, who dedicated his art to portray the indigenous people of Ecuador." | |
| Aleiodes niveni Butcher et al., 2012 | Wasp | Larry Niven | | |
| Allende Álvarez-Padilla, 2007 | Spider | Salvador Allende | A genus of Long-jawed orb weaver spiders native to Chile. | |
| Allendia Noonan, 1974 | Beetle | Salvador Allende | "The genus is named for Salvador Allende, the late president of Chile, and is dedicated to his memory." This genus is native to Chile, and was named one year after Allende's death. | |
| Allobates algorei Barrio-Amorós & Santos, 2009 | Frog | Al Gore | "We name this species after the former American vice-president and Nobel Peace Laureate Al Gore to recognize his ecumenical efforts to alert the people of the planet about the global warming crisis. Amphibians are among the organisms most affected by this crisis, even without direct prosecution by humans. Concretely, the Andes of Venezuela [where this species is native from] have suffered an evident decimation of amphibian populations due to known and unknown causes." | |
| Allocybaeina littlewalteri Bennett, 2020 | Spider | Little Walter | "The specific epithet is a patronym honouring the late musician "Little" Walter Jacobs whose ground-breaking approach to blues harmonica in the 1950s and 1960s set the standards for all subsequent players". | |
| Alterosa amadoi Dumas, Calor & Nessimian, 2013 | Caddisfly | Jorge Amado | A species native to Bahia state, Brazil, "dedicated to the deceased Brazilian writer Jorge Amado, who was born in Bahia state in 1912 and died in 2001. Amado is one of the most acclaimed contemporary Brazilian novelists, whose 32 novels have sold millions of copies. Among his best-known works are Capitães de Areia, Gabriela, Cravo e Canela, and Tieta do Agreste. In 2012, Brazil celebrated the centenary of his birth." | |
| Alterosa caymmii Dumas, Calor & Nessimian, 2013 | Caddisfly | Dorival Caymmi | A species native to Bahia state, Brazil, "named in memory of Dorival Caymmi, considered one of the most important Brazilian songwriters. Caymmi was born in Bahia state in 1914 and died [in] 2008. He became a national icon with his lyrics that evoked the charm of Bahia's fishing villages, beaches and beautiful women, like "O Que é Que a Baiana Tem?", "Marina", "Rainha do Mar", "Samba da Minha Terra", among others". | |
| Amaurotoma zappa † Plas, 1972 | Snail | Frank Zappa | A fossil species from the Permian of Nevada, USA | |
| Ambocythere amadoi † Bergue & Coimbra, 20218 | Crustacean | Jorge Amado | A fossil ostracod from the Pleistocene of Brazil, "In honor of the Brazilian writer Jorge Amado (1912–2001), born in Bahia State, on whose coast lies the Camamu Basin." (the type locality). | |
| Ami bladesi Pérez-Miles, Gabriel & Gallon, 2008 | Spider | Rubén Blades | This species was described from a specimen collected in Colón Island, Panama. Subsequently synonymised with Neischnocolus panamanus Petrunkevitch, 1925. | |
| Amplaria adamsi Shear & Krejca, 2007 | Millipede | Ansel Adams | A troglobiont species found in Sequoia National Park, California, named "After the late Ansel Adams, an extraordinary photographer whose finest pictures depict the Sierra Nevada." | |
| Anacroneuria carole Stark, 2004 | Stonefly | Carole King | "The species name [...] honors singer, songwriter, environmental advocate, Carole King in recognition of the music career, a pearl by any standard." (This species belongs to the family Perlidae) | |
| Anacroneuria taylori Stark, 2004 | Stonefly | James Taylor | "The patronym honors singer, songwriter James Taylor in appreciation of his attention to environmental causes, particularly those in the rainforests of South America where Anacroneuria occurs." | |
| Anaulacomera (Oecella) marshae Fianco, 2021 | Katydid | Marsha P. Johnson | "The specific name honours Marsha P. Johnson [...], a black trans woman activist, who led the LGBTQI+ liberation movements that started in June of 1969, in the United States of America, and then spread across the world." | |
| Andinopanurgus vargasllosai Gonzalez and Alvarado, 2019 | Bee | Mario Vargas Llosa | A species from Peru, whose name "honors the Peruvian writer, politician, journalist, and 2010 Nobel laureate Jorge Mario Pedro Vargas Llosa." Subsequently transferred to genus Luisanthrena. | |
| Andrena perahia Pisanty & Schechl, 2016 | Bee | Murray Perahia | | |
| Anelosimus nelsoni Agnarsson, 2006 | Spider | Nelson Mandela | | |
| Anelosimus pratchetti Agnarsson, 2012 | Spider | Terry Pratchett | "in honour of Sir Terence David John "Terry" Pratchett, the wonderful writer "sometimes accused of literacy", a comic genius and the creator of the Discworld series." | |
| Anheteromeyenia cheguevarai Manconi & Pronzato, 2005 | Sponge | Che Guevara | A freshwater demosponge native to Cuba. | |
| Anillinus docwatsoni Sokolov & Carlton, 2004 | Beetle | Doc Watson | A species known from a single locality in Rutherford County, North Carolina, named "after Arthel "Doc" Watson, legendary bluegrass musician from North Carolina." | |
| Anomala arkhipovi Limbourg, Dekoninck & Seidel, 2024 | Beetle | Vasily Arkhipov | "Dedicated to the Soviet Navy Officer Vasili Alexandrovich Arkhipov (1926-1998), credited with preventing a Soviet nuclear strike during the Cuban Missile Crisis (1962)." | |
| Anomphalus jaggerius † Plas, 1972 | Sea snail | Mick Jagger | A fossil species from the Permian of Nevada, USA | |
| Anopheles (Cellia) seretsei Abdulla-Khan, Coetzee & Hunt, 1998 | Mosquito | Seretse Khama | A nail mosquito from Botswana. | |
| Anthonomus rulfoi Clark, 1987 | Weevil | Juan Rulfo | This species is native to Mexico. | |
| Anthrenocerus schwarzeneggeri Roach, 2000 | Beetle | Arnold Schwarzenegger | "named in admiration after Mr Arnold Schwarzenegger, a multi-champion body builder, movie star, and businessman, because of their similarities in pleural development." | |
| Aphanogmus kretschmanni Moser, 2023 | Wasp | Winfried Kretschmann | "The specific name is a patronym for Winfried Kretschmann, the current Minister-President of the state of Baden-Württemberg (Germany) [where the specimens were collected], to honour his scientific curiosity and commitment to preserving biodiversity in his political environment." | |
| Aphonopelma hollyi Smith, 1995 | Spider | Buddy Holly | Discovered in Lubbock, Texas, birthplace of Holly. The holotype has been lost and no neotype specimen has been found, so this is now considered a nomen dubium, possibly a synonym of Aphonopelma hentzi. | |
| Aphonopelma johnnycashi Hamilton, Hendrixson, & Bond, 2016 | Spider | Johnny Cash | "This species can be found near the area of Folsom Prison in California, and like Cash's distinctive style of dress... mature males of this species are generally black in color." | |
| Apistogramma mendezi Römer, 1994 | Fish | Chico Mendes | | |
| Aptostichus chavezi Bond, 2012 | Spider | César Chávez | | |
| Aptostichus edwardabbeyi Bond, 2012 | Spider | Edward Abbey | | |
| Arenivaga haringtoni Hopkins, 2014 | Cockroach | Donald Harington (writer) | "This species is named in honor of Donald Harington, author of The Cockroaches of Stay More, a priceless novel about wonderful animals." | |
| Arenivaga pratchetti Hopkins, 2014 | Cockroach | Terry Pratchett | "This species is named for the one and only Terry Pratchett, creator of Disc World and many happy hours of reading. May the strength and durability of these creatures I so love impart those gifts to him in full measure in his fight against Alzheimer's." | |
| Argyreia sharadchandrajii Lawand & Shimpale | Flowering plant | Sharad Pawar | A species of morning glory native to Maharashtra, India (Pawar's home state); "The specific epithet sharadchandrajii is chosen after Shri. Sharadchandraji Pawar, former Union Minister of Agriculture, Government of India, New Delhi for his valuable contribution to Indian agriculture." | |
| Argyrogrammana chicomendesi Gallard, 1995 | Butterfly | Chico Mendes | | |
| Arianops carteri Carlton, 2008 | Beetle | Jimmy Carter | | |
| Arianops clintoni Carlton, 2008 | Beetle | Bill Clinton | | |
| Arianops gorei Carlton, 2008 | Beetle | Al Gore | A species of rove beetle found only in Tennessee, "named after Al Gore, Tennessee native, former Vice President of the United States of America, Nobel Prize laureate, and champion of environmental causes." | |
| Aricidea bbkingi Barroso, Paiva & Ranauro, 2020 | Polychaete worm | B.B. King | "named after Riley Ben King, known as B. B. King, which means Blues Boy King, one of the best guitar players that ever played, and who the authors very much admire. B.B. King played almost until the end of his life. He passed away in 2015, at the age of 90. We are very grateful to this man for all the wonderful songs and guitar solos." | |
| Arnapa Huber, 2019 | Spider | Arnold Ap | A genus of cellar spiders native to West Papua. | |
| Aryalidonta itishreea Subedi & Kasalo, 2023 | Groundhopper | Bhairav Aryal | A new genus and species native to Nepal; "The genus is named in honor of the late Bhairav Aryal (Nepali: भैरव अर्याल), an iconic satirist of Nepali literature popularly known as the Emperor of Laughter (Nepali: हाँस्य सम्राट). The second part of the name, -donta, derives from the Greek word "ὀδών", meaning "tooth", and is a reference to Bhairav Aryal's iconic smile." "The specific epithet is derived from the Nepali word "itishree", which is the title of one of Bhairav Aryal's books and translates to "The End". The name is also a reference to the tragic end of Bhairav Aryal's life, as well as to his unyielding belief that an end is an invitation to a new beginning." | |
| Aspidolobus sebastianpinerai Vidal, 2018 | Beetle | Sebastián Piñera | A darkling beetle native to Chile and "dedicated to the President of the Republic of Chile, Mr. Sebastián Piñera Echenique, for his great contribution to the development of the country." | |
| Asteriomyzostomum monroeae Jimi, Moritaki & Kajihara, 2017 | Polychaete worm | Marilyn Monroe | "named after the American actress Marilyn Monroe. The protruded mouth in the new species is reminiscent of her puckered lips." | |
| Astyanax kennedyi Géry, 1964 | Fish | John F. Kennedy | This species was described shortly after Kennedy's assassination, and named in his memory. | |
| Aulospongus mandela Cavalcanti, Santos & Pinheiro, 2014 | Sponge | Nelson Mandela | | |
| Australopicus nelsonmandelai † Manegold & Louchart, 2012 | Bird | Nelson Mandela | A fossil woodpecker from the Pliocene of South Africa, "dedicated to Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela on the occasion of his 94th birthday on 18 July 2012." | |
| Austrogena nerudai Krylova, Sellanes, Valdés & D'Elía, 2014 | Bivalve | Pablo Neruda | "The species is dedicated to Pablo Neruda (1904–1973), the renowned Chilean poet, awarded with the Nobel Prize of literature in 1971, who was also a keen collector of shells. The poet's grave and one of his houses, 'Isla Negra', now a museum, are located at the seashore of El Quisco nearby the collection site of the new species." | |
| Austrotinodes lattesi Dumas, de Souza & Rocha, 2017 | Caddisfly | César Lattes | A species from Brazil, "Dedicated to the Brazilian physicist Cesare Mansueto Giulio Lattes, who was born in Curitiba, Paraná state in 1924 and died in 2005. César Lattes was one of the most distinguished and honored Brazilian physicists, and his work was fundamental for the development of atomic physics. He was one of the discoverers of the Pion (pi meson), a subatomic particle, and one of the main personalities behind the creation of Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) and Centro Brasileiro de Pesquisas Físicas (CBPF)." | |
| Autosilis annisettaekoppelae † Fanti & Damgaard, 2018 | Beetle | Annisette Koppel | A fossil soldier beetle found in Eocene Baltic amber, "named in honour of the Danish singer Annisette Koppel (born Hansen), in recognition of her long career." | |
| Avahi cleesei Thalmann & Geissmann, 2005 | Lemur | John Cleese | "Named in honor of British actor and comedian John Cleese for his promotion of conservation issues in movies such as Fierce Creatures [ Schepisi & Young, 1997] and documentaries such as Born to be Wild: Operation Lemur With John Cleese [Kershaw & Cleese, 1999]." Cleese said: "I was really touched, and indeed, honoured when Urs Thalmann told me they would like to name the lemur after me. I'm absurdly fond of the little creatures, and if I had to show any of my programmes to St Peter, upon my arrival at the Pearly Gates, I think I would show him my documentary made about them in Madagascar. I help with conservation a bit, here and there, and so will re-double my efforts for our furry friends." | |
| Avalanchurus simoni † Adrain & Edgecombe, 1997 | Trilobite | Paul Simon | | |
| Avalanchurus garfunkeli † Adrain & Edgecombe, 1997 | Trilobite | Art Garfunkel | | |
| Ayacucho glauberrochai Benedetti & Pinto-da-Rocha, 2022 | Harvestman | Glauber Rocha | | |
| Ayacucho pasolinii Benedetti & Pinto-da-Rocha, 2022 | Harvestman | Pier Paolo Pasolini | | |
| Ayacucho spielbergi Benedetti & Pinto-da-Rocha, 2022 | Harvestman | Steven Spielberg | | |
| Ayacucho vargasllosai Benedetti & Pinto-da-Rocha, 2022 | Harvestman | Mario Vargas Llosa | A species native to Peru, "dedicated to the Peruvian writer, politician, journalist, essayist, filmmaker, college professor and Nobel Prize winner Jorge Mario Pedro Vargas Llosa (born 1936)" | |
| Azygophleps adamsonae Yakovlev & László, 2020 | Moth | Joy Adamson | A carpenter moth from Cameroon. | |
| Bacillus glennii Seuylemezian et al., 2020 | Bacterium | John Glenn | This bacterium was isolated from the vehicle assembly building at Kennedy Space Center where the Viking spacecraft were assembled, and "named after John Glenn, a NASA astronaut who was the first American to orbit the Earth." Subsequently transferred to genus Peribacillus. | |
| Bacillus saganii Seuylemezian et al., 2020 | Bacterium | Carl Sagan | This bacterium was isolated from the vehicle assembly building at Kennedy Space Center where the Viking spacecraft were assembled, and named "referring to Carl Sagan, a well-known American astrophysicist with experiments on the Viking mission landers." Subsequently transferred to genus Peribacillus. | |
| Baeus tejaswii Veenakumari, 2020 | Wasp | Poornachandra Tejaswi | This species is native to India. | |
| Balmaceda abba Edwards & Baert, 2018 | Spider | ABBA | A jumping spider from the Galápagos Islands. | |
| Barbaturex morrisoni † Head et al., 2013 | Lizard | Jim Morrison | An extinct genus of lizards from the Eocene of Myanmar, whose name "honors Jim Morrison, vocalist and lizard king". | |
| Barsine sirikitae Volynkin & Černý, 2018 | Moth | Sirikit | "dedicated to Sirikit, the queen mother of Thailand, because the holotype and the part of paratypes [sic] were collected near the Queen Sirikit Botanic Garden in Chiang Mai Province of Thailand." Subsequently transferred to genus Fossia. | |
| Baru darrowi † Wilis, Murray & Megirian, 1990 | Crocodile | Paul Darrow | A fossil crocodile from the Miocene of Australia. "The specific name honours British actor Paul Darrow, best known for his role in the television series Blake's Seven, in recognition of his support of continuing palaeontological investigations of the Riversleigh deposits." | |
| Bastanius Mirshamsi, Zamani & Marusik, 2016 | Spider | Mohammad Ebrahim Bastani Parizi | "honouring the late emeritus professor of the University of Tehran Dr Mohammad Ebrahim Bastani Parizi (1924–2014), who was an Iranian historian, translator, poet, essayist and author of non-fiction books. His numerous publications are mostly popular reads on the history of Iran and the history of his hometown, Kerman." The type locality of the type species of this genus is in Kerman province. | |
| Bathyceradocus hawkingi Jażdżewska & Ziemkiewicz, 2019 | Crustacean | Stephen Hawking | "named to commemorate Professor Stephen Hawking [...], in appreciation of his great contribution to the popularisation of natural sciences, and to underline that the deep sea is as poorly known as the cosmos." | |
| Batillipes kalami Vishnudattan, Rubal & Bijoy Nandan, 2023 | Tardigrade | A. P. J. Abdul Kalam | "The specific epithet, kalami refers to Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, Indian aerospace scientist and eleventh president of India, also known as the "Missile Man of India", who was native to the type locality of the current species". | |
| Beardius dioi Pinho, Mendes & Andersen, 2013 | Fly | Ronnie James Dio | "Named after the late Ronnie James Dio, according to the senior author the greatest rock singer of all times." | |
| Beksitanais Jakiel, Palero & Błażewicz, 2019 | Crustacean | Zdzisław Beksiński | A genus of deep-sea tanaids found in the Clipperton fracture zone of the Pacific Ocean, which was described by scientists of the University of Łódź, Poland. | |
| Belesica madiba Rousse & Van Noort, 2014 | Wasp | Nelson Mandela | A species of parasitoid wasp endemic to South Africa. "We respectfully dedicate this rare gem to "Madiba" Nelson Mandela, for the enlightenment he brought to South Africa and the remainder of the World. Enkosi uhambe kakuhle Tata Madiba [Thank you and go well Tata Madiba]." | |
| Belisana keyti Huber, 2005 | Spider | George Keyt | A cellar spider from Sri Lanka, "Named for George Keyt (1901–1993), one of the most outstanding Sri Lankan painters. The eternal theme of devine [sic] and human love is the thread that runs unbroken throughout his prolific artistic career." | |
| Bembidion brownorum Maddison, Sproul & Will, 2023 | Beetle | Jerry Brown and Anne Gust Brown | "The specific epithet [...] refers to Jerry and Anne Brown, former Governor and First Lady of California, respectively. The name is formed in their honor as it was their hospitality and openness to allowing access for research of insects on their ranch, the type locality, which led to the discovery of this species. Additionally, this honors their long commitment to environmentalism and continued efforts in the international climate-change movement." | |
| Biancolina suassunai Andrade & Souza-Filho, 2022 | Crustacean | Ariano Suassuna | An amphipod described from specimens collected from the coast of Pernambuco, Brazil, named "in honor of the famous writer Ariano Vilar Suassuna for his efforts towards promoting and strengthening cultural awareness of the Northeast Brazilian region. Also, the first author was born on the same date as Ariano Suassuna (June 16th)." | |
| Bistriopelma peyoi Nicoletta et al., 2020 | Spider | Peyo | "The specific epithet is a patronym in honor of the Belgian cartoonist Pierre Culliford (1928–1992), mostly known by his pseudonym 'Peyo', who created the comic strip The Smurfs. The type locality of this new species is located near the Pampachiri Stone Forest, which is known as Smurf's house because of the conical rock formations. Moreover, the prominent projection of the cephalic region of the male resembles the shape of the Smurfs' hats." | |
| Bobmarleya Hilário & Cunha, 2008 | Polychaete worm | Bob Marley | "The generic name is given as an allusion to the shape of the tentacular crown in which the tentacles largely resemble dreadlocks, a hairstyle popularised by the reggae singer and songwriter Bob Marley." | |
| Bohadschia cousteaui Cherbonnier, 1954 | Sea cucumber | Jacques Cousteau | Described from specimens collected by Cousteau's ship, the RV Calypso. | |
| Borealarges calei † Adrain, 1994 | Trilobite | John Cale | One of four species concurrently named in 1994 after the members of the 1965–1968 line-up of The Velvet Underground. | |
| Borealarges morrisoni † Adrain, 1994 | Trilobite | Sterling Morrison | One of four species concurrently named in 1994 after the members of the 1965–1968 line-up of The Velvet Underground. | |
| Borealarges nicoae † Adrain, 2003 | Trilobite | Nico | One of three species concurrently named in 2003 after members or collaborators of The Velvet Underground. | |
| Borealarges reedi † Adrain, 1994 | Trilobite | Lou Reed | One of four species concurrently named in 1994 after the members of the 1965–1968 line-up of The Velvet Underground. | |
| Borealarges tuckerae † Adrain, 1994 | Trilobite | Moe Tucker | One of four species concurrently named in 1994 after the members of the 1965–1968 line-up of The Velvet Underground. | |
| Borealarges warholi † Adrain, 2003 | Trilobite | Andy Warhol | One of three species concurrently named in 2003 after members or collaborators of The Velvet Underground. | |
| Borealarges yulei † Adrain, 2003 | Trilobite | Doug Yule | One of three species concurrently named in 2003 after members or collaborators of The Velvet Underground. | |
| Bowie Jäger, 2022 | Spider | David Bowie | A genus of Asian and Australian wandering spiders "named after David Bowie (1947–2016) for the creative, innovative and unique kind of music he composed and performed." Jäger added: "On the occasion of David Bowie's 75th birthday, I wanted to commemorate this incomparable artist who left us much too early.[...] However, what matters most to me here is the idea of conservation: we only protect what we know – and an attractive name is much more likely to be remembered." Many species in the genus have been named after David Bowie albums and songs. | |
| Brachystegus nikitini Nemkov, 2004 | Wasp | Yuri Nikitin (author) | This species, native to Nepal, was described by a Russian scientist and "is dedicated to the famous Russian writer and amateur of entomology Mr. Yu. A. Nikitin." | |
| Bradleya victorjarai † Bergue & Coimbra, 2023 | Ostracod | Víctor Jara | A fossil species from the Miocene of Chile, named "In honor of the Chilean poet, singer, and political activist Victor Lidio Jara Martínez (1932–1973). A beautiful species for a respectful soul." | |
| Branchioperla ianstewarti † Sroka & Staniczek, 2019 | Stonefly | Ian Stewart | A fossil species found in Burmese amber. "The naming [...] completes the "Rolling Stoneflies" [see also species in the genera Electroneuria, Lapisperla, Largusoperla and Petroperla]. It refers to Ian "Stu" Stewart, keyboard player and founding member of The Rolling Stones. Often referred to as "the 6th member of the Rolling Stones", he was removed from the official line-up already in 1963, but continued to work with the band until his sudden death in 1985." | |
| Brignolia carlmulleri Ranasinghe & Benjamin, 2016 | Spider | Carl Muller | A goblin spider from Sri Lanka "Named for the Sri Lankan writer, poet and journalist Carl Muller, best known for his trilogy: The Jam Fruit Tree, Yakada Yaka and Once Upon A Tender Time." | |
| Brignolia ondaatjei Ranasinghe & Benjamin, 2016 | Spider | Michael Ondaatje | A goblin spider from Sri Lanka "Named for Sri Lankan-born Canadian novelist and poet, Philip Michael Ondaatje, best known for The English Patient and our favorite Anil's Ghost." Ondaatje said "Well I am thrilled of course [...] I thought a small creek would be enough to have my name attached to or a lane like the one bp Nichol got. But the goblin spider of Sri Lanka certainly raises the bar." | |
| Bugula bowiei Vieira, Winston & Fehlauer-Ale, 2012 | Bryozoan | David Bowie | "Named after David Bowie, British popular musician (1947–) and third author's favourite artist." Subsequently transferred to genus Crisularia. | |
| Buitinga tingatingai Huber, 2003 | Spider | Edward Tingatinga | A cellar spider from Tanzania, named "In honour of Edward Saidi Tingatinga (1932–72), a self-taught painter who established Tanzanian Tingatinga, a style of art which involves painting on masonite using bicycle paint." | |
| Bumba lennoni Pérez-Miles et al., 2014 | Spider | John Lennon | "The specific name is patronymic in honor of John Winston Lennon (1940–1980), the legendary creator of The Beatles, who contributed to make this world a gentler place." | |
| Bushiella (Jugaria) beatlesi Rzhavsky, 1993 | Polychaete worm | The Beatles | "named after the musical rock group 'The Beatles', whose songs were my early inspiration". | |
| Buthus delafuentei Teruel & Turiel, 2020 | Scorpion | Félix Rodríguez de la Fuente | "a patronym honoring the great Spanish naturalist and documentary maker Félix Samuel Rodríguez de la Fuente [...], who tragically died in a plane crash on his 52nd birthday, while filming in Alaska. His wildlife documentaries inspired a complete generation of biologists (ours) to observe and eventually study nature. A crucial part of his work was devoted to Doñana National Park, just south [of] the site where this new species was discovered." | |
| Bythinella walensae Falniowski, Hofman & Rysiewska, 2016 | Freshwater snail | Lech Wałęsa | This Greek species was described by scientists of Jagiellonian University and "Named in honour of President Lech Wałęsa, a Polish national hero and co-creator of our independence." | |
| Cacomorphocerus bentifabrici † Fanti & Damgaard, 2018 | Beetle | Bent Fabric | A fossil soldier beetle found in Eocene Baltic amber, "named in honour of the Danish musician Bent Fabricius-Bjerre, internationally known as Bent Fabric, in recognition of his career as a pianist and composer." | |
| Cacomorphocerus madseni † Fanti & Damgaard, 2018 | Beetle | Svend Åge Madsen | A fossil soldier beetle found in Eocene Baltic amber, named "in honour of the Danish novelist Svend Åge Madsen, in recognition of his writings." | |
| Calacalles manriquei Stüben, 2018 | Weevil | César Manrique | "dedicated to César Manrique (1919–1992), the famous artist, sculptor, architect, but above all nature conservationist on the Canary Island of Lanzarote. He has characterised the present appearance of this volcanic island with its unique fauna and flora." This species is endemic to Lanzarote. | |
| Calathotarsus fangioi Ferretti, Soresi, González & Arnedo, 2019 | Spider | Juan Manuel Fangio | This species is restricted to a small area of Buenos Aires Province in Argentina, and some of the specimens used to describe it were collected in Fangio's hometown, the city of Balcarce. | |
| Callicebus bernhardi van Roosmalen et al., 2002 | Monkey | Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld | | |
| Calponia harrisonfordi Platnick, 1993 | Spider | Harrison Ford | "In honor of screen actor Harrison Ford, in recognition of his efforts on behalf of the American Museum." | |
| Candelabrella shahriari Mekht. | Fungus | Mohammad-Hossein Shahriar | This species was identified from samples of soil collected from Shahriar's grave in Tabriz, Iran. Subsequently transferred to genus Arthrobotrys | |
| Capederces madibai Maquart & Van Noort, 2017 | Beetle | Nelson Mandela | A longhorn beetle from South Africa "dedicated to Nelson Mandela, also known by his clan name Madiba, a South African hero and Nobel Peace Prize holder, who passed away on 5 December 2013 at the age of 95." | |
| Capoeta shajariani Jouladeh-Roudbar et al., 2017 | Fish | Mohammad-Reza Shajarian | A freshwater scraper fish found in the Gamasiab river (Tigris basin), Iran, "named [in] honor of Mohammad-Reza Shajarian, an acclaimed Iranian classical singer, composer and master of Persian traditional music." | |
| Carabus (Archiplectes) lennoni Gottwald, 1985 | Beetle | John Lennon | | |
| Carapoia djavani Huber, 2018 | Spider | Djavan | This species is native to Brazil. | |
| Carapoia suassunai Huber, 2018 | Spider | Ariano Suassuna | This species is native to Brazil. | |
| Carebara madibai Fischer & Azorsa, 2014 | Ant | Nelson Mandela | "Named in memory Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela (18 July 1918–5 December 2013), who was nicknamed Madiba by his people, former South African president and anti-apartheid revolutionary, often also described as "father of the nation"." | |
| Carlomonnius † Bannikov & Carnevale, 2016 | Fish | Carlo Monni | A fossil genus of gobiiform fish from the Eocene deposits of Monte Bolca, Italy. | |
| Carteronius lumumba Bonaldo & Ramírez, 2022 | Spider | Patrice Lumumba | A corinnid sac spider from Central Africa. | |
| Cedrorestes crichtoni † Gilpin et al., 2007 | Dinosaur | Michael Crichton | "The species name honors Michael Crichton for promoting the public's interest in dinosaurs through his Jurassic Park novels." | |
| Cephalaeschna algorei Karube & Kompier, 2017 | Dragonfly | Al Gore | "in recognition of [Mr. Gore's] important contribution to raise awareness of need for climate action, as exemplified by the award of the Nobel Peace Prize 2007, received jointly with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change" | |
| Cephalonomia pinkfloydi Ward, 2013 | Wasp | Pink Floyd | A bethylid wasp from New Zealand | |
| Ceratophrys sagani † Barcelos, Almeida-Silva, Santos & Verdade, 2020 | Frog | Carl Sagan | A fossil species of Pacman frog from the Pleistocene of Brazil, named "in honor of the eminent North American astronomer Carl Sagan (1934–1996), whose passion for the communication of science continues to inspire." | |
| Cervellaea coheni Borovec & Meregalli, 2021 | Weevil | Leonard Cohen | "During our 2016 expedition, the extraordinary artist Leonard Cohen (1934–2016) passed away, and we wish to name this species after him." | |
| Chaetodon (Blumchaetodon) wattsi † Marramà, Giusberti & Carnevale, 2022 | Fish | Charlie Watts | A fossil butterflyfish from the Oligocene of Italy, "named after the British musician Charles Robert Watts, drummer of the Rolling Stones, who sadly passed away during the preparation of this paper." | |
| Charletonia shahriari Saboori, Azimi & Shirdel, 2012 | Mite | Mohammad-Hossein Shahriar | This species was described from specimens collected in Tabriz, Iran, and "named in memory of Mohammad Hossein Shahriar, one of the most famous poets of Iran from Tabriz (1906–1988)." | |
| Charletonia terianae Hakimitabar, Saboori & Seiedy, 2013 | Mite | Alenush Terian | This species was described from specimens collected from the grounds of the University of Tehran in Iran, and "named in memory of Prof. Alenoush Terian (1920–2011), the mother of Iranian astronomy and first Iranian lady astronomer and physics professor. She was one of the founders of the solar observatory of the Institute of Geophysics at University of Tehran, where she also worked until her retirement in 1979." | |
| Cheguevaria Kazantsev, 2006 | Firefly | Che Guevara | A genus native to Hispaniola and Puerto Rico, "named after E. "Che" Guevara, the legendary Latin American revolutionary, very popular in the Caribbean region." | |
| Chelidonura juancarlosi Ortea & Espinosa, 1998 | Sea slug | Juan Carlos I | This species was described from specimens collected in Jardines de la Reina ("Gardens of the Queen") islands in Cuba, and named after Juan Carlos I to celebrate the visit of the King and Queen of Spain to Cuba arranged for the following year after publication (1999) (the first ever by Spanish monarchs). The sea snail species Volvarina sofiae, found in Jardines del Rey ("Gardens of the King"), was named concurrently after his wife Queen Sofía. Subsequently transferred to genus Camachoaglaja. | |
| Chespiritos bolanosi Kuwahara & Marshall, 2020 | Fly | Chespirito | A lesser dung fly from Mexico, named "in memory of Roberto Gómez Bolaños, Mexican screenwriter, actor, comedian and creator of the character Chespirito." (Genus Chespiritos, however, is not explicitly named after Bolaños; it had been created 20 years prior for a Costa Rican species, with no etymological information given; it was possibly named after a local restaurant chain, which was, in turn, named after him.) | |
| Chiromantes garfunkel Davie & Ng, 2013 | Crustacean | Art Garfunkel | "Named for Art Garfunkel, who sang "Bright Eyes" for the soundtrack of the 1978 animated film Watership Down. Like the rabbit to which the song alludes, the new crab species also lives in holes, and is remarkable for its brightly shining eyes." Subsequently transferred to the genus Danarma. | |
| Choeras felixrodriguezi Fernández-Triana, 2020 | Wasp | Félix Rodríguez de la Fuente | | |
| Cichlidogyrus dibangoi Moons et al., 2023 | Flatworm | Manu Dibango | A parasitic monogenean from Cameroon, whose name "honours Manu Dibango, a famous saxophonist and singer-songwriter from Cameroon, who incorporated jazz and traditional Cameroonian elements into his music." | |
| Circoniscus mendesi López-Orozco, Campos-Filho & Bichuette, 2024 | Crustacean | Chico Mendes | An isopod found in caves in the Amazon biome, "named after Francisco Alves Mendes Filho, popularly known as Chico Mendes, a rubber tapper and activist who gained an international reputation for the defense of the Amazonian biodiversity. Furthermore, the present name honors all workers of the ICMBio (in Portuguese, Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade), who continue to keep alive Mendes' ideals." | |
| Cirolana mercuryi Bruce, 2003 | Crustacean | Freddie Mercury | East African isopod found on coral reefs off Bawe Island, (Zanzibar, Tanzania) and named for "arguably Zanzibar's most famous popular musician and singer." | |
| Cis makebae Souza-Gonçalves & Lopes-Andrade, 2017 | Beetle | Miriam Makeba | A minute tree-fungus beetle from South Africa, "named in honor of Zenzile Miriam Makeba (1932–2008), who is also known as "Mama Africa", a South African singer and a great activist defending human rights and against Apartheid." | |
| Cis mandelai Souza-Gonçalves & Lopes-Andrade, 2017 | Beetle | Nelson Mandela | A minute tree-fungus beetle from South Africa, "named in honor of Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela (1918–2013), the most powerful symbol of the fight against the segregationist regime of Apartheid." | |
| Cis masekelai Souza-Gonçalves & Lopes-Andrade, 2017 | Beetle | Hugh Masekela | A minute tree-fungus beetle from South Africa, "named in honor of Hugh Ramopolo Masekela, a South African composer, musician and singer of jazz, whose songs protested slavery and Apartheid." | |
| Clavus brianmayi Fedosov & Puillandre, 2020 | Sea snail | Brian May | | |
| Clavus davidgilmouri Fedosov & Puillandre, 2020 | Sea snail | David Gilmour | | |
| Clitenella sukarnoi Mohamedsaid, 2001 | Beetle | Sukarno | This leaf beetle is native to the island of Bali, Indonesia. | |
| Clusia donramonii J. E. Nascim & Bittrich | Flowering plant | Ramón Valdés | | |
| Clusia goscinnyi J.E.Nascim. & Bittrich | Flowering plant | René Goscinny | | |
| Cobitis afifeae Freyhof, Bayçelebi & Geiger, 2018 | Fish | Afife Jale | A species of loach from Turkey. | |
| Colbertia falui † Fernández et al., 2021 | Notoungulate (an extinct order of mammals) | Eduardo Falú | A fossil oldfieldthomasiid from the Eocene of Salta Province, Argentina, named "In honor of Eduardo Falú (1923–2013), an Argentinian folk music composer and guitarist, strongly influenced by the folk traditions of Salta Province." | |
| Coloborhynchus spielbergi † Veldmeijer, 2003 | Pterosaur | Steven Spielberg | "in honour of Steven Spielberg, the director of the three Jurassic Park movies [sic; he directed the first two but not the third] in which dinosaurs and pterosaurs were animated." Subsequently transferred to genus Maaradactylus. | |
| Colomys lumumbai Kerbis Peterhans, Giarla & Demos, 2020 | Rodent | Patrice Lumumba | "The specific epithet refers to Patrice Émery Lumumba, who was born on 2 July 1925 in Katako-Kombe, in the middle of the range of the new species. He was a Congolese politician and independence leader who served as the first Prime Minister of the newly independent Democratic Republic of the Congo from June until September 1960. He was one of the principal individuals involved in the independence of the DRC and he led the Congolese National Movement party from its founding in 1958. This movement was inclusive and not based on ethnic lines. On 17 January 1961, he was assassinated by Katangan and Belgian forces following an independence effort by the former group." | |
| Coltraneia † Lieberman & Kloc, 1997 | Trilobite | John Coltrane | A genus of Devonian trilobites that has been found in Germany, France, Spain, Algeria and Morocco. | |
| Coniceromyia niemeyeri Ament, Kung & Brown, 2020 | Fly | Oscar Niemeyer | "Considering the characteristically curved wing veins of this species, we name it in honor of the Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer whose revolutionary work frequently has characteristic curved shapes." | |
| Constrictoanchoratus lemmyi Ferreira, Rodrigues, Cunha & Domingues, 2017 | Flatworm | Lemmy | "in honor of 'Lemmy' Kilmister (1945–2015), leader of the heavy-metal band Motörhead, of whom the senior author is a big fan." | |
| Conus gadesi Espinosa & Ortea, 2005 | Sea snail | Antonio Gades | This species was described from specimens collected in Cuba. "With the name Conus gadesi, for this beautiful animal with a red body and a white shell, the authors wish to pay homage to the brilliant Spanish dancer and choreographer Antonio Gades, committed to Cuba, with whose sea he declared himself to be fervently in love." Subsequently synonymised with Conus regius. | |
| Copidosomyia abdulkalami Manickavasagam & Krishnachaitanya, 2016 | Wasp | A. P. J. Abdul Kalam | A chalcid wasp from India "Named after the former President, Republic of India, Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, as this species description coincided with his sudden demise." | |
| Corambis jacknicholsoni Patoleta & Żabka, 2019 | Spider | Jack Nicholson | | |
| Corotoca hitchensi Zilberman, 2020 | Beetle | Christopher Hitchens | "The name is after Christopher Hitchens, a really missed and remarkable intellectual who defended reason and freedom in an indefatigable and erudite way." | |
| Cortinarius jonimitchelliae H.Lindstr., Dima, Kytöv., Liimat. & Niskanen, 2016 | Fungus | Joni Mitchell | "The epithet is in honor of the Canadian singersongwriter Joni Mitchell. She has written many songs for the protection of nature. Her most famous album "Blue" suits well for the color of this species". | |
| Corynopuntia guccinii D.Donati | Cactus | Francesco Guccini | "Dedicated to Francesco Guccini: I encountered the plant while listening to the song "Incontro", immediately realising that, more than any other succulent, it is "unforgiving and touching". I couldn't dedicate it to anyone else." Subsequently transferred to genus Grusonia. | |
| Cosmobunus sagani † Palencia et al., 2018 | Harvestman | Carl Sagan | A fossil species from the Miocene of Spain, named "In memory of Carl Edward Sagan (1934–1996), creator of the award-winning television series Cosmos: A Personal Voyage, for his popularization of science that stimulated generations of school children and university students." | |
| Cowanomyia hillaryi Jaschhof & Jaschhof, 2009 | Fly | Edmund Hillary | A species of fungus gnat endemic to New Zealand. "We name this new species in memory of Sir Edmund Hillary, the Patron of the New Zealand Native Forests Restoration Trust until his death in January 2008, and to honour the Trust's dedicated work from which forest-dwelling arthropods, such as fungus gnats, should benefit greatly." | |
| Cremastus tutui Rousse & Van Noort, 2014 | Wasp | Desmond Tutu | A species of parasitoid wasp endemic to South Africa. "Dedicated to Archbishop Desmond Tutu, one of four South Africans to have received the Nobel Peace prize, in acknowledgment of his lifelong fight for Human rights." | |
| Cretalamna bryanti † Ebersole & Ehret, 2018 | Shark | Bear Bryant and his family | A fossil species of mega-toothed shark from the Cretaceous of Alabama, USA, named "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, where the holotype is stored] have enhanced the reputations and missions of all three institutions." | |
| Cretopiesma suukyiae † Grimaldi & Engel, 2008 | True bug | Aung San Suu Kyi | A fossil species of flat bug found in Cretaceous Burmese amber, named "in honor of Aung San Suu Kyi from Burma, the 1991 laureate of the Nobel Peace Prize. Ms. Suu Kyi has spent 18 years [sic; actually 13 years at the time of publication] isolated in house confinement (from 1989–95, 2000–02, and 2003 to present [2008 at the time of publication; she would remain until 2010, and has been imprisoned again since February 2021]) for her promotion of democracy in Myanmar. It is fitting that a Burmese species, seemingly delicate but which has beautifully endured for so long, be named in her honor." | |
| Crichtonpelta † Arbour & Currie, 2015 | Dinosaur | Michael Crichton | A new genus created for a Chinese ankylosaur originally designated as Crichtonsaurus benxiensis, after the authors considered Crichtonsaurus a nomen dubium. Crichtonpelta is named "after Michael Crichton, author of Jurassic Park, and pelta (Latin), a small shield, in reference to the osteoderms found on all ankylosaurs." | |
| Crichtonsaurus † Dong, 2002 | Dinosaur | Michael Crichton | "The genus name is dedicated to the famous science fiction writer Michael Crichton, author of the novel Jurassic Park. The release of the movie Jurassic Park made dinosaurs a household animal and greatly promoted dinosaur research." | |
| Cricula aungsansuukyiae Naumann & Löffler, 2010 | Moth | Aung San Suu Kyi | | |
| Croton suassunae Y.Rossine & A.L.Melo | Flowering plant | Ariano Suassuna | A rushfoil native to the Northeast Region, Brazil, whose name "honors Ariano Villar Suassuna, a lawyer, playwright, novelist, essayist, poet, and teacher, born in Paraíba State, and who, throughout his life, valued and promoted the art and culture of northeastern Brazil." | |
| Cryptocercus garciai Burnside, Smith & Kambhampati, 1999 | Cockroach | Jerry Garcia | | |
| Culicoides rulfoi Spinelli & Huerta, 2015 | Fly | Juan Rulfo | The holotype of this mesoamerican biting midge was collected in Mexico. "We are pleased to name this species after the Mexican writer Juan Rulfo, in recognition of his very important literary work." | |
| Cunaxoides shahriari Bagheri, Paktinat-Saeij & Castro, 2016 | Mite | Mohammad-Hossein Shahriar | A species native to Northern Iran and Iranian Azerbaijan, "named in memory of "Mohammad Hossein Behjat Tabrizi, Shahriar" (1906–1988) who was a notable Iranian poet of Iranian Azerbaijani origin, who wrote in Azeri, Turkish and Persian." | |
| Cuspicephalus scarfi † Martill & Etches, 2013 | Pterosaur | Gerald Scarfe | "After artist/cartoonist Gerald Scarfe whose vicious caricatures mostly have very pointy noses." The generic name Cuspicephalus is derived from cuspis, Latin for "point", after the animal's pointed rostrum, and Latinised Greek cephalus for "head". | |
| Cybaeina dixoni Bennett, 2023 | Spider | Willie Dixon | | |
| Cynohyaenodon smithae † Solé, Morlo, Schaal & Lehmann, 2021 | Hyaenodont (an extinct order of mammals) | Patti Smith | A fossil hyaenodontid from the Eocene of France. | |
| Cyphochilus leducthoi Sabatinelli, 2020 | Beetle | Lê Đức Thọ | "Lê Đức Thọ was a Vietnamese general, diplomat, politician, and awardee (but refused to accept) of the 1973 Nobel Peace Prize, for his efforts in negotiating between the U.S.A. and Vietnam, the country from where the new species of Cyphochilus is described." | |
| Cyphochilus sansuukyii Sabatinelli, 2020 | Beetle | Aung San Suu Kyi | "Aung San Suu Kyi is a Burmese politician, diplomat, author, and recipient of 1991 Nobel Peace Prize for her democratic activities in Myanmar, from where the new species of Cyphochilus is described." | |
| Cyphochilus tenzingyatsoi Sabatinelli, 2020 | Beetle | Tenzin Gyatso, 14th Dalai Lama | "Jetsun Jamphel Ngawang Lobsang Yeshe Tenzin Gyatso, formally recognized as the 14th Dalai Lama, was the recipient of the 1989 Nobel Peace Prize for his activity in Tibet, from where the new species is described." | |
| Daisya obriani Anderson, 2003 | Weevil | Patrick O'Brian | "This species is named after Patrick O'Brian (1914–2000), an author of a series of historical novels set in the early 19th century British Royal Navy. The dedication was arranged through a donation to Nature Discovery Fund of the Canadian Museum of Nature by The Gunroom of HMSSurprise.org, an internet group devoted to the publications of Mr. O'Brian. Many of his books tell of long sea voyages and there are often references to the weevils found in the ship's biscuit." | |
| Dalek nationi Noyes, 2023 | Wasp | Terry Nation | "This species is named in honour of Terry Nation, creator of the Daleks, an alien species that has terrified children for the past 60 years." John S. Noyes, who described the genus, said, "I thought [Dalek] was a good name for a genus and a bit of fun having been a big fan of Doctor Who in my early years." | |
| Dalicrinus † Cole et al., 2017 | Sea lily | Salvador Dalí | A fossil genus of crinoids from the Ordovician of Spain, named "in recognition of the Spanish surrealist painter, Salvador Dalí, with reference to the irregular plating of the interradial areas." | |
| Daptolestes leei Robinson, Li & Yeates, 2020 | Fly | Stan Lee | "Stan Lee's fly [...] shares his characteristic sunglasses and white moustache". In the same paper, other species were named after Marvel Comics characters, such as "Thor's fly" Daptolestes bronteflavus (meaning "blond thunder"), "Loki's fly" Daptolestes illusiolautus (meaning "elegant deception"), "Black Widow's fly" Daptolestes feminategus (meaning "woman wearing leather"), and "Deadpool's fly" Humorolethalis sergius ("[The generic name] sounds like lethal humour and is derived from the Latin words humorosus, meaning wet or moist, and lethalis meaning dead") | [194][195] [196] |
| Daviesia schwarzenegger Crisp & L.G.Cook | Legume | Arnold Schwarzenegger | A species of bitter pea from Australia. "Surprisingly, DNA sequence data showed D. benthamii subsp. humilis to comprise two cryptic species that are more closely related to other species than to D. benthamii [...]. As they are unexpected and unlikely 'twins', we have named them after the actors who played an unlikely pair of twins in the eponymous Hollywood movie: Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny DeVito. We have named this species after Schwarzenegger because he is much more robust than his twin: 'The embryo did split in two, but it didn't split equally. All the purity and strength went into Julius [Schwarzenegger's character]'. This difference between the actors parallels the growth habit difference between the two Daviesia species. We also wish to honour Arnold Schwarzenegger's leadership (as governor of California) in pioneering the reduction of carbon emissions, and for advising the Australian government to do the same." | |
| Daviesia devito Crisp & L.G.Cook | Legume | Danny DeVito | A species of bitter pea from Australia. "The name refers to the actor playing the diminutive twin in the Universal Studios film Twins (1988). Daviesia devito is the less vigorous of two cryptic species into which we here divide D. benthamii subsp. humilis, in contrast to the much more robust D. schwarzenegger" [also in this list] | |
| Deltapliomera humphriesi † McAdams, Adrain & Karim, 2018 | Trilobite | Barry Humphries | | |
| Demanietta sirikit Naiyanetr, 1992 | Crustacean | Sirikit | A freshwater crab native to Thailand, named "in honour of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit [on] the occasion of Her Majesty's 60th birthday, as a token of respect and recognition of the great interest shown by Her Majesty in the natural history and conservation of wildlife in Thailand. Her Majesty the Queen graciously permitted the use of Her name for this remarkably colourful and most interesting species." Subsequently transferred to genus Thaiphusa. | |
| Dendropsophus kubricki Rivadeneira, Venegas & Ron, 2018 | Frog | Stanley Kubrick | "[Kubrick] is one of the most brilliant and influential film directors of all time. We dedicate this species to him for his legacy to film culture and science fiction." | |
| Dendropsophus ozzyi Orrico et al., 2014 | Frog | Ozzy Osbourne | "The specific epithet [...] honors John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne, a famous British rock singer, former vocalist of the rock band Black Sabbath, for its contribution to modern music and culture. Ozzy is commonly associated with bats because of the famous episode in which, on stage while he was performing a gig, he bit off a bat's head thrown by a fan. He later stated that he thought it was a plastic toy. When calling, this new Dendropsophus species can be vaguely associated with the high pitch sounds emitted by some bat species that are hearable to the human ear. When we heard this species in the field we immediately pictured a calling bat. Because of this "bat association" we take the opportunity to name this species after one of the biggest music legends of all time". | |
| Dendropsophus salli Jungfer, Reichle & Piskurek, 2010 | Frog | John Sall | "The new species is named after John Sall for his continuous generous contributions to forest conservation worldwide and especially in the Neotropical region." | |
| Desis bobmarleyi Baehr et al., 2017 | Spider | Bob Marley | "we describe a new intertidal species from tropical Queensland and name it after Bob Marley, whose song "High Tide or Low Tide" inspired us as it lives in a "high tide low tide" habitat". The common name "Bob Marley's Intertidal Spider" was proposed. | |
| Dichogaster garciai James, 2004 | Earthworm | Jerry Garcia | | |
| Dichogaster manleyi James, 2004 | Earthworm | Michael Manley | This species is native to Jamaica. | |
| Dichogaster marleyi James, 2004 | Earthworm | Bob Marley | This species is native to Jamaica. | |
| Dicrotendipes thanatogratus Epler, 1987 | Fly | Grateful Dead | Thanatos is Greek for "death" and Gratus is Latin for "grateful". | |
| Diplomaragna feynmani Shear, 1990 | Millipede | Richard Feynman | "The species name honors Richard P. Feynman, physicist, teacher, artist, musician, raconteur, and personal hero of the author, whose untimely death prevented him from realizing his ambition to visit Tannu Tuva, now the Tuva ASSR." (where the holotype was collected) | |
| Disnyssus helenmirrenae Raven, 2015 | Spider | Helen Mirren | | |
| Disnyssus judidenchae Raven, 2015 | Spider | Judi Dench | | |
| Dokimocephalus blacki † Westrop, Waskiewicz Poole & Adrain, 2010 | Trilobite | Lewis Black | | |
| Dolecta rubtsovi Naydenov, Yakovlev, Penco & Sinyaev, 2020 | Moth | Nikolay Rubtsov | | |
| Dollyphyton † Retallack, 2019 | Moss | Dolly Parton | A fossil genus from the Ordovician of Tennessee, USA. "The generic name is in honor of Dolly Parton, whose Dollywood resort is near Douglas Dam" (where the fossils were found) | |
| Dolomedes venmani Raven & Hebron, 2018 | Spider | Jack Venman | A species of fishing spider from Australia, named "in honour of Jack Venman (13 August 1911–29 December 1994), a farmer who, wanting to preserve the great biodiversity in the area, sold his 255 acres to the Queensland Government [sic; actually the Shire of Albert] in 1971 for $1." | |
| Doris juanformelli Ortea & Espinosa, 2017 | Sea slug | Juan Formell | A species from Cuba named "in honour of Juan Formell (Havana, 1942–2014), a great bassist and composer who made the most of the expressive resources of son cubano, founding the group Los Van Van in 1969, true ambassadors of Cuban music, capable of making the broomsticks dance with songs like "El baile del buey cansao" or "La Titimanía". In 2013 he received a Latin Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award." | |
| Doris parrae Ortea, 2017 | Sea slug | Violeta Parra | A species native to the Galápagos Islands, "named in honour of Victoria [sic] Parra (4 October 1917, San Carlos – 5 February 1967, Santiago de Chile), Chilean composer and singer, on the 100th anniversary of her birth, author of the song "Gracias a la vida" ["Thanks to life"] that has so often been sung by those who saw their childhood dreams come true." | |
| Drepanoistodus iommii † Rasmussen, Eriksson & Lindskog, 2021 | Fish | Tony Iommi | A fossil conodont from the Ordovician of Leningrad Oblast, Russia. "Named in honour of legendary guitarist Tony Iommi, founding member of heavy metal band Black Sabbath." Iommi jokingly said "It's a shock that a fossil has been named after me, and of course you can imagine my friends now, the sort of abuse I've got now!", and also stated he was proud and thanked Eriksson for the honour. | |
| Drepanosticta adenani Dow & Reels, 2018 | Damselfly | Adenan Satem | A species identified in the Lanjak Entimau Wildlife Sanctuary (LEWS) in Sarawak, Malaysia, dedicated "to the late Tan Sri Adenan bin Satem (27 January 1944–11 January 2017), Chief Minister of Sarawak from 2014–2017, in recognition of his support for biodiversity research and conservation in Sarawak, and for starting the Research for Intensified Management of Bio-rich Areas (RIMBA) project, which includes LEWS." | |
| Drosophila kingmani Peñafiel-Vinueza & Rafael, 2018 | Fly | Eduardo Kingman | A fruit fly from Ecuador; "The species name honors Eduardo Kingman (1913–1997). Kingman was a famous painter and muralist and was born in Loja [very close to the type locality]. Kingman was a founder of the Ecuadorian impressionism movement." | |
| Drosophila teresae Pradhan & Sati, 2015 | Fly | Mother Teresa | A fruit fly from India named "in honour of Saint Mother Teresa (Nobel Peace Prize winner 1979), who was the founder of the order of the Missionaries of Charity, a Roman Catholic congregation of women dedicated to helping the poor." | |
| Drosophila vireni Bächli, Vilela & Haring, 2002 | Fly | Lasse Virén | A fruit fly from Finland, "Named in honor of the Finnish runner, four times Olympic gold winner, Lasse Viren" | |
| Drypetes kalamii G. Krishna, Karthig., Arisdason & Chakrab | Flowering plant | A. P. J. Abdul Kalam | A tropical plant native to West Bengal, India, which "honours Dr. Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam (Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam), the 11th President of [the] Republic of India, professor and aerospace scientist, for being an inspiration to the entire scientific community, especially the students and young researchers." | |
| Dudleya hendrixii S.McCabe & Dodero | Flowering plant | Jimi Hendrix | Discoverer Mark Dodero said to have been listening to Hendrix's "Voodoo Child" when he first saw it, near Colonet, Baja California, Mexico. | |
| Dusona franklinae Kittel, 2016 | Wasp | Rosalind Franklin | Replacement name for Dusona nigritibialis (Gupta & Gupta, 1976), which had originally been described as Kartika nigritibialis Gupta & Gupta, 1976, but upon being transferred to the genus Dusona in 1997, became a junior homonym of Dusona nigritibialis (Viereck, 1926). | |
| Eidmanacris suassunai Souza-Dias, Campos & Nihei, 2015 | Cricket | Ariano Suassuna | A Brazilian species "named in honor of the Brazilian writer Ariano Suassuna (1927–2014). Ariano wrote a famous Brazilian play entitled O Auto da Compadecida; the main character in this play is named "João Grilo" — "grilo" is the Brazilian common name for cricket." | |
| Eknomisis dalioi Watling & France, 2011 | Coral | Ray Dalio | "This species is named in honor of Ray Dalio, for his dedicated service on the board of directors of the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. Dalio is an accomplished entrepreneur and conservationist with a deep interest in the protection of the ocean. His investigative and analytical nature continues to lead his pursuits deeper into ocean abysses and toward the discovery of new ocean life." | |
| Electroneuria ronwoodi † Sroka, Staniczek & Kondratieff, 2018 | Stonefly | Ronnie Wood | One of 2 genera and 7 species of fossil stoneflies found in Burmese amber, and named concurrently in 2018 after The Rolling Stones and its members on the occasion of Mick Jagger's 75th birthday (see also species in the genera Lapisperla, Largusoperla and Petroperla). "Burmese amber is one of the oldest resins with insect inclusions, and stoneflies are one of the oldest pterygote lineages. What lies closer at hand than to link fossil stoneflies in ancient stones with the Rolling Stones and to name the new species after the members of the oldest and greatest Rock 'n' Roll Band in the world. The [...] new family and genera are named after 'the Stones', and all present and former members of the Rolling Stones are honoured with their own species.[...] The name of this immature specimen refers to Ronnie Wood, guitar player of the Rolling Stones since 1975, and youngest member of the Rolling Stones." | |
| Elephantis jaggeri Klotz & De Grave, 2015 | Crustacean | Mick Jagger | Replacement name for Elephantis natalensis (Bouvier, 1925) (formerly Caridina natalensis), a junior primary homonym of Caridina nilotica var. natalensis De Man, 1908. "The species name is dedicated to Mick Jagger, in reference to the Rolling Stones' song "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction", to continue the innuendo laden etymology of Elephantis." (See Elephantis in the List of organisms named after famous people (born before 1900)) | |
| Eleutherodactylus jorgevelosai Lynch, 1994 | Frog | Jorge Velosa | A species from Colombia, which "takes the name of my friend and folklorist, Jorge Velosa Ruiz, whose music and poetry bring me so much pleasure". Another related species was concurrently named Eleutherodactylus carranguerorum, after Velosa's band Los Carrangueros. Both have been subsequently moved to the genus Pristimantis. | |
| Elysia chavelavargas Ortea, 2017 | Sea slug | Chavela Vargas | A species native to the Pacific coast of Costa Rica, named "In honour of the unique ranchera singer Chavela Vargas, a native of Heredia, Costa Rica, and naturalized Mexican, like our colleague and friend Julio Magaña, organiser of the collection in Guanacaste, as a technician of INBio, an institution also based in Heredia. A name for the memory of a woman who lived to die and who, like Julio, travelled to a particular hell, from which Julio returned to see the end of INBio's Malacology Unit (2003) and the beginning of the Institution's decline." | |
| Elysia jaramilloi Ortea, Moro & Bacallado, 2017 | Sea slug | Julio Jaramillo | A species native to the Galápagos Islands, Ecuador, and named "In honour of the Ecuadorian musician Julio Jaramillo (1935–1978), the "Nightingale of America", whose songs accompanied us in the multipurpose room of the ships on our expeditions to the Galápagos, at first as a misfortune and at the end as a pleasure. In his memory, every October 1 is celebrated as the Day of the Ecuadorian Pasillo, a true festival of music, which we would like to join with this dedication to the Ecuadorian Nightingale." | |
| Elysia manriquei Ortea & Moro, 2009 | Sea slug | César Manrique | A species native to the Canary Islands and named "in honour of César Manrique, illustrious son of Lanzarote, a pioneer in defending what is now known as sustainable development and an example of the struggle to preserve the harmony of the landscape as one of its elements." | |
| Enteromius mandelai Kambikambi, Kadye & Chakona, 2021 | Fish | Nelson Mandela | A species of barb "named after South Africa's first democratically elected head of state, President Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, who was from the Eastern Cape Province, where this species is endemic. The species is named in honour and recognition of his legacy and selfless contribution towards promotion of peace, democracy, human rights, equality, social justice and sustainable development." | |
| Episimus buarquei Brito & Vargas, 2017 | Moth | Chico Buarque | "named in honor of the Brazilian Francisco Buarque de Hollanda, better known as Chico Buarque, for his amazing contribution to the development of the 'Música Popular Brasileira'." | |
| Eruga gutfreundi Gauld, 1991 | Wasp | John Gutfreund | | |
| Etheostoma clinton Mayden & Layman, 2012 | Fish | Bill Clinton | The scientific name of the beaded darter, endemic to the upper Caddo and Ouachita Rivers in Arkansas, honors Arkansas native Clinton for "his lasting environmental accomplishments in creating and expanding national monuments, preserving millions of acres of wilderness areas, his leadership and commitment during challenging economic times, and his continued commitment to global humanitarian issues and needs and peace". | |
| Etheostoma gore Layman & Mayden, 2012 | Fish | Al Gore | The scientific name of the Cumberland darter, endemic to the Cumberland River drainage in Kentucky and Tennessee, honors Tennessee native Gore for "his environmental vision, commitment, and accomplishments throughout decades of public service and his role in educating the public and raising awareness on the issue of global climate change". | |
| Etheostoma jimmycarter Layman & Mayden, 2012 | Fish | Jimmy Carter | The scientific name of the bluegrass darter, endemic to the Green River (Kentucky) drainage, honors Carter for "his environmental leadership and accomplishments in the areas of national energy policy and wilderness protection, and his lifelong commitment to social justice and basic human rights". | |
| Etmopterus benchleyi Vásquez et al., 2015 | Shark | Peter Benchley | "The species is named in honor of Peter Benchley, author of Jaws and subsequently an avid shark conservationist. His legacy, the Benchley Awards, recognizes outstanding achievements in ocean conservation. In line with Mr. Benchley's outreach efforts, the privilege of deciding a common name for this species was bestowed upon four young shark enthusiasts, ages 8 to 14, and relatives of the first author (VEV). The suggested common name, the Ninja Lanternshark, refers to the uniform black coloration and reduced photophore complement used as concealment in this species, somewhat reminiscent of the typical outfit and stealthy behavior of a Japanese ninja." | |
| Eubranchus steinbecki Behrens, 1987 | Sea slug | John Steinbeck | Named "to give recognition to the author and philosopher John Steinbeck [...], the man who not only influenced the works of Edward "Doc" Ricketts, but was himself so greatly influenced by Doc that some have speculated that Steinbeck may have joined the ranks of our colleagues had it not been for Ricketts['s] untimely death. Together they wrote The Sea of Cortez and were near completion of The Outer Shores". | |
| Eucharis shajariani Lotfalizadeh & Ghafouri Moghaddam, 2022 | Wasp | Mohammad-Reza Shajarian | A parasitoid of ants native to Iran, "named in honor of Mohammad-Reza Shajarian (1940–2020), an Iranian vocalist and the greatest maestro of Persian classical music. He has received several international awards and medals, including Golden Picasso, UNESCO Mozart, National Order of Merit, Grammy [sic; nomination only], French National Order of the Legion of Honor, Aga Khan Trust for Culture and one of US National Public Radio (NPR) great voices." | |
| Eupyrgops mitoraji Bramanti, Bramanti & Rukmane-Bārbale, 2020 | Weevil | Igor Mitoraj | "in memory of the sculptor Igor Mitoraj (1944–2014), are [sic] genius and nature lover." | |
| Europatitan eastwoodi † Torcida Fernández-Baldor et al., 2017 | Dinosaur | Clint Eastwood | A sauropod dinosaur from the Cretaceous of northern Castile and León, Spain, estimated to have been around 27 metres long. "Dedicated to US actor Clint Eastwood, the protagonist of the film The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, which was partially filmed near Salas de los Infantes." (where the fossil remains were found) | |
| Eurotherium mapplethorpei † Solé, Morlo, Schaal & Lehmann, 2021 | Hyaenodont (an extinct order of mammals) | Robert Mapplethorpe | A fossil hyaenodontid from the Eocene of France. | |
| Euryopis mallah Zakerzade, Moradmand & Jäger, 2022 | Spider | Mahlagha Mallah | A cobweb spider from Iran, "named in honour of Mahlagha Mallah (1917–2021), an environmental activist who was referred to as the "Mother of Iran's Environment". She was the founder of the Women's Society Against Environmental Pollution based in Iran." | |
| Eurypon suassunai Santos, França & Pinheiro, 2014 | Sponge | Ariano Suassuna | A species from the Northeastern coast of Brazil, "named in honor of the Late the famous writer Ariano Vilar Suassuna for his defense of the culture of the Brazilian Northeast." | |
| Eurysyllis mercuryi Lucas, San Martín & Parapar, 2012 | Polychaete worm | Freddie Mercury | | |
| Euschistus (Mitripus) saramagoi Bianchi, Cioato & Grazia, 2015 | True bug | José Saramago | A stink bug from Brazil, "Named in honor of José Saramago, for his contribution to literature. This late Portuguese writer, who had received the Nobel Prize in Literature 1998, was responsible for the spread of prose in Portuguese around the [world]." Subsequently transferred to genus Adustonotus. | |
| Euschoengastia gagarini Brennan, 1962 | Mite | Yuri Gagarin | One of four species of chiggers named concurrently after the cosmonauts and astronauts who participated in the first four crewed orbital spaceflights in 1961 and 1962 (see also Whartonia). "Named for Maj. Yuri Gagarin, USSR, who made the first orbit of the earth in the Vostok I, 12 April 1961." | |
| Euschoengastia titovi Brennan, 1962 | Mite | Gherman Titov | One of four species of chiggers named concurrently after the cosmonauts and astronauts who participated in the first four crewed orbital spaceflights in 1961 and 1962 (see also Whartonia). "Named for Maj. Gherman Titov, USSR, who in the Vostok II made 17 orbits of the earth, 6 August 1961." | |
| Evarcha brinki Haddad & Wesołowska, 2011 | Spider | André Brink | This species is native to South Africa. | |
| Evita Capps, 1943 | Moth | Eva Perón | | |
| Extraordinarius alicecooperi Rheims, 2022 | Spider | Alice Cooper | "The species name honors Alice Cooper (Vincent Damon Furnier), an American singer and songwriter known for his very theatrical rock concerts" | |
| Extraordinarius klausmeinei Rheims, 2019 | Spider | Klaus Meine | "The specific name honours Klaus Meine, German singer, songwriter, lead singer of the hard rock band Scorpions." | |
| Exyrias akihito Allen & Randall, 2005 | Fish | Akihito | "in honour of the Emperor of Japan, in recognition of his significant contribution to our knowledge of gobiid systematics. Many of the type specimens of E. akihito were supplied by the Biological Laboratory of the Imperial Household in Tokyo." | |
| Facelinopsis pacodelucia Ortea, Moro & Caballer, 2014 | Sea slug | Paco de Lucía | "As a heartfelt tribute to the "master of the guitar", a cultural reference of the 20th century, the brilliant Spanish guitarist Paco de Lucía, a native of Algeciras, Cádiz, in whose port is located the type locality of this singular species." Another species, found in Playa del Carmen, Mexico (where Paco de Lucía died), was concurrently named Elysia entredosaguas, after de Lucía's album Entre dos aguas. | |
| Fanteichthys † Carnevale, 2007 | Fish | John Fante | A genus of fossil codlings from the Miocene of Torricella Peligna, Italy. The name honours Italian-American writer John Fante, whose parents came from Torricella Peligna; plus the suffix ichthys, Greek for "fish". | |
| Filistatinella kahloae Magalhaes & Ramírez, 2017 | Spider | Frida Kahlo | This species is native to Mexico. | |
| Flacillula naipauli Bopearachchi & Benjamin, 2021 | Spider | V. S. Naipaul | | |
| Forcepsioneura elizabethae Lencioni, 2022 | Damselfly | Elizabeth II | "I named this species [...] after Her Majesty Elizabeth II the Queen of the United Kingdom (b. Elizabeth Alexandra Mary, London 21.iv.1926), on the occasion of the platinum jubilee." | |
| Frammia bachae † Adrain & Edgecombe, 1997 | Trilobite | Barbara Bach | One of five species concurrently named in 1997 after people connected to The Beatles (See also Struszia). | |
| Frippia † Bannikov & Carnevale, 2012 | Fish | Robert Fripp | A fossil genus of percoid fish from the Eocene deposits of Monte Bolca, Italy. "It is our pleasure to name this genus after the British musician and composer Robert Fripp in recognition of his outstanding musical and cultural work." | |
| Fujuriphyes dalii Cepeda, Sánchez & Pardos, 2019 | Mud dragon | Salvador Dalí | "The name is dedicated to the prominent Spanish surrealist Salvador Dalí (1904–1989), whose peculiar moustache resembles the shape of the lateral terminal spines of the species." | |
| Funastrum saganii M.G. Chávez, Lozada-Pérez & L.O. Alvarado | Flowering plant | Carl Sagan | | |
| Funkotriplogynium iagobadius Seeman & Walter, 1997 | Mite | James Brown | Iago is "James" and badius is "brown" in Latin. | |
| Galapa gabito Huber, 2024 | Spider | Gabriel García Márquez | This species is native to Colombia, and its name "honors the Colombian novelist Gabriel García Márquez (1927–2014), considered one of the most significant authors of the 20th century and known affectionately as Gabo or Gabito in Latin America." | |
| Ganaspidium didionae Buffington, 2010 | Wasp | Joan Didion | The wasp's range includes deserts of the American Southwest, setting of several of Didion's works. | |
| Ganaspidium flemingi Buffington, 2010 | Wasp | Ian Fleming | The holotype was collected in the Bahamas, where Fleming was a "long time resident". | |
| Garjainia madiba † Gower et al., 2014 | Archosaur | Nelson Mandela | A fossil erythrosuchid reptile from the Triassic of South Africa, "named in honour of Nelson Mandela (1918–2013), the first fully representatively democratically elected president of South Africa (1994–1999). Mr Mandela was known affectionately as "Madiba"." | |
| Gehyra leopoldi Brongersma, 1930 | Lizard | Leopold III of Belgium | | |
| Genlisea hawkingii Silva, Płachno, Carvalho & Miranda, 2020 | Flowering plant | Stephen Hawking | A carnivorous plant from Brazil named "as homage to the great English theoretical physicist and cosmologist, Stephen William Hawking, who died on March 14, 2018. We were impressed with his life's trajectory and his outstanding discoveries in cosmology. He became a signpost not only for other scientists but for all people." | |
| Geophagus harreri Gosse, 1976 | Fish | Heinrich Harrer | "This new species is cordially dedicated to Professor H. Harrer from Kitzbühel, in gratitude for his help during ichthyological missions, among others in Surinam and French Guiana where this species was collected." | |
| Gibbacousteau jacquesi Espinosa & Ortea, 2013 | Sea snail | Jacques Cousteau | "Named in honour of Commander Jacques-Yves Cousteau, pioneer explorer of the marine environment, to whom we owe the perpetual opening of the frontier between sea and land. [...] [W]e baptise this species in homage to the man who [...] almost 50 years ago, started the Precontinente III experiment, where six oceananauts lived together for 30 days at a depth of 100 m." | |
| Gibberula atwoodae Ortea, 2015 | Sea snail | Margaret Atwood | One of 21 sea snails of the genus Gibberula concurrently named after female winners of the Prince of Asturias Awards (see also List of organisms named after famous people (born 1950–present)).. "Named in honour of Margaret Atwood (Ottawa, Canada, 1939), winner of the 2008 Prince of Asturias Award for Literature, prolific poet, novelist, literary critic and political activist, with a prominent role in organisations such as Amnesty International and BirdLife International, of which she is Honorary President. The Handmaid's Tale (1985) is her most acclaimed work." | |
| Gibberula delarrochae Ortea, 2015 | Sea snail | Alicia de Larrocha | One of 21 sea snails of the genus Gibberula concurrently named after female winners of the Prince of Asturias Awards. "Named in honour of pianist Alicia de Larrocha (Barcelona, Spain, 1923–2009), winner of the 1994 Prince of Asturias Award for the Arts, renowned for her masterly interpretations of works by Spanish composers such as Manuel de Falla, Isaac Albéniz and Enrique Granados." | |
| Gibberula hendricksae Ortea, 2015 | Sea snail | Barbara Hendricks | One of 21 sea snails of the genus Gibberula concurrently named after female winners of the Prince of Asturias Awards. "Named in honour of opera singer Barbara Hendricks (Arkansas, USA, 1948 – Sweden), winner of the Prince of Asturias Award for the Arts in 2000, honorary ambassador for life of UNHCR, with which she collaborated for 15 years in support of refugees; she was distinguished by François Mitterrand in 1992 with the Legion of Honour of the French Republic." | |
| Gibberula leibovitzae Ortea, 2015 | Sea snail | Annie Leibovitz | One of 21 sea snails of the genus Gibberula concurrently named after female winners of the Prince of Asturias Awards. "Named in honour of American photographer Anna Lou Leibovitz (Waterbury, 1949), winner of the 2013 Prince of Asturias Award for Communication and Humanities, known mainly for her portraits of celebrities, she was the first woman to have her work exhibited at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington DC." | |
| Gibberula lessingae Ortea, 2015 | Sea snail | Doris Lessing | One of 21 sea snails of the genus Gibberula concurrently named after female winners of the Prince of Asturias Awards. "Named in honour of British writer Doris Lessing (Kermanshah, Iran 1919 – London, 2013), winner of the 2001 Prince of Asturias Award for Literature; author of works such as the Children of Violence series and The Golden Notebook, considered the Bible of feminism, she was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2007." | |
| Gibberula martingaiteae Ortea, 2015 | Sea snail | Carmen Martín Gaite | One of 21 sea snails of the genus Gibberula concurrently named after female winners of the Prince of Asturias Awards. "Named in honour of writer Carmen Martín Gaite (Salamanca, Spain, 1925–2000), winner of the 1988 Prince of Asturias Award for Literature, shared with Galician poet José Ángel Valente (1929–2000); she was the first woman to win the Spanish National Literature Prize (1978) for El cuarto de atrás and received the National Literature Prize in 1994 [again] for her work as a whole." | |
| Gibberula nussbaumae Ortea, 2015 | Sea snail | Martha Nussbaum | One of 21 sea snails of the genus Gibberula concurrently named after female winners of the Prince of Asturias Awards. "Named in honour of American philosopher Martha C. Nussbaum (New York, 1947), distinguished in 2012 with the Prince of Asturias Award for Social Sciences, for making philosophy a more solid, more humane and less moribund activity than in previous decades, thanks to works such as Hiding from Humanity: Disgust, Shame, and the Law, where she makes a profound study of emotions." | |
| Gibberula pignonae Ortea, 2015 | Sea snail | Nélida Piñon | One of 21 sea snails of the genus Gibberula concurrently named after female winners of the Prince of Asturias Awards. "Named in honour of Nélida Piñón (Vila Isabel, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 1937), laureate of the 2005 Prince of Asturias Award for Literature; a staunch defender of human rights and author of works such as A república dos sonhos (1984), O pão de cada dia (1996) and Vozes do deserto (2004), written with an exciting artistic narrative, based on reality, memory, fantasy and dreams." | |
| Gibberula robinsonae Ortea, 2015 | Sea snail | Mary Robinson | One of 21 sea snails of the genus Gibberula concurrently named after female winners of the Prince of Asturias Awards. "Named in honour of Mary Robinson (Ballina, Ireland, 1927), winner of the 2006 Prince of Asturias Award for Social Sciences, she was the first woman to become President of the Republic of Ireland (1990–1997), later becoming UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (1997–2002). She holds honorary doctorates from 31 universities around the world." | |
| Gibberula sasakawai Ortea & Moro, 2024 | Sea snail | Yōhei Sasakawa | Its name "pays tribute to the illustrious Yōhei Sasakawa, president of the Nippon Foundation, in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the Ocean Census program and his tireless support of marine research." | |
| Gibberula sassenae Ortea, 2015 | Sea snail | Saskia Sassen | One of 21 sea snails of the genus Gibberula concurrently named after female winners of the Prince of Asturias Awards. "Named in honour of Dutch sociologist Saskia Sassen (The Hague, 1949), distinguished in 2013 with the Prince of Asturias Award for Social Sciences for her contributions to the understanding of the phenomenon of globalisation and urban sociology with publications such as The Global City (1991)." | |
| Gibberula veilae Ortea, 2015 | Sea snail | Simone Veil | One of 21 sea snails of the genus Gibberula concurrently named after female winners of the Prince of Asturias Awards. "Named in honour of French politician Simone Veil (Nice, 1927), winner of the 2005 Prince of Asturias Award for International Cooperation, for embodying the ideals and achievements of a united Europe. President of the European Parliament from 1979 to 1982, her honours include Grand Officer of the Legion of Honour (France) and the Charlemagne Prize (Germany, 1981)." | |
| Gibberula zambranoae Ortea, 2015 | Sea snail | María Zambrano | One of 21 sea snails of the genus Gibberula concurrently named after female winners of the Prince of Asturias Awards. "Named in honour of philosopher María Zambrano (Vélez-Málaga, Spain, 1904–1991), exile and neighbour of Calzada, Havana, between 1948 and 1953 [where the zoologist who named this species had established his base of operations], winner of the 1981 Prince of Asturias Award for Communication and Humanities, author of works such as Claros del bosque or De la aurora, where her philosophical proposal takes on a mystical air." | |
| Gladiatoria harrisi † Adrain, McAdams & Westrop 2011 | Trilobite | Richard Harris | One of five trilobites of the genus Gladiatoria concurrently named after cast members of the 2000 film Gladiator (see also List of organisms named after famous people (born 1950–present)). | |
| Gladiatoria reedi † Adrain, McAdams & Westrop 2011 | Trilobite | Oliver Reed | One of five trilobites of the genus Gladiatoria concurrently named after cast members of the 2000 film Gladiator. | |
| Glycera sheikhmujibi Hossain & Hutchings, 2020 | Polychaete worm | Sheikh Mujibur Rahman | A marine bloodworm endemic to Bangladesh. | |
| Gnathia jimmybuffetti Erasmus, Hadfield, Sikkel & Smit, 2023 | Crustacean | Jimmy Buffett | A species of isopod native to the Florida Keys. Sikkel and his team are long-time fans of Jimmy Buffett's music, which is very associated with the Florida Keys, so they decided to name the new species after the musician. Buffett died only two months after the publication of the paper. | |
| Gnathia marleyi Farquharson, Smit & Sikkel, 2012 | Crustacean | Bob Marley | "named for the famous Caribbean singer, Bob Marley, as this species is as uniquely Caribbean as Bob Marley." | |
| Godartiana amadoi Paluch, Zacca & Freitas, 2016 | Butterfly | Jorge Amado | A species native to Northeastern Brazil, named "in honour of the famous Brazilian writer, Jorge Leal Amado de Faria, known as Jorge Amado [...]. Jorge Amado was born in Itabuna, Bahia, Brazil, and occupied a chair of the Brazilian Academy of Letters from 1961 to 2001. He wrote more than 30 books, being best known worldwide by his notable books, Gabriela, cravo e canela [English title: Gabriela, Clove and Cinnamon], Capitães de Areia [Captains of the Sands] and Tieta. Furthermore, Jorge Amado also made a great contribution to cultural and social development through the establishment of the 'House of Jorge Amado Foundation' in Salvador, Bahia." | |
| Gorbiscape gorbachevi Zamani & Marusik, 2020 | Spider | Mikhail Gorbachev | "named after Mikhail S. Gorbachev, the first [sic] and last president of the Soviet Union, on the occasion of his 89th birthday (02 March 2020)." | |
| Gravicalymene bakeri † Smith & Ebach, 2020 | Trilobite | Tom Baker | "After Thomas Stewart Baker, the fourth actor to play the title character in the television series Doctor Who, for inspiring the [...] authors to develop careers in science." | |
| Greeffiella beatlei Lorenzen, 1969 | Roundworm | The Beatles | | |
| Hantzschia beksinskii M.Rybak, Kochman-Kędziora | Diatom | Zdzisław Beksiński | A species from the Banda Islands, Indonesia, described by scientists from the University of Rzeszów. | |
| Hapalopus aldanus West, 2000 | Spider | Alan Alda | "in honor of Mr. Alan Alda for conveying his interest in the natural sciences to the public as host of the television show Scientific American Frontiers." Subsequently transferred to genus Magnacarina. | |
| Hapalotremus chespiritoi Ferretti et al., 2018 | Spider | Chespirito | A Peruvian tarantula named "in honour of Roberto Gómez Bolaños (1929–2014), commonly known by his pseudonym "Chespirito". He was [...] widely regarded as one of the most important Spanish-language humorists of the twentieth century. Curiously, the shape of the spermatheca of [the] female of H. chespiritoi sp. nov. resembles the small vinyl antennae of 'Chapulín Colorado', a comical and bungling superhero created by R.G. Bolaños." | |
| Haplocauda mendesi Silveira, Lima & McHugh, 2022 | Firefly | Chico Mendes | A species endemic to the Brazilian Amazon rainforest. | |
| Haplochromis nyererei Witte-Maas & Witte, 1985 | Fish | Julius Nyerere | Subsequently transferred to genus Pundamilia. | |
| Harryhausenia † Boyko, 2004 | Crustacean | Ray Harryhausen | A genus of fossil crabs from the Oligocene of Italy. "Named for the great dynamator of fantasy film, Ray Harryhausen, in recognition of his long career during which he brought the imaginary to life on the screen." | |
| Heckethornia bowiei † McAdams & Adrain, 2009 | Trilobite | David Bowie | | |
| Hedyotis papafranciscoi Alejandro | Flowering plant | Pope Francis | This species from the Philippines was discovered by researchers of the Catholic University of Santo Tomas (Manila) and "dedicated to Pope Francis, the reigning pope [...][at the time of the species description, 2015] of the Catholic Church. Jorge Mario Bergoglio chose Francis as his papal name in honor of Saint Francis of Assisi. Francis is the first Jesuit pope." Pope Francis had visited the university campus during his first papal visit to the Philippines, that same year. | |
| Hellinsia aguilerai Gielis, 2011 | Moth | Jaime Roldós Aguilera | This species is native to Ecuador and "named after president Jaime Roldos Aguilera from Ecuador, who died in an airplane accident in 1981." | |
| Hemistomia shostakovichi Haase & Bouchet, 1998 | Freshwater snail | Dmitri Shostakovich | "Dmitri Shostakovich (1906–1975) is one of the favourite composers of the first author." | |
| Hendrixella † Bannikov & Carnevale, 2009 | Fish | Jimi Hendrix | A genus of fossil percoid fish from the Eocene of Monte Bolca. | |
| Hensonbatrachus † Gardner & Brinkman, 2015 | Frog | Jim Henson | A genus of fossil frogs from the Cretaceous of Alberta, Canada. The sole known species is named H. kermiti, after Henson's character Kermit the Frog. | |
| Hernandaria chicomendesi DaSilva & Pinto-da-Rocha, 2010 | Harvestman | Chico Mendes | A species from Brazil, named "in honor of Chico Mendes (1944–1988), rubber extraction union leader who fought for Amazon preservation and against worker exploitation. He was killed by landlords as a reaction to his fight for the Amazon." | |
| Heteragrion brianmayi Lencioni, 2013 | Damselfly | Brian May | One of four Heteragrion species named after members of the band Queen. (see also List of organisms named after famous people (born 1950–present)). | |
| Heteragrion freddiemercuryi Lencioni, 2013 | Damselfly | Freddie Mercury | One of four Heteragrion species named after members of the band Queen. | |
| Heteragrion rogertaylori Lencioni, 2013 | Damselfly | Roger Taylor | One of four Heteragrion species named after members of the band Queen. | |
| Heteronychia dayani Lehrer, 1996 | Fly | Moshe Dayan | This species was described from a specimen collected in Israel; subsequently synonymised with Sarcophaga kerteszi. | |
| Heteropoda davidbowie Jäger, 2008 | Spider | David Bowie | "The species name is honouring the rock-singer David Bowie – composer of the music album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars and interpreter of songs such as "Glass Spider"— who has been in [the] early years of his career sometimes as painted as the frontal view of the head of this new species, furthermore inspiring the author by his songs full of energy, creativity and open-mindedness." | |
| Heteropoda ernstulrichi Jäger, 2008 | Spider | Ernst Ulrich von Weizsäcker | "named in honour of Ernst Ulrich Michael freiherr Von Weizsäcker, German natural scientist and politician, for his efforts towards an ecological treatment of our planet and his ambition to reduce wasting of natural resources as described, e.g., in the book Factor Four he co-authored" | |
| Heteropoda hildebrandti Jäger, 2008 | Spider | Dieter Hildebrandt | "named in honour of the cabaret artist Dieter Hildebrandt for his long-term efforts trying to educate German politicians." | |
| Heteropoda udolindenberg Jäger, 2008 | Spider | Udo Lindenberg | "named after the German rocksinger Udo Lindenberg, who inspired me with his songs and texts over many years." | |
| Heteropoda uexkuelli Jäger, 2008 | Spider | Carl Wolmar Jakob von Uexküll | "named after the founder of the alternative/green Nobel-prize Jakob von Uexkuell, who initiated the World Future Council searching for solutions against global overpopulation of humans and global warming, an issue treated also in the 2007 United Nations Climate Change Conference [in] Bali, the island, where this new species [was] collected" | |
| Heterospilus reagani Marsh, 2013 | Wasp | Ronald Reagan | | |
| Himantolophus kalami Rajeeshkumar, Pietsch & Saravanane, 2022 | Fish | A. P. J. Abdul Kalam | A footballfish found in the waters of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, "named in honor of Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, an eminent aerospace scientist and former President of India, for his many contributions to the field of space research and India's missile technology. He was very keen in encouraging students and greatly motivated them with his inspiring books and speeches." | |
| Hondurantemna chespiritoi Rodrigues, Rivera, Reid & Svenson, 2017 | Mantis | Chespirito | "named after "Chespirito", the screen name of famous late Mexican TV comedian Roberto Gomez Bolaños. Chespirito created and portrayed several characters cherished across Latin America, including El Chavo del Ocho and El Chapulín Colorado, the latter a sort of superhero whose outfit was inspired by grasshoppers or "chapulines"." | |
| Horaglanis abdulkalami Babu, 2012 | Catfish | A. P. J. Abdul Kalam | A subterranean blind catfish endemic to Kerala, India, "Named in honour of the former president of India, Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, who ignited young minds towards the real world of Science and Technology." | |
| Huancabamba kubricki Benedetti & Pinto-da-Rocha, 2022 | Harvestman | Stanley Kubrick | | |
| Hydraena birendra Skale & Jäch, 2009 | Beetle | Birendra of Nepal | A minute moss beetle "named for King Birendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev (1945–2001), who is widely considered the best king to ever reign in Nepal. He was seen as a symbol of national unity, who granted a democratic government. The type material of Hydraena birendra was collected [in Nepal] in 1983, 1995 and finally in 2001. In the same year King Birendra died tragically, murdered by his own son Dipendra." | |
| Hydraena hillaryi Skale & Jäch, 2009 | Beetle | Edmund Hillary | A minute moss beetle "Named for Sir Edmund P. Hillary [...], who died in early 2008, exactly when the description of this species was compiled. In 1953, Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay became the first climbers to reach the summit of Mount Everest. Hillary devoted much of his life to helping the Sherpa people of Nepal by founding the "Himalayan Trust". Through his efforts, schools and small hospitals were built in remote regions of Nepal. Furthermore, Hillary was Honorary President of "Mountain Wilderness", a world-wide organization for preservation of mountain environment. Hydraena hillaryi lives near the foot of Mount Everest." | |
| Hydraena johncoltranei Perkins, 2011 | Beetle | John Coltrane | A minute moss beetle "Named in honor of the jazz great, the supreme saxophonist John Coltrane." | |
| Hydroptila florestani Souza, Santos & Takiya, 2014 | Caddisfly | Florestan Fernandes | A Brazilian microcaddisfly "named in honor of the sociologist Florestan Fernandes, who published many texts opposing the Brazilian Military Government and coordinated the "Escola Paulista de Sociologia" from 1964 to 1969." | |
| Hydroptila marighellai Souza, Santos & Takiya, 2014 | Caddisfly | Carlos Marighella | A Brazilian microcaddisfly "named in honor of Carlos Marighella, founder of the "Ação Libertadora Nacional", an movement of opposition to the Brazilian Military Government (1964–1985)." | |
| Hydroptila zerbinae Souza, Santos & Takiya, 2014 | Caddisfly | Therezinha Zerbini | A Brazilian microcaddisfly "named after Therezinha de Godoy Zerbini who organized the "Movimento Feminino Pela Anistia" in many Brazilian States." | |
| Hydroscapha redfordi Maier et al., 2010 | Beetle | Robert Redford | "This species is named in honor of actor/conservationist Robert Redford, whose 1972 portrayal of the semi-fictional Jeremiah Johnson in the film of the same name brought attention to the character as well as the beauty of the region. One of us (MAI) was so affected by the film that he chose to spend his life and career in the Rockies. The type locality of this species, Jerry Johnson Hot Springs, is named for Redford's character [NOTE: this is actually incorrect], but it is Redford's continuing work to safeguard the wild legacy of the Rocky Mountains that makes this name a fitting tribute." | |
| Hylomyrma lispectorae Ulysséa, 2021 | Ant | Clarice Lispector | "named after Clarice Lispector (1920–1977), born Chaya Pinkhasovna Lispector, a Ukrainian-Brazilian novelist, poetess, and short story writer— "Liberdade é pouco. O que eu desejo ainda não tem nome"." | |
| Hyloscirtus princecharlesi Coloma et al., 2012 | Frog | Charles III | "The specific name princecharlesi is a patronym that honors His Royal Highness Charles, Prince of Wales (Charles Philip Arthur George Windsor). In his call to halt tropical deforestation, Prince Charles uses frogs as symbols, and his Rainforests SOS Campaign includes a video with a frog as a rainforest ambassador. For this reason he is affectionately known by the media as the 'frog prince'. Prince Charles is contributing significantly to the growth of awareness in the battle against tropical deforestation, climate change, and the catastrophic extinction of rainforest amphibians. His work is leading to increased awareness of these issues, and this increased awareness benefits biodiversity conservation, sustainability, alleviation of poverty, and ensures ecosystem services for present and future generations." | |
| Hypsolebias lulai Ramos et al., 2023 | Fish | Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva | A killifish from Brazil "named in honor of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, the current Brazilian president, responsible for restoring conservation actions and socio-environmental enhancement and resuming incentives for Brazilian science." | |
| Hyrokybe lightfooti † Adrain, 1998 | Trilobite | Gordon Lightfoot | | |
| Hyrokybe mitchellae † Adrain, 1998 | Trilobite | Joni Mitchell | | |
| Hyrokybe youngi † Adrain, 1998 | Trilobite | Neil Young | | |
| Iare cheguevarai Martínez, Ceccarelli & Zaldivar-Riverón, 2010 | Wasp | Che Guevara | | |
| Ibexicurus parsonsi † Adrain et al., 2003 | Trilobite | Gram Parsons | | |
| Ichneumon adairae Kittel, 2016 | Wasp | Eleanor Adair | Replacement name for Ichneumon nanus Ratzeburg, 1848, which was preoccupied by Ichneumon nanus Cuvier, 1833. | |
| Ichneumon goeppertae Kittel, 2016 | Wasp | Maria Goeppert Mayer | Replacement name for Ichneumon denticulator Thunberg, 1822, which was preoccupied by Ichneumon denticulator Müller, 1776. | |
| Ichneumon hodgkinae Kittel, 2016 | Wasp | Dorothy Hodgkin | Replacement name for Ichneumon punctulatus Pfeffer, 1913, which was preoccupied by Ichneumon punctulatus Geoffroy, 1785. | |
| Ichneumon vaughanae Kittel, 2016 | Wasp | Dorothy Vaughan | Replacement name for Ichneumon bipunctatus Cuvier, 1833, which was preoccupied by Ichneumon bipunctatus Gmelin, 1790. | |
| Ichneumon yalowae Kittel, 2016 | Wasp | Rosalyn Yalow | Replacement name for Ichneumon varius Gmelin, 1790, which was preoccupied by Ichneumon varius Pontoppidan, 1763. | |
| Ilomantis ginsburgae Brannoch & Svenson, 2016 | Mantis | Ruth Bader Ginsburg | The scientists who described this species pioneered a new method of identification; whereas the study of male genitals is typically used to classify insect species, they instead examined the female genitalia to establish the new species. It was then "named [...] in honor of Ruth Joan Bader Ginsburg, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, for her relentless fight for gender equality, as well as for her sartorial appreciation of the jabot, which is reminiscent of the postcervical plate of Ilomantis, a diagnostic character that embodies this judicial accessory." Upon learning about the name, Ginsburg commented "Gregor Samsa woke up one morning to find himself changed into a big black bug; Praying mantis, female too, is ever so much more attractive." | [318][319] [320][321] |
| Ilyodon lennoni Meyer & Förster, 1983 | Fish | John Lennon | A species of splitfin found in the Chacambero river, Mexico. Some sources consider it a synonym of Ilyodon whitei. | |
| Impatiens achudanandanii V.S.A. Kumar, M.G. Govind & Sindhu Arya | Flowering plant | V. S. Achuthanandan | A balsamine native to Kerala, India, "named in honor of Mr. V.S. Achudanandan, former Chief Minister of the state of Kerala for his ardent efforts in conservation of the pristine environment of Western Ghats, especially Mathikettan Shola." | |
| Inbiocystiscus tanialeonae Ortea & Espinosa, 2016 | Sea snail | Tania León | "Named in honour of Cuban conductor and composer Tania León (Havana, 1943), to whom the fifth edition of the festival Musiciennes en Guadeloupe et Martinique was dedicated (May 2016), the same year in which the scientific expedition Martinique-2016 took place." | |
| Intelcystiscus gordonmoorei Ortea & Espinosa, 2001 | Sea snail | Gordon Moore | "In honour of Gordon Moore, co-founder of Intel, and in recognition of his support for the taxonomy of the future". The genus Intelcystiscus, created concurrently, is named after Intel. | |
| Ipomoea kahloae Gonz.-Martínez, Lozada-Pérez & Rios-Carr. | Flowering plant | Frida Kahlo | A morning glory from Mexico, whose name "honors the Mexican artist Frida Kahlo (1907–1954), one of the most influential Latin American artists of the 20th century. Frida Kahlo, besides being a painter, participated in many cultural, academic and political activities and was a social activist. Kahlo revived the roots of Mexican popular art and became a cultural reference point for the people of Mexico and its national identity." Originally described as Ipomoea kahloiae, subsequently amended. | |
| Ischnocnema penaxavantinho Giaretta, Toffoli & Oliveira, 2007 | Frog | Pena Branca & Xavantinho | A species from Brazil whose name "is an arbitrary fusion of two Portuguese words pena (meaning feather) and xavantinho (meaning little Xavante, a group of pre-colonization natives). These names were used by two regional singer brothers (Pena Branca and Xavantinho) who in their songs emphasized the beauty of the Brazilian nature and the countryside way of life. It is used as a noun in apposition and as homage to both artists." | |
| Ischnothyreus gigeri Richard, 2016 | Spider | H. R. Giger | | |
| Jaggermeryx † Miller et al., 2014 | Even-toed ungulate | Mick Jagger | A whippomorph from the Miocene, related to hippopotamuses and whales, named "for Sir Mick Jagger, in recognition of his famous lips", since this animal was believed to have a "highly innervated muzzle with mobile and tactile lips". | |
| Janbechynea georgepauljohnringo Santiago-Blay, 2004 | Beetle | The Beatles | "honors the first name of the members of the 1960's British musical band, "The Beatles": George Harrison, Paul McCartney, John Lennon, and Richard Starkey (a.k.a. "Ringo Starr")" | |
| Janibacter hoylei Shivaji et al., 2009 | Bacterium | Fred Hoyle | A bacterium isolated from cryotubes used to collect air samples from the upper atmosphere at altitudes between 27 and 41 km., "named after Sir Fred Hoyle, the famous English astronomer", who was one of the main proponents of the theory of panspermia. Research was funded by ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation). | |
| Japewiella dollypartoniana J.L. Allen et al. | Lichen | Dolly Parton | "named in honor of Dolly Parton ... Parton rose to stardom ... in the mountains of eastern Tennessee on the edge of the Great Smoky Mountains where this species grows abundantly" | |
| Jasminum bhumibolianum Chalermglin | Flowering plant | Bhumibol Adulyadej | A species of jasmine native to Thailand, "dedicated to His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej on his 84th anniversary in recognition of the great efforts he has made to conserve native plants in Thailand." | |
| Jorunna davidbowieii Ortea & Moro, 2016 | Sea slug | David Bowie | "Because of its ability to change colour, this species is named after the brilliant musician and singer David Bowie, 'the chameleon', who passed away in January 2016, [and who] was the first to give music an image, associated with his own figure and his collection of works of art. Lazarus, one of his last works, is a hymn to the hope of his resurrection." | |
| Jotus karllagerfeldi Baehr, Schubert, & Harms, 2019 | Spider | Karl Lagerfeld | "This species is a black and white spider which looked like Karl Lagerfeld and his signature look, as the spider has large black eyes, which reminded of his sunglasses and its black and white front legs were reminiscent of Lagerfeld's kent collar and handgloves." | |
| Juratelacrima ballingi † Fanti & Damgaard, 2018 | Beetle | Erik Balling | A fossil soldier beetle found in Eocene Baltic amber. | |
| Kahlerosphaera faludyi † Kozur, Moix & Ozsvárt, 2007 | Protist | György Faludy | A fossil radiolarian from the Triassic of Turkey. | |
| Kahlerosphaera karinthyi † Kozur, Moix & Ozsvárt, 2007 | Protist | Ferenc Karinthy | A fossil radiolarian from the Triassic of Turkey. | |
| Kahlerosphaera kerteszi † Kozur, Moix & Ozsvárt, 2007 | Protist | Imre Kertész | A fossil radiolarian from the Triassic of Turkey. | |
| Kahlerosphaera koestleri † Kozur, Moix & Ozsvárt, 2007 | Protist | Arthur Koestler | A fossil radiolarian from the Triassic of Turkey. | |
| Kahlerosphaera rejtoei † Kozur, Moix & Ozsvárt, 2007 | Protist | Jenő Rejtő | A fossil radiolarian from the Triassic of Turkey. | |
| Kahlerosphaera szerbi † Kozur, Moix & Ozsvárt, 2007 | Protist | Antal Szerb | A fossil radiolarian from the Triassic of Turkey. | |
| Kahlerosphaera vonneguti † Kozur, Moix & Ozsvárt, 2007 | Protist | Kurt Vonnegut | A fossil radiolarian from the Triassic of Turkey. | |
| Kalamiella Singh, Wood, Mhatre & Venkateswaran, 2019 | Bacterium | A. P. J. Abdul Kalam | A new genus for a bacterium isolated from the Cupola module of the International Space Station, "named after APJ Abdul Kalam (1934–2015), a well-known scientist who advanced space research in India." | |
| Kalloprion kilmisteri Eriksson, 2006 | Polychaete worm | Lemmy | "Named in honor of Lemmy Kilmister of Motörhead, for musical inspiration during the course of this study." | |
| Kankuamo marquezi Perafán, Galvis & Gutiérrez, 2016 | Spider | Gabriel García Márquez | A species of tarantula endemic to Colombia, named "in honor [of] Gabriel García Márquez (Aracataca, Colombia, 1927 – Mexico D.F., Mexico, 2014), who was a renowned Colombian writer, considered one of the most significant authors of the 20th century, and awarded the 1982 Nobel Prize in Literature for One Hundred Years of Solitude." | |
| Kepplerites aigii † Mitta, 2008 | Ammonite | Gennadiy Aygi | | |
| Khoratamia phattharajani † Deesri et al., 2023 | Fish | Bhumibol Adulyadej | A fossil bowfin from the Cretaceous of Thailand, whose name "derives from Phatthara + Rajan the designation of Somdet Phra Phatthara Maharat, a title given to King Bhumibol Adulyadej, (Rama IX) in recognition of his research dedication and support for breeding Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus), which has provided a new career for over a million Thai agriculturalists and became a primary protein source for the Thai people." | |
| Kokoppia mandelai Hugo-Coetzee, 2014 | Mite | Nelson Mandela | A species found in Golden Gate Highlands National Park, South Africa "named in honor of the late Mr Nelson Mandela, former president of South Africa. He wrote about the Free State (in which Golden Gate is situated) in his autobiography, Long Walk to Freedom, the following: "The province of the Orange Free State has always had a magical effect on me....the Free State's landscape gladdens my heart no matter what my mood. When I am there, I feel that nothing can shut me in, that my thoughts can roam as far and wide as the horizons" (Mandela 1994)." | |
| Komagataella mondaviorum Naumov, Naumova & Boundy-Mills, 2018 | Yeast | Robert Mondavi and Margrit Mondavi | "named in honor of the late Robert and Margrit Mondavi, honoring their tremendous impact on the CA wine industry and their generous and forward-thinking support of facilities and programs at the University of California Davis [where the strain was identified]." | |
| Kornickeria marleyi Cohen & Morin, 1993 | Crustacean | Bob Marley | "This Jamaican species, which produces remarkable luminescent displays, is named in honour of the late Jamaican reggae musician, Bob Marley." | |
| Krisna garciamarquezi † Dietrich & Vega, 1995 | Leafhopper | Gabriel García Márquez | A fossil species found in Dominican amber. Subsequently transferred to genus Archiokrisna. | |
| Kudoa akihitoi Kasai, Setsuda & Sato, 2017 | Myxozoan | Akihito | A parasite of Acanthogobius hasta, collected in the Ariake Sea, Japan, and "named in honor of Akihito, the reigning Emperor of Japan, who has a great interest in science and ichthyological research, particularly the taxonomy of the family Gobiidae [to which the host species belongs], and has previously published in the field." | |
| Kudoa empressmichikoae Kasai, Setsuda & Sato, 2017 | Myxozoan | Empress Michiko | A parasite of Acanthogobius hasta, collected in the Ariake Sea, Japan, and "named in honor of Empress Michiko, the wife of Japan's Emperor Akihito, who unfailingly supports his role of monarch and its associated duties." | |
| Lagenopolycystis mandelai Willems & Artois, 2017 | Flatworm | Nelson Mandela | A species from South Africa named "in honour of Nelson Mandela (1918–2013), famous anti-apartheid activist, Nobel Peace Prize laureate (1993, together with Frederik Willem de Klerk) and former president of South Africa (1994–1999)." | |
| Lampanyctus steinbecki Bolin, 1939 | Fish | John Steinbeck | Rolf L. Bolin, the ichthyologist who described this species, was a friend of John Steinbeck (a serious amateur naturalist himself, who enjoyed studying the aquatic life of Monterey Bay and the Gulf of California). He received a signed first edition of one of Steinbeck's novels, and, touched by the gesture, decided to name a newly-discovered species of lanternfish after Steinbeck to honor him in return. However, soon afterwards, Steinbeck asked for the book back (for unknown reasons) and never returned it. Later, Bolin stated that he spent a great deal of time thereafter trying to synonymise L. steinbecki with any other species (thus invalidating the name), but did not succeed. | |
| Lapisperla † Sroka, Staniczek & Kondratieff, 2018 | Stonefly | The Rolling Stones | One of 2 genera and 7 species of fossil stoneflies found in Burmese amber, and named concurrently in 2018 after The Rolling Stones and its members on the occasion of Mick Jagger's 75th birthday (see also species in the genera Electroneuria, Largusoperla and Petroperla). "Burmese amber is one of the oldest resins with insect inclusions, and stoneflies are one of the oldest pterygote lineages. What lies closer at hand than to link fossil stoneflies in ancient stones with the Rolling Stones and to name the new species after the members of the oldest and greatest Rock 'n' Roll Band in the world. The [...] new family and genera are named after 'the Stones', and all present and former members of the Rolling Stones are honoured with their own species.[...] The first part of the name refers to the Rolling Stones and is derived from Latin 'lapis', meaning 'stone', the suffix 'perla' refers to the stonefly genus Perla." | |
| Lapisperla keithrichardsi † Sroka, Staniczek & Kondratieff, 2018 | Stonefly | Keith Richards | One of 2 genera and 7 species of fossil stoneflies found in Burmese amber, and named concurrently in 2018 after The Rolling Stones and its members on the occasion of Mick Jagger's 75th birthday (see also species in the genera Electroneuria, Largusoperla and Petroperla). "The name refers to Keith Richards, founding member and guitar player of the Rolling Stones, master of the ancient art of weaving." | |
| Largusoperla billwymani † Sroka, Staniczek & Kondratieff, 2018 | Stonefly | Bill Wyman | One of 2 genera and 7 species of fossil stoneflies found in Cretaceous Burmese amber, and named concurrently in 2018 after The Rolling Stones and its members on the occasion of Mick Jagger's 75th birthday (see also species in the genera Electroneuria, Lapisperla and Petroperla). "The name refers to Bill Wyman, former bass player of the Rolling Stones until 1991." | |
| Largusoperla brianjonesi † Sroka, Staniczek & Kondratieff, 2018 | Stonefly | Brian Jones | One of 2 genera and 7 species of fossil stoneflies found in Cretaceous Burmese amber, and named concurrently in 2018 after The Rolling Stones and its members on the occasion of Mick Jagger's 75th birthday (see also species in the genera Electroneuria, Lapisperla and Petroperla). "The name refers to Brian Jones, founding member and former guitar player of the Rolling Stones until 1969." | |
| Largusoperla charliewattsi † Sroka, Staniczek & Kondratieff, 2018 | Stonefly | Charlie Watts | One of 2 genera and 7 species of fossil stoneflies found in Cretaceous Burmese amber, and named concurrently in 2018 after The Rolling Stones and its members on the occasion of Mick Jagger's 75th birthday (see also species in the genera Electroneuria, Lapisperla and Petroperla). "The name refers to Charlie Watts, drummer of the Rolling Stones, which is most adequate in regard of the pronounced drumming apparatus of the new species." | |
| Largusoperla micktaylori † Sroka, Staniczek & Kondratieff, 2018 | Stonefly | Mick Taylor | One of 2 genera and 7 species of fossil stoneflies found in Cretaceous Burmese amber, and named concurrently in 2018 after The Rolling Stones and its members on the occasion of Mick Jagger's 75th birthday (see also species in the genera Electroneuria, Lapisperla and Petroperla). "The name refers to Mick Taylor, guitar player of the Rolling Stones between 1969 and 1975 with unmatched virtuosity and dexterity, which is reflected by the fingerlike, three-lobed subgenital plate of the new species." | |
| Lasioglossum (Dialictus) hitchensi Gibbs, 2012 | Bee | Christopher Hitchens | Replacement name for Lasioglossum (Dialictus) atlanticum Mitchell, 1960, a junior secondary homonym of Lasioglossum interruptum atlanticum (Cockerell, 1938) | |
| Lasioseius jorgeamadoi Santos & Argolo, 2018 | Mite | Jorge Amado | "This species is named in memory of Jorge Amado, one of the most famous Brazilian writers, born near the type locality of this species." | |
| Latica galeanoi da Silva, Guerrero, Bidegaray-Batista & Simó, 2020 | Spider | Eduardo Galeano | A species of ground spider found in Uruguay and Northern Argentina, named "in honour of Eduardo Galeano (Montevideo, Uruguay 1940–2015), who was a renowned Uruguayan writer and is considered one of the most significant Latin American authors of the twentieth century." | |
| Lavadamia joplinae † Adrain et al., 2003 | Trilobite | Janis Joplin | | |
| Leistus coltranei Allegro, 2007 | Beetle | John Coltrane | "I dedicate this species to the tenor saxophonist John Coltrane, a giant in jazz music." | |
| Leistus lesteri Allegro, 2007 | Beetle | Lester Young | "I dedicate this species to the jazz tenor saxophonist Lester Young, master of musical poetry." | |
| Lemmysuchus † Johnson, Young et al., 2017 | Reptile | Lemmy | A fossil thalattosuchian from the Jurassic. Its name means "Lemmy's crocodile". | |
| Lepidocephalichthys zeppelini Havird et al., 2010 | Fish | Led Zeppelin | "The species name zeppelini is a reference to the 1968–1980 band Led Zeppelin. Use of the Gibson EDS-1275 double-neck guitar by Jimmy Page reminded us of the diagnostic double lamina circularis of this species." The lead author also stated "I'm a big Led Zeppelin fan, and I was listening to them while I was working on the fish. The structure that makes this species unique just reminded me of the guitar that Jimmy Page played." | |
| Lepisiota elbazi Sharaf & Hita Garcia, 2020 | Ant | Farouk El-Baz | The name "honors Prof. Farouk El-Baz, the Egyptian space scientist, Boston University, USA in recognition of his distinguished scientific achievements." | |
| Leporinus villasboasorum Burns et al., 2017 | Fish | Villas-Bôas brothers | "Named in honor of Orlando, Cláudio and Leonardo Villas-Bôas, in recognition of their pioneering efforts to conserve and protect the rio Xingu's marvelous biodiversity, of which Leporinus villasboasorum forms part." | |
| Lepthercus mandelai Ríos-Tamayo & Lyle, 2020 | Spider | Nelson Mandela | A mygalomorph spider from South Africa, named "in honor of Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, first president of the democratic, post-apartheid South Africa." | |
| Leptomorphus mandelai Borkent & Wheeler, 2012 | Fly | Nelson Mandela | A fungus gnat from South Africa, "named in honour of former South African President Nelson R. Mandela, in recognition of his role in ending apartheid in South Africa and for his advocacy of peace, reconciliation and social justice." | |
| Leptopholcus gurnahi Huber, 2011 | Spider | Abdulrazak Gurnah | A cellar spider native to Tanzania. | |
| Leptopyrgus melbourni Haase, 2008 | Freshwater snail | Hirini Melbourne | This species is endemic to North Island, New Zealand, and "dedicated to Hirini Melbourne (1949–2003), musician and composer who preserved, revived, and further developed traditional Māori music." | |
| Leucothoe eltoni Thomas, 2015 | Crustacean | Elton John | "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." | |
| Leuctra dylani Graf, 2007 | Stonefly | Bob Dylan | "dedicated to Bob Dylan, poet, composer, singer and dancer." | |
| Librelula † Petrulevičius, 2020 | Damselfly | Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva | A fossil genus from the Palaeocene of Jujuy Province, Argentina. The name is "wordplay from Castilian words libélula, meaning Odonata, and libre, meaning free; Lula." | |
| Litokoala dicksmithi † Black et al., 2013 | Marsupial mammal | Dick Smith | An extinct koala named for Smith's long-term financial support of paleontological research in Australia. | |
| Liturgusa algorei Svenson, 2014 | Mantis | Al Gore | Named for Gore's "environmental activism including his efforts to raise public awareness of global climate change". | |
| Liturgusa fossetti Svenson, 2014 | Mantis | Steve Fossett | Named for Fossett's "inspirational dedication to adventure and exploration". | |
| Litzicurus shawi † Adrain, McAdams & Westrop, 2009 | Trilobite | Robert Shaw | | |
| Lontra weiri † Prassack, 2016 | Otter | Bob Weir | "Etymology – Old English, 'wer', a structure used to trap fish, derivative of root of werian to 'dam up'. A specific epithet with dual etymology: weiri reflects the riverine habitat and piscivorous diet of river otters; it also honors Grateful Dead guitarist, Bob Weir, in celebration of the band's 50th anniversary." | |
| Loureedia Miller et al., 2012 | Spider | Lou Reed | A genus of velvet spiders "named for Lou Reed, leader of the rock band The Velvet Underground from 1965–1970." | |
| Loxosceles coheni Zamani, Mirshamsi & Marusik, 2021 | Spider | Leonard Cohen | "in honor of Leonard Norman Cohen [...] the most favorite artist of the first author, because his music kept him working during the long, cold, and dark winters of Finland." | |
| Lucanus aungsani Zilioli, 2000 | Beetle | Aung San | A stag beetle from Myanmar, "named in honour of the late great patriot U Aung San, father of Myanmar independence." | |
| Lumieria antonionii Benedetti & Pinto-da-Rocha, 2022 | Harvestman | Michelangelo Antonioni | | |
| Lumieria woodyalleni Benedetti & Pinto-da-Rocha, 2022 | Harvestman | Woody Allen | | |
| Lunaceps rothkoi Gustafsson & Olsson, 2012 | Louse | Mark Rothko | "Named in honour of the painter Mark Rothko (1903–1970), whose painting Saffron (1957) is somewhat reminiscent of the colouration and distribution of dark and light areas in the head of the holotype. He is also one of the first author's favourite painters." | |
| Mackenziurus johnnyi † Adrain & Edgecombe, 1997 | Trilobite | Johnny Ramone | One of four species concurrently named in 1997 after members of The Ramones (see also List of organisms named after famous people (born 1950–present)). | |
| Mahajanganella fridakahloae Lorenz, Loria, Harvey & Harms, 2022 | Pseudoscorpion | Frida Kahlo | "This species is named after the Mexican artist Frida Kahlo de Rivera († 1954) whose unmistakable character were her striking eyebrows, which she included in many of her self-portraits. The species is reminiscent of her because of the strongly granulated cuticle above the second pair of eyes, which resemble 'eyebrows'." | |
| Mahajanganella schwarzeneggeri Lorenz, Loria, Harvey & Harms, 2022 | Pseudoscorpion | Arnold Schwarzenegger | This species belongs to the group known as Hercules pseudoscorpions, because of their "raptorial pedipalps with heavily armed and robust pedipalpal femora, resulting in a somewhat hulky appearance"; it was named "honoring Arnold Schwarzenegger, a famous former bodybuilder from Austria, known as an actor in the movie Terminator, former governor of California and now supporting conservation programs." | |
| Maisorthina saroyani † García-Alcalde, 2015 | Brachiopod | William Saroyan | A fossil orthid from the Devonian of Spain, "dedicated to William Saroyan, a North American writer of Armenian origin, whose stories of great humanity captivated the author and continue to do so today." | |
| Malagasya elvisi Cumberlidge, Soma, Leever & Daniels, 2020 | Crustacean | Elvis Presley | "The new species is named for the unusual fields of dense short setae lining the margins of the dactyli and part of the propodi [...], which gives the crab the appearance of wearing suede shoes on its feet (albeit a brown colour in the type specimen). The species epithet "elvisi" is [...] inspired by the song "Blue Suede Shoes" written by Carl Perkins and made famous by Elvis Presley." | |
| Malthinus rifbjergi † Fanti & Damgaard, 2018 | Beetle | Klaus Rifbjerg | A fossil soldier beetle found in Eocene Baltic amber. | |
| Malthodes moellehavei † Fanti & Damgaard, 2018 | Beetle | Johannes Møllehave | A fossil soldier beetle found in Eocene Baltic amber, "named in honour of the Danish priest, author and lecturer Johannes Volf Møllehave, to thank him for his work and to further recognize him for the awards that he has earned." | |
| Mandelara Malzacher & Staniczek, 2016 | Mayfly | Nelson Mandela | A genus from South Africa. | |
| Mandelia Valdés & Gosliner, 1999 | Sea slug | Nelson Mandela | "This South African genus is named Mandelia to honor Nelson Mandela, who led the struggle for a multiracial government in South Africa." | |
| Marshiella lettermani Shaw, 2000 | Wasp | David Letterman | "The species name is a patronym for David Letterman, host of The Late Show, in appreciation for his outstanding contributions to late night entertainment. Many a dull day has been improved by his humour. It somehow seems appropriate that a really weird insect should be named in his honor." | |
| Masiakasaurus knopfleri † Sampson, Carrano & Forster, 2001 | Dinosaur | Mark Knopfler | "after singer/songwriter Mark Knopfler, whose music inspired expedition crews." | |
| Mastophora dizzydeani Eberhard, 1981 | Spider | Dizzy Dean | A bolas spider that uses a sticky ball on the end of a thread to catch its prey. "Since this spider's livelihood depends on throwing a ball fast and accurately, it seems appropriate to name it in honor of one of the greatest baseball pitchers of all time, Jerome "Dizzy" Dean." | |
| Maxillaria gorbatschowii Vásquez, Dodson & Ibisch, 2001 | Orchid | Mikhail Gorbachev | "in honor of Mikhail Gorbachev for his contribution to world peace and to nature conservation as president of Green Cross International." This species was dedicated to Gorbachev by a friend for his 70th birthday, through a BIOPAT sponsorship. | [387][388] [389] |
| Meenoplus roddenberryi Hoch & Naranjo, 2012 | True bug | Gene Roddenberry | A cave-dwelling species of planthopper named "in honour of Gene Roddenberry (1921–1991), creator and producer of the famous U.S. science fiction tv-series Star Trek. The mission of its starship Enterprise "... to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life ..., to boldly go where no one has gone before" applies – as much as to space – to biospeleology. Gene Roddenberry was fascinated by the exploration of the unknown, and we are sure he would be delighted about the discovery of the new life form described here." | |
| Megachile chomskyi Sheffield, 2013 | Bee | Noam Chomsky | Named after Chomsky for "his many academic achievements and contributions as a linguist, philosopher, cognitive scientist, historian, political critic, activist and global champion of human rights and freedoms". | |
| Megapropodiphora arnoldi Brown, 2018 | Fly | Arnold Schwarzenegger | World's smallest known fly species. "The genus name is Latin for large foreleg, referring to the structure of the female. The specific epithet refers to Arnold Schwarzenegger, former governor of California, whose own greatly enlarged forelimbs distinguished him in his pre-political careers." | |
| Megascops stangiae Dantas et al., 2021 | Owl | Dorothy Stang | "We name this species in honor of the late Sister Dorothy Mae Stang (1931‒2005), who had worked on behalf of poor farmers and the environment in the Brazilian Amazon region since the 1960s until she was brutally murdered by ranchers in Anapú, Pará State. The common names Xingu Screech Owl (English) and Corujinha do Xingu (Portuguese) refer to the area where the species is found, between the Tapajós and Xingu rivers, where Dorothy was very active as a community leader and ultimately was killed." | |
| Melanoplus nelsoni Hill, 2023 | Grasshopper | Willie Nelson | A species native to Texas, USA, "Named in honor of Willie Nelson, an iconic American musician entertainer from central Texas whose music lifted our spirits while traveling between field sites during this study. After these last few summers, just like Mr. Nelson, we too have a little Texas in our souls." | |
| Melanoplus walkeri Hill, 2023 | Grasshopper | Jerry Jeff Walker | A species native to Texas, USA, "Named in honor of Jerry Jeff Walker, an iconic Texas musician whose most influential album was recorded near the type locality of this species in the Luckenbach. Walker's songs such as "Hill Country Rain", "Leavin' Texas", and "Sangria Wine" brought me and my field team joy while traveling between field sites and added to the amazing ambiance of the Edwards Plateau." | |
| Melloleitaoina yupanqui Perafán & Pérez-Miles, 2014 | Spider | Atahualpa Yupanqui | A species of tarantula described from specimens collected near Pergamino, Argentina, where Yupanqui was born. Subsequently transferred to genus Tmesiphantes. | |
| Menabites tsirananai † Collignon, 1969 | Ammonite | Philibert Tsiranana | A fossil species from the Cretaceous of Madagascar, "dedicated to Mr. Tsiranana, President of the Malagasy Republic, to thank him for all that Malagasy Geology owes him, in which he continues to take an interest in its research and its multiple applications." | |
| Meoneura meszarosi Stuke & Freidberg, 2017 | Fly | Michu Meszaros | Flies of the genus Meoneura are very small (1–2 mm). "The new species is dedicated to the Hungarian-born American actor Mihály 'Michu' Mészáros (1939–2016). Only 84 cm tall, he became famous as the "smallest man in the world" performing at the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus and later as a TV and film actor. He played the role of the alien in the sitcom ALF and pictured a strange extraterrestrial creature as an adorable personage." | |
| Mercurana Abraham et al., 2013 | Frog | Freddie Mercury | "derived from 'Mercury' as a tribute to Freddie Mercury, late lead singer of the British rock band Queen, whose vibrant music inspires the authors, in combination with Rana (Linnaeus, 1758), a suffix commonly used for many frog taxa." | |
| Mesabolivar amadoi Huber, 2018 | Spider | Jorge Amado | A cellar spider from Brazil, "Named for Jorge Amado (1912–2001), Brazilian writer, author of Gabriela, Cravo e Canela." | |
| Mesabolivar claricae Huber, 2018 | Spider | Clarice Lispector | A cellar spider from Brazil, "Named for Clarice Lispector (1920–1977), Brazilian writer, daughter of Russian-Jewish immigrants, author of Perto do coração selvagem." | |
| Mesobuthus brutus Fet et al., 2018 | Scorpion | Brutus (Czech band) | | |
| Mesochorus elionae Kittel, 2016 | Wasp | Gertrude B. Elion | Replacement name for Mesochorus niger (Dasch, 1974), which had originally been described as Piestetron nigrum Dasch, 1974, and was transferred to the genus Mesochorus in 1993; when Plectochorus niger Kusigemati, 1967 was transferred to the same genus in 1997, becoming Mesochorus niger (Kusigemati, 1967), Mesochorus niger (Dasch, 1974) became a junior homonym. | |
| Mesochorus leviae Kittel, 2016 | Wasp | Rita Levi-Montalcini | Replacement name for Mesochorus inflatus Schwenke, 1999, which was preoccupied by Mesochorus inflatus Dasch, 1971. | |
| Mesopolobus delafuentei Nieves-Aldrey, Gil-Tapetado & Askew, 2020 | Wasp | Félix Rodríguez de la Fuente | "The species honours the memory of Dr. Félix Rodríguez de la Fuente on the centennial of his birth [actually 92 years had passed; the article was published in a monograph honouring Rodríguez de la Fuente on the 40th anniversary of his death]. Dr Rodríguez de la Fuente is one of the people who contributed most to the conservation of wildlife in Spain and he was a model for a whole generation of biologists and naturalists in this country." "The first author is honored to describe this species after Dr. Félix Rodríguez de la Fuente, naturalist, excellent communicator and pioneer of conservation in Spain, a figure who knew how to awaken in me, as in many other young Spaniards of the time, an early vocation for zoology, and love and fascination for Nature." | |
| Metasarcus bergmani Benedetti & Pinto-da-Rocha, 2022 | Harvestman | Ingmar Bergman | | |
| Metasarcus fellinii Benedetti & Pinto-da-Rocha, 2022 | Harvestman | Federico Fellini | | |
| Metasarcus kurosawai Benedetti & Pinto-da-Rocha, 2022 | Harvestman | Akira Kurosawa | | |
| Microdipnus papafrancisci Giachino, 2024 | Beetle | Pope Francis | "This new species is dedicated to His Holiness Pope Francis, as a sign of gratitude for his constant action in defense of the diversity of life." | |
| Micronycteris giovanniae Baker & Fonseca, 2007 | Bat | Nikki Giovanni | "named to honor Nikki Giovanni in recognition of her poetry and writings." | |
| Milesdavis † Lieberman, 1994 | Trilobite | Miles Davis | Subsequently synonymized with Hedstroemia | |
| Millardaspis milsteadi † McAdams, Adrain & Karim, 2018 | Trilobite | Divine | Named after Divine's birth name, Glenn Milstead. | |
| Miscophus qaboosi Schmid-Egger & Al-Jahdhami, 2022 | Wasp | Qaboos bin Said | A species native to the Arabian Peninsula, "named in honour to [sic] the late Sultan Qaboos who was president of Oman for 40 years and one of the very important persons in Oman." | |
| Mitrephora sirikitiae Weeras., Chalermglin & R.M.K.Saunders | Flowering plant | Sirikit | A tree of the soursop family endemic to Thailand. | |
| Mitromica carildae Espinosa & Ortea, 2018 | Sea snail | Carilda Oliver Labra | Species described from specimens collected in Varadero beach, Matanzas Province, Cuba, "Named in honour of the Matanzas poet Carilda Oliver Labra, for her 96 years of fruitful life, whose work, full of the purest and most delicate feminine sensuality, is a true hymn to love and life." | |
| Mizotrechus edithpiafae Erwin, 2011 | Beetle | Edith Piaf | "based on the full name of Edith Piaf, the famous French singer [...], whose voice had an incredible range of diversity, as is that found in the carabid species richness of Guyane, and who sang a variety of "torch songs", and here I play on the word "torch", the same word that applies to what is used to ignite the trees of the unique tropical rainforests of South America, an Armageddon in our own times." | |
| Mizotrechus marielaforetae Erwin, 2011 | Beetle | Marie Laforêt | "based on the full stage name of Marie Laforêt, the famous French actress and singer [...], whose voice has a range of diversity like that found in the carabid species richness of Guyane, and who sang a variety of "torch songs", and here I play on the word "torch", the same word that applies to what is used to ignite the trees of the unique tropical rainforests of South America, an Armageddon in our own times." | |
| Modisimus mariposas Huber & Fischer, 2010 | Spider | Mirabal sisters | A cellar spider from the Dominican Republic, whose name "honours the Mirabal sisters, who fervently opposed the dictatorship of Trujillo, and formed a group of opponents known as Las Mariposas (The Butterflies). Three of them were assassinated in 1960". | |
| Modisimus miri Huber & Fischer, 2010 | Spider | Pedro Mir | A cellar spider from the Dominican Republic. | |
| Modisimus roumaini Huber, 2010 | Spider | Jacques Roumain | A cellar spider from Haiti, whose name "honours Jacques Roumain (1907–1944), author of Masters of the Dew, about a young Haitian man's effort to save a once-thriving community from drought and family feuds." | |
| Monomorium elghazalyi Sharaf & Aldawood, 2017 | Ant | Mohammed al-Ghazali | | |
| Montypythonoides Smith & Plane, 1985 | Snake | Monty Python | Originally considered an extinct genus from the Miocene, but subsequently synonymized with the extant genus Morelia. | |
| Munidopsis mandelai Macpherson, Amon & Clark, 2014 | Crustacean | Nelson Mandela | A squat lobster from the Southwest Indian Ridge, "named for Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, South African anti-apartheid revolutionary, President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999, Father of a Nation, Elder Statesman, and a remarkable man." | |
| Murphyarachne ymasumacae Sherwood & Gabriel, 2022 | Spider | Yma Sumac | A tarantula from Peru named "in honour of Yma Sumac (1922–2008), the famous Peruvian opera singer whose voice spanned an incredible five octaves." | |
| Mycomya bowiei Omad & Pessacq, 2017 | Fly | David Bowie | "in honour of David Bowie, who through his voice and music made our lives better." | |
| Myrmekiaphila neilyoungi Bond & Platnick, 2007 | Spider | Neil Young | "I really enjoy his music and have had a great appreciation of him as an activist for peace and justice," (discoverer Jason) Bond said of Young. | |
| Mystriocentrus hollandae Jakiel, Palero & Błażewicz, 2020 | Crustacean | Agnieszka Holland | Identified by scientists of the University of Łódź and "dedicated to Agnieszka Holland, Polish film director and screenwriter, one of Poland's most recognized filmmakers." | |
| Naarda uthanti Tóth & Ronkay, 2015 | Moth | U Thant | This species is native to Burma/Myanmar. | |
| Naganishia kalamii Venkateswaran, P. Leo & N.K. Singh (2023) | Fungus | A. P. J. Abdul Kalam | A fungal strain isolated during the construction and assembly of the Mars 2020 mission components at NASA cleanrooms, and named in honor of Indian aerospace scientist A. P. J. Abdul Kalam (two of the taxon authors are Indian). | |
| Nama chaslavskae Meregalli & Borovec, 2023 | Weevil | Věra Čáslavská | "This species is named after Věra Čáslavská (1942–2016). She was an artistic gymnast and Czech sports official. In addition to her gymnastic success, she was known for her consistent outspoken support of the Czechoslovak democratization movement in 1968. After the Soviet invasion, Čáslavská′s actions resulted in her becoming a persona non grata in the new regime. She was forced into retirement and for many years was denied the right to travel, work, and attend sporting events." | |
| Nama ginobartalii Meregalli & Borovec, 2023 | Weevil | Gino Bartali | "Gino Bartali (1914–2000) was a champion road cyclist. Bartali earned respect for his work helping Jews who were being persecuted by the Nazis during the time of the Italian Social Republic and used his fame to carry messages and documents to the Italian Resistance. In 2013 he was awarded the honorific Righteous Among the Nations." | |
| Nama peternormani Meregalli & Borovec, 2023 | Weevil | Peter Norman | "Peter Norman (1942–2006) was an Australian track athlete, who won the silver medal in the 200 metres at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City. During the medal ceremony he wore a badge of the Olympic Project for Human Rights in support of fellow athletes John Carlos and Tommie Smith. Returning home after the race, he was violently condemned by the Australian media for what he did during the award ceremony and continually boycotted by sports officials, being forever excluded from competitive racing. It was only in 2012 that the Australian Parliament passed a belated rehabilitation." | |
| Nama startorum Meregalli & Borovec, 2023 | Weevil | FC Start | "In 1942 in Kiev, under Nazi occupation, former footballers linked to the resistance organised a football team, named START F.C. The Nazis organised a tournament with five other teams, all linked to the Nazi regime. The START team won all the competitions, thus providing strong psychological support for the civil resistance against the invaders. The species is dedicated to these sportsmen and, by extension, to people fighting for their freedom." | |
| Nama switzerae Meregalli & Borovec, 2023 | Weevil | Kathrine Switzer | "Kathrine Virginia Switzer (born 1947) is an American marathon runner. In 1967 she became the first woman to run the Boston Marathon as an officially registered competitor. During her run race manager Jock Semple assaulted Switzer, trying to grab her bib number and thereby remove her from official competition. She was inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame in 2011 for creating a social revolution by empowering women around the world through running." | |
| Namalycastis jaya Magesh et al., 2012 | Polychaete worm | J. Jayalalithaa | A species from the coast of Southern India, named in honour of former chief minister of Tamil Nadu Dr. J. Jayalalithaa's contributions towards education for the impoverished people of Tamil Nadu, a state in southern India, as well as her support for scientific research. | |
| Nannotrigona gaboi Jaramillo, Ospina & Gonzalez, 2019 | Bee | Gabriel García Márquez | A stingless bee from Colombia whose name "honors the Colombian novelist, short-story writer, screenwriter, journalist, and 1982 Nobel Prize laureate Gabriel José de la Concordia García Márquez (6 March 1927–17 April 2014), also known affectionately as Gabo." | |
| Narcissus yepesii S.Ríos, D.Rivera, Alcaraz & Obón | Flowering plant | Narciso Yepes | A daffodil or narcissus endemic to Southern Spain, described in 1999 and "named in memory of the recently deceased concert guitar player and world famous musician Narciso Yepes, born in Lorca (Murcia), roughly 100 km east of the species' type locality." | |
| Nausicaamantis miyazakii Mériguet, 2018 | Mantis | Hayao Miyazaki | "This species is dedicated to the creator of the work Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, Hayao Miyazaki. The author, sensitive to our environment, places nature at the centre of several of his works." The genus Nausicaamantis, created concurrently "is dedicated to the manga Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (Kaze no tani no Naushika) by Hayao Miyazaki, published between 1982 and 1995 [...] In this ecological fable, the heroine, Nausicaä, a naturalist and benevolent character, explores the relationship between humans and a hostile nature in a universe where humanity is in its twilight. Insects play a central role." This species was described from a single specimen collected in Madagascar in 1906 (112 years before publication) and preserved in the National Museum of Natural History, France; its current conservation status is unknown and it may be extinct. | |
| Neacomys vargasllosai Hurtado & Pacheco, 2017 | Rodent | Mario Vargas Llosa | "in tribute to Mario Vargas Llosa, Peruvian writer and Nobel Prize winner in Literature 2011. Mario Vargas Llosa was born in Arequipa, Peru (as did [the lead author]), and lived in Bolivia (as the current range of N. vargasllosai) the first years of his childhood until he returned back to Peru. He studied Law and Literature in the Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, alma mater of [the authors]" | |
| Neocybaeina burnetti Bennett, 2023 | Spider | Howlin' Wolf | | |
| Neopalpa donaldtrumpi Nazari, 2017 | Moth | Donald Trump | Named due to the resemblance of scales on the head of the moth to Trump's hairstyle | |
| Neoperla teresa Stark & Sivec, 2008 | Stonefly | Teresa Heinz | "The species name [...] honors Teresa Heinz Kerry in recognition of her indomitable spirit, wise "opinions" and her strong support of environmental issues". | |
| Neopicobia hepburni Glowska & Laniecka, 2014 | Mite | Audrey Hepburn | "This new species is dedicated to Audrey Hepburn, British actress and humanitarian, for her unique personality and charm." | |
| Neoplecostomus watersi Silva, Reia, Zawadzki & Roxo, 2019 | Catfish | Roger Waters | A freshwater catfish from the Paraná River basin in Brazil, named "in honor [of] George Roger Waters, an English composer, singer and guitar player from the rock 'n' roll band Pink Floyd, for his talent as [a] musician and social awareness around [the] world, specially his brave concerns [with] Brazilian economic, social and politic[al] issues." | |
| Neotrichia bellinii Santos & Nessimian, 2009 | Caddisfly | Hilderaldo Bellini | One of twelve Brazilian species of microcaddisflies named in conmemoration of the 50th anniversary of the first FIFA World Cup won by Brazil (Sweden '58), after the eleven players that participated in the final match and the team coach. "This species is named in honor of Bellini (Hilderaldo Luiz Bellini), captain of the Brazilian soccer team of 1958." | |
| Neotrichia didii Santos & Nessimian, 2009 | Caddisfly | Didi | One of twelve Brazilian species of microcaddisflies named in conmemoration of the 50th anniversary of the first FIFA World Cup won by Brazil (Sweden '58), after the eleven players that participated in the final match and the team coach. "This species is named in honor of Didi (Valdir Pereira), midfielder of the Brazilian soccer team of 1958." | |
| Neotrichia djalmasantosi Santos & Nessimian, 2009 | Caddisfly | Djalma Santos | One of twelve Brazilian species of microcaddisflies named in conmemoration of the 50th anniversary of the first FIFA World Cup won by Brazil (Sweden '58), after the eleven players that participated in the final match and the team coach. "This species is named in honor of Djalma Santos (Dejalma dos Santos), attacking full-back of the Brazilian soccer team of 1958." | |
| Neotrichia feolai Santos & Nessimian, 2009 | Caddisfly | Vicente Feola | One of twelve Brazilian species of microcaddisflies named in conmemoration of the 50th anniversary of the first FIFA World Cup won by Brazil (Sweden '58), after the eleven players that participated in the final match and the team coach. "This species is named in honor of Vicente Ítalo Feola, coach of the Brazilian team of 1958." | |
| Neotrichia garrinchai Santos & Nessimian, 2009 | Caddisfly | Garrincha | One of twelve Brazilian species of microcaddisflies named in conmemoration of the 50th anniversary of the first FIFA World Cup won by Brazil (Sweden '58), after the eleven players that participated in the final match and the team coach. "This species is named in honor of Garrincha (Manoel Francisco dos Santos), right winger and forward of the Brazilian soccer team of 1958." | |
| Neotrichia gilmari Santos & Nessimian, 2009 | Caddisfly | Gilmar | One of twelve Brazilian species of microcaddisflies named in conmemoration of the 50th anniversary of the first FIFA World Cup won by Brazil (Sweden '58), after the eleven players that participated in the final match and the team coach. "This new species is named in honor of Gilmar (Gilmar dos Santos Neves), goalkeeper of the Brazilian soccer team of 1958." | |
| Neotrichia niltonsantosi Santos & Nessimian, 2009 | Caddisfly | Nílton Santos | One of twelve Brazilian species of microcaddisflies named in conmemoration of the 50th anniversary of the first FIFA World Cup won by Brazil (Sweden '58), after the eleven players that participated in the final match and the team coach. "This species is named in honor of Nilton Santos, attacking full-back of the Brazilian soccer team of 1958." | |
| Neotrichia orlandoi Santos & Nessimian, 2009 | Caddisfly | Orlando | One of twelve Brazilian species of microcaddisflies named in conmemoration of the 50th anniversary of the first FIFA World Cup won by Brazil (Sweden '58), after the eleven players that participated in the final match and the team coach. "This species is named in honor of Orlando (Orlando Peçanha de Carvalho), defender of the Brazilian soccer team of 1958." | |
| Neotrichia pelei Santos & Nessimian, 2009 | Caddisfly | Pelé | One of twelve Brazilian species of microcaddisflies named in conmemoration of the 50th anniversary of the first FIFA World Cup won by Brazil (Sweden '58), after the eleven players that participated in the final match and the team coach. "This species is named in honor of Pelé (Edson Arantes do Nascimento), center forward of the Brazilian soccer team of 1958." | |
| Neotrichia vavai Santos & Nessimian, 2009 | Caddisfly | Vavá | One of twelve Brazilian species of microcaddisflies named in conmemoration of the 50th anniversary of the first FIFA World Cup won by Brazil (Sweden '58), after the eleven players that participated in the final match and the team coach. "This species is named in honor of Vavá (Edvaldo Izídio Neto), center forward of the Brazilian soccer team of 1958." | |
| Neotrichia zagalloi Santos & Nessimian, 2009 | Caddisfly | Mário Zagallo | One of twelve Brazilian species of microcaddisflies named in conmemoration of the 50th anniversary of the first FIFA World Cup won by Brazil (Sweden '58), after the eleven players that participated in the final match and the team coach. "This species is named in honor of Zagallo (Mário Zagallo), left forward of the Brazilian soccer team of 1958." | |
| Neotrichia zitoi Santos & Nessimian, 2009 | Caddisfly | Zito | One of twelve Brazilian species of microcaddisflies named in conmemoration of the 50th anniversary of the first FIFA World Cup won by Brazil (Sweden '58), after the eleven players that participated in the final match and the team coach. "This species is named in honor of Zito (José Ely de Miranda), defensive [midfielder] of the Brazilian soccer team of 1958." | |
| Neruda Turner, 1976 | Butterfly | Pablo Neruda | A subgenus of the genus Heliconius. "In continuance of [the] tradition [of using names associated with poetry and the arts for the genus Heliconius], and recalling that the butterflies are South American, the new subgenus is named after the author of Alturas de Macchu Picchu, Veinte Poemas de Amor, Residencia en la Tierra etc. Señor Pablo Neruda graciously consented to the use of his name, although sadly he did not live to see this paper written." | |
| Nerudia Huber, 2000 | Spider | Pablo Neruda | This genus is endemic to Chile. | |
| Nesticus dykemanae Hedin & Milne, 2023 | Spider | Wilma Dykeman | A scaffold web spider endemic to a small area of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park on the border between Tennessee and North Carolina, USA, "Named to honor Wilma Dykeman (1920–2006), a writer, speaker, teacher, historian, and environmentalist who spent most of her life in western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee. Mrs. Dykeman was devoted to social justice and environmental integrity, discussing Appalachian water pollution in her classic 1955 book The French Broad, and sharing a social justice award in 1957 for her co-authored book Neither Black Nor White." | |
| Noergaardia † Fanti & Damgaard, 2018 | Beetle | Lise Nørgaard | A genus of fossil soldier beetles found in Eocene Baltic amber, "named in honour of the Danish author, journalist, debater and scriptwriter Lise Nørgaard [...] as congratulation for her 100th birthday (1917–2017) and in honour of her decades of contributions to the Danish cultural treasure chest. She is a pioneer in consumer journalism, has fought for women's rights and equality and, with her strong personality, has influenced and impacted Danish culture." | |
| Norasaphus monroeae † Fortey & Shergold, 1984 | Trilobite | Marilyn Monroe | Trilobite with an hourglass shaped glabella. | [43][436] [437] |
| Nordus elytisi Chatzimanolis, 2004 | Beetle | Odysseas Elytis | | |
| Nordus seferisi Chatzimanolis, 2004 | Beetle | Giorgos Seferis | | |
| Notiospathius johnlennoni De Jesús-Bonilla et al., 2011 | Wasp | John Lennon | In honor of the 30th anniversary of Lennon's death | |
| Notogomphus maathaiae Clausnitzer & Dijkstra, 2005 | Dragonfly | Wangari Maathai | "Wangari Maathai, the Nobel Peace laureate for 2004 and the first African woman to be honoured with this prize, was rewarded for her tireless effort to protect Africa's natural environment through sustainable solutions for human development. She has focused on the protection of Africa's last remaining and fast shrinking forests, which led to the foundation of the Green Belt Movement. The Nobel Committee's choice for 2004 emphasizes the importance of the protection of the world's natural resources in the fight against poverty. Safeguarding forests and watersheds will not only benefit the livelihood of individual human beings, but also secure a peaceful future for mankind. We wish to acknowledge Wangari Maathai and her achievements by naming a forest dwelling odonate from Kenya in her honour" | |
| Nyssus loureedi Raven, 2015 | Spider | Lou Reed | | |
| Oblitosaurus bunnueli † Sánchez-Fenollosa, Verdú & Cobos, 2023 | Dinosaur | Luis Buñuel | An iguanodontian from the Jurassic of eastern Spain. The name "honours Luis Buñuel, a prestigious Spanish film director born in the province of Teruel." (where the fossils were found). | |
| Ocyolinus dimoui Chatzimanolis & Ashe, 2009 | Beetle | Nikos Dimou | | |
| Oedichirus sihanouki Rougemont, 2018 | Beetle | Norodom Sihanouk | This species is native to Cambodia. | |
| Oenonites zappae † Eriksson, 1997 | Polychaete worm | Frank Zappa | A fossil marine worm from the Silurian of Gotland, Sweden | |
| Ogyges handali Cano, 2014 | Beetle | Schafik Handal | "Named in honor of Commander Dr. Schafik Handal, officially recognized as "Hijo Meritísimo de la Ciudad de San Salvador" ["Meritorious Son of the City of San Salvador"] and "Honor al Mérito Centroamericano" ["Central American Merit Honor"], for his efforts in favor of the peace in Central America." | |
| Oiclus cousteaui Ythier, 2019 | Scorpion | Jacques Cousteau | The name "honours Mr. Jacques-Yves Cousteau (1910-1997), French oceanographic explorer, for his contribution to the creation of the National Park of Pigeon, also called Cousteau reserve, where the new species was found." | |
| Olea hensoni Filho, Paulay, & Krug, 2019 | Sea slug | Jim Henson | An ovivorous (egg-eating) species "named in honor of Jim Henson, creator of the muppets who educated and entertained generations of children while they ate their eggs for breakfast. As Kermit the Frog famously sang, "It's Not Easy Bein' Green," a fitting allusion to the one lineage of sacoglossans that evolved away from herbivory among their many green relatives." | |
| Ombilinichthys yamini † Murray et al., 2015 | Fish | Mohammad Yamin | A fossil gourami from Eocene deposits found in Talawi, Sumatra, Indonesia, "Named for Mohammad Yamin (1903–1962), historian, poet, playwright, and politician, who was born in Talawi, and was named a 'National Hero of Indonesia' in part for his role during the Indonesian Revolution for Independence." | |
| Oniketia akihitoi † Marramà, Giusberti & Carnevale, 2022 | Fish | Akihito | A fossil goby from the Oligocene of Italy, whose name "honours Akihito, Emperor Emeritus of Japan and renowned ichthyologist, for his remarkable contributions to the study of extant gobies." | |
| Onocephala chicomendes Monné, Monné, Botero & Carelli, 2016 | Beetle | Chico Mendes | A longhorn beetle known only from Itatiaia National Park, Brazil. | |
| Ophiohamus georgemartini O'Hara & Harding, 2015 | Brittle star | George R. R. Martin | "Named after the author, George R.R. Martin, because the large marginal disc spines of the new species look similar to the crown on the cover of his second book in the Game of Thrones series, A Clash of Kings." | |
| Ophiopetagno † Thuy, Eriksson & Numberger-Thuy, 2022 | Brittle star | Joe Petagno | A fossil species from the Silurian of Gotland, Sweden, which "honours "heavy metal painter" Joe Petagno in recognition of his artistic talent and ability to integrate palaeontological imagery into his art pieces, to the enrichment of both the music scene and the world of science" | |
| Ophiopetagno bonzo † Thuy, Eriksson, Kutscher & Numberger-Thuy, 2024 | Brittle star | John Bonham | A fossil species from the Silurian of Gotland, Sweden "named after John H. Bonham (RIP), also known as 'Bonzo'’, former drummer of rock band Led Zeppelin, for raising drumming in rock music to a new level." | |
| Ophiopetagno kansas † Thuy, Eriksson, Kutscher & Numberger-Thuy, 2024 | Brittle star | Kansas | A fossil species from the Silurian of Gotland, Sweden "named after American rock band Kansas, for producing some of the most inspiring songs in the history of rock music, including "Carry On Wayward Son" and "Dust in the Wind"." | |
| Ophiopetagno paicei † Thuy, Eriksson & Numberger-Thuy, 2022 | Brittle star | Ian Paice | A fossil species from the Silurian of Gotland, Sweden, which "honours Ian A. Paice, drummer of legendary rock band Deep Purple, one of the last common ancestors in heavy metal." | |
| Orbitestella dioi † Hybertsen & Kiel, 2018 | Sea snail | Ronnie James Dio | A fossil species from the Eocene of Washington state, USA. | |
| Orcevia meinei Yu, Maddison & Zhang, 2023 | Spider | Klaus Meine | "in honor of Klaus Meine, the frontman of the German band Scorpions; many classic rock songs he wrote accompanied the growth of the first author." | |
| Orcevia mercuryi Yu, Maddison & Zhang, 2023 | Spider | Freddie Mercury | "in honor of Freddie Mercury (1946–1991), the leader of the British band "Queen". Many classic rock songs he wrote accompanied the growth of the first author." | |
| Orcus frommi Łączyński, 2012 | Beetle | Erich Fromm | | |
| Orcus popperi Łączyński, 2012 | Beetle | Karl Popper | | |
| Orectochilus orbisonorum Miller, Mazzoldi & Wheeler, 2008 | Beetle | Roy Orbison and his widow Barbara Orbison | Whirligig beetle from India. | |
| Oreodera kawasae Santos-Silva, Van Roie & Jocqué, 2021 | Beetle | Jeannette Kawas | A longhorn beetle from Honduras "named after Blanca Jeannette Kawas Fernández [...] in honor of her never-ending efforts to conserve the fauna and flora of Honduras. She co-established the Prolansate Foundation, which is still committed to protecting the environment while improving the quality of life of the local communities. Jeanette was murdered at her home in February 1995." | |
| Ornamentula miyazakii Minowa & Garraffoni, 2021 | Hairyback worm | Hayao Miyazaki | "dedicated to animation director Hayao Miyazaki, a highly notorious animator and filmmaker. He animated the fantasy film Princess Mononoke, and illustrated the character Forest Spirit [...], that at nighttime turns [in]to Daidarabotchi, resembling the specimen". | |
| Ornodolomedes nicholsoni Raven & Hebron, 2018 | Spider | Jack Nicholson | "in honour of Jack Nicholson, an actor who so brilliantly portrays diverse personalities." | |
| Orome deepi † Bauzá, Gelfo & López, 2019 | Notoungulate (an extinct order of mammals) | Deep Purple | A fossil Henricosborniid from the Eocene of Argentina. "Named after the British rock band Deep Purple, and in allusion to Las Violetas Farm, the locality in which the holotype was found (Spanish violeta, purple)." | |
| Orsonwelles Hormiga, 2002 | Spider | Orson Welles | Many of the species are named after elements from Welles' films. | |
| Orwellium Johnson, Masner & Musetti, 2009 | Wasp | George Orwell | A genus of parasitoid wasps from Chile, whose name "honors the author George Orwell, the brilliant and seemingly clairvoyant writer of political science fiction". | |
| Otacilia loriot Jäger & Wunderlich, 2012 | Spider | Loriot | "dedicated to the late Vicco von Bülow (pseudonym: Loriot) acknowledging his tremendous contributions to German humour." | |
| Oxymorus johnprinei Borovec & Meregalli, 2020 | Weevil | John Prine | "This species is named in memory of the late John Prine (1946–2020), American folk singer and songwriter who sadly passed away due to Coronavirus while we were completing this paper." | |
| Ozcopa chiunei Raven, 2015 | Spider | Chiune Sugihara | | |
| Ozicrypta tuckeri Raven & Churchill, 1994 | Spider | Perc Tucker | A brushed trapdoor spider endemic to Queensland, Australia, named "for Mr Perc Tucker, 1919–1980, Member of the Legislative Assembly for Townsville North, 1960–1969, for Townsville West 1969–1974, Deputy Leader of the Opposition 1966–1974, Leader 1974, Mayor of Townsville 1970–1980 [sic, actually 1976–1980], who was well known in the Townsville region [the type locality] and highly respected for his many contributions to the community." | |
| Pachygnatha zappa Bosmans & Bosselaers, 1994 | Spider | Frank Zappa | An orb-weaver spider which has a black marking under its abdomen curiously reminiscent of Frank Zappa's mustache. | |
| Pachyrhinosaurus perotorum † Hanelt et al., 2012 | Dinosaur | Ross Perot and family | "In recognition of members of the Perot family (Margot and H. Ross Perot and their children), who have demonstrated a long history of supporting science and science education for the public." | |
| Paerticrinus arvosus † Wright & Toom, 2017 | Sea lily | Arvo Pärt | A fossil species from the Silurian of Estonia, "Named after Arvo Pärt, an Estonian composer of classical and sacred music, including the violin concerto Tabula Rasa." | |
| Pamphobeteus urvinae Sherwood, Gabriel, Brescovit & Lucas, 2022 | Spider | Hermelinda Urvina | A tarantula from Ecuador named "in honour of Hermelinda Urvina Mayorga (1905–2008), an Ecuadorian aviator who was the first woman in South America to earn a pilot licence. She was also a friend of the pioneering American aviator Amelia Earhart (1897–1937)." | |
| Pandelleola resnikae Lehrer, 1996 | Fly | Judith Resnik | Subsequently synonymised with Sarcophaga filia. | |
| Panjange thomi Huber, 2019 | Spider | Thom Wainggai | A cellar spider native to West Papua. | |
| Papasula abbotti costelloi † Steadman et al., 1988 | Bird | Lou Costello | An extinct subspecies whose remains have been found in the Marquesas islands, named in allusion to comedy team Abbott and Costello; however, the patronym abbotti honors ornithologist William Louis Abbott, not Bud Abbott. | |
| Paraboea bhumiboliana Triboun & Chuchan | Flowering plant | Bhumibol Adulyadej | A species of gesneriad native to Thailand. "The specific epithet refers to the collection locality in the Bhumibol Dam area in Lamphun and Tak Provinces in Thailand. The name also honours His Majesty King Bhumibol of Thailand who has taken a keen interest in the conservation of forests and the relationship between people and the environment. This species is dedicated to him on the occasion of his 84th Birthday." The plant was given the vernacular name "bhumibolin" (ภมพลนทร) by King Bhumibol himself. | |
| Paradonea presleyi Miller et al., 2012 | Spider | Elvis Presley | A species of velvet spider named "in honor of Elvis Aaron Presley, king of rock and roll and subject of innumerable black velvet paintings." | |
| Paramacrobiotus sagani Daza, Caicedo, Lisi & Quiroga, 2017 | Tardigrade | Carl Sagan | "This species is named after the astrophysicist and science communicator Carl Sagan, philosopher, and one of the greatest minds of the twentieth century." | |
| Paramicromerys rabeariveloi Huber, 2003 | Spider | Jean-Joseph Rabearivelo | A cellar spider from Madagascar, "Named for Jean-Joseph Rabearivelo (1901–37), gifted Malagasy poet whose struggle against a severe colonial system cut short his work and, eventually, his life." | |
| Paraplethopeltis helli † Adrain, Westrop, Karim & Landing 2014 | Trilobite | Richard Hell | | |
| Paraserica camillerii Ahrens, Fabrizi, & Liu, 2017 | Beetle | Andrea Camilleri | "This new species is dedicated to the Sicilian writer, Andrea Camillieri [sic], whose books accompanied [the first author's] work on Chinese Sericini over all the years." | |
| Parayoungia mclaughlini † Adrain, 1998 | Trilobite | Murray McLauchlan | A fossil from the Silurian of Canada. McLauchlan's surname was misspelt in the paper where the species was described and named. | |
| Parnassius imperator aungsani Nose & Mikami, 1998 | Butterfly | Aung San | | |
| Parnassius mnemosyne guccinii Sala & Bollino, 1992 | Butterfly | Francesco Guccini | "Dedicated to Mr. Francesco Guccini, to whose songs the first author is ever tied." | |
| Patellapis mandela Timmermann & Kuhlmann, 2009 | Bee | Nelson Mandela | This species has only been found in Richtersveld National Park, South Africa. | |
| Peinaleopolynoe elvisi Hatch & Rouse, 2020 | Polychaete worm | Elvis Presley | "named after the legendary King of Rock and Roll, Elvis Presley; the iridescent golden/pink elytra are reminiscent of the sparkly, sequined costumes he favored in his late career." | |
| Pelecium chrissquirei Orsetti & Lopes-Andrade, 2024 | Beetle | Chris Squire | "in honor of the British musician Christopher Russell Edward Squire (1948–2015), known as Chris Squire, who was one of the founding members and bass player of the progressive rock band "Yes"". | |
| Peloridinannus curly Weirauch & Frankenberg, 2015 | True bug | Curly Howard | "Named after Jerome (Curly) Howard, one of the "Three Stooges", for the comical appearance of this species". One of three schizopterid bugs named concurrently after the 1934–1946 Three Stooges (see also List of organisms named after famous people (born 1800–1899)). | |
| Peloridinannus larry Weirauch & Frankenberg, 2015 | True bug | Larry Fine | "Named after Larry Fine, one of the "Three Stooges", for the comical appearance of this species". One of three schizopterid bugs named concurrently after the 1934–1946 Three Stooges (see also List of organisms named after famous people (born 1800–1899)). | |
| Perirehaedulus richardsi † Adrain & Edgecombe, 1995 | Trilobite | Keith Richards | Aegrotocatellus jaggeri was named concurrently to honor fellow Rolling Stones member Mick Jagger. | |
| Petroperla † Sroka, Staniczek & Kondratieff, 2018 | Stonefly | The Rolling Stones | One of 2 genera and 7 species of fossil stoneflies found in Burmese amber, and named concurrently in 2018 after The Rolling Stones and its members on the occasion of Mick Jagger's 75th birthday (see also species in the genera Electroneuria, Lapisperla and Largusoperla). "Burmese amber is one of the oldest resins with insect inclusions, and stoneflies are one of the oldest pterygote lineages. What lies closer at hand than to link fossil stoneflies in ancient stones with the Rolling Stones and to name the new species after the members of the oldest and greatest Rock 'n' Roll Band in the world. The [...] new family and genera are named after 'the Stones', and all present and former members of the Rolling Stones are honoured with their own species.[...] The first part of the compound noun refers to the Rolling Stones and is derived from Latin 'petra', meaning 'stone', the second part 'perla', refers to the stonefly genus Perla." | |
| Petroperla mickjaggeri † Sroka, Staniczek & Kondratieff, 2018 | Stonefly | Mick Jagger | One of 2 genera and 7 species of fossil stoneflies found in Burmese amber, and named concurrently in 2018 after The Rolling Stones and its members on the occasion of Mick Jagger's 75th birthday (see also species in the genera Electroneuria, Lapisperla and Largusoperla). "The name refers to Sir Mick Jagger, founding member, harmonica player, and lead singer of the Rolling Stones." | |
| Petula Clarke, 1971 | Moth | Petula Clark | | |
| Pheidole harrisonfordi Wilson, 2003 | Ant | Harrison Ford | "Named in honor of Harrison Ford, in recognition of his outstanding contribution in service and support to tropical conservation, hence the habitats in which the Pheidole ants will continue to exist." | |
| Pheidole mooreorum Wilson, 2003 | Ant | Gordon Moore and Betty Moore | Named "in recognition of their outstanding contribution in service and support to tropical conservation, hence the habitats in which the Pheidole ants will continue to exist." | |
| Phelister chicomendesi Caterino & Tishechkin, 2020 | Beetle | Chico Mendes | A clown beetle from Brazil. | |
| Phialella zappai Boero, 1987 | Jellyfish | Frank Zappa | Named as a plan to meet Zappa, who stated "There is nothing I'd like better than having a jellyfish named after me". | |
| Philautus mooreorum Meegaskumbura & Manamendra-Arachchi, 2005 | Frog | Gordon Moore and Betty Moore | "honouring the benefactors of the Moore Foundation, Dr. Gordon and Betty Moore (b. California, 1929 and 1928, respectively), in appreciation of their support of the Global Amphibian Assessment and decades of philanthropic work in science and conservation." Subsequently transferred to genus Pseudophilautus. | |
| Pholcus bikilai Huber, 2011 | Spider | Abebe Bikila | A cellar spider native to Ethiopia. | |
| Pholcus jusahi Huber, 2011 | Spider | Franklin Gritts | A cellar spider native to North Carolina, USA. Gritts was also known as Oau Nah Jusah ("They Have Returned" in Cherokee) | |
| Pholcus kingi Huber, 2011 | Spider | Martin Luther King Jr. | A cellar spider native to Tennessee, USA. | |
| Pholcus lilangai Huber, 2011 | Spider | George Lilanga | A cellar spider native to Tanzania. | |
| Pholcus sudhami Huber, 2011 | Spider | Pira Sudham | A cellar spider native to Thailand. Subsequently transferred to genus Cantikus. | |
| Photinus fridakhaloae Zaragoza-Caballero & González-Ramírez, 2023 | Firefly | Frida Kahlo | This species, described from a holotype collected in Jalisco, Mexico, was "dedicated to the renowned Mexican painter and activist Magdalena Carmen Frida Khalo [sic] Calderón, whose paintings have broken frontiers." | |
| Photinus juanrulfoi Zaragoza-Caballero & Domínguez-León, 2023 | Firefly | Juan Rulfo | This species, described from specimens collected in Durango, Mexico, was "dedicated to the outstanding Mexican writer Juan Rulfo, renowned for his works El Llano en llamas and Pedro Páramo." | |
| Phrixotrichus jara Perafán & Pérez-Miles, 2014 | Spider | Víctor Jara | A tarantula from Chile, named "as a recognition to Victor Jara, famous Chilean singer who was killed in 1973, during the government of the dictator Augusto Pinochet." | |
| Phyllodactylus benedettii Ramírez-Reyes & Flores-Villela, 2018 | Lizard | Mario Benedetti | A Mexican species of gecko "dedicated to the memory of the great Uruguayan writer Mario Benedetti in recognition of his prolific literary production and critical thinking of great importance in the political and social life of Latin America." | |
| Phyllodytes amadoi Vörös, Ribeiro Dias & Solé, 2017 | Frog | Jorge Amado | "for Jorge Amado, a Brazilian modernist writer who had an enormous influence on Brazilian literature. He lived in the same region where the new species was discovered and he adored frogs and enjoyed collecting all kinds of objects that were related to them. As a well-travelled man, he grew a big collection of these "frog-souvenirs" from all over the world, which are partially on display in his home in Salvador, Brazil." | |
| Phylloscopus emilsalimi Rheindt et al., 2020 | Bird | Emil Salim | A leaf warbler from Taliabu island in Indonesia, named "after Prof Emil Salim, former Minister of Environment of the Republic of Indonesia and eminent environmentalist whose actions have contributed to more stringent international guidelines regulating extractive industries and mining, thereby benefitting many countries' natural communities, including Indonesia." | |
| Physalaemus claptoni Leal et al., 2020 | Frog | Eric Clapton | | |
| Pinkfloydia Dimitrov & Hormiga, 2011 | Spider | Pink Floyd | "Pink Floyd was an innovative group that created music (with) an eclectic mixture of styles. Pinkfloydia has very unusual morphological features and its name aims to reflect its uniqueness." | |
| Pipra vilasboasi Sick, 1959 | Bird | Villas-Bôas brothers | A manakin from the Amazon rainforest. Subsequently transferred to genus Lepidothrix. | |
| Pleurothallis hawkingii Karremans & J.E.Jiménez | Orchid | Stephen Hawking | "Honouring the English theoretical physicist, cosmologist and author Stephen William Hawking, who passed away the day this manuscript was submitted, 14 March 2018." | |
| Plataxoides leopoldi Gosse, 1963 | Fish | Leopold III of Belgium | A freshwater angelfish species from the Amazon River, named in honor of King Leopold III of Belgium, who sponsored the 1962 Amazon expedition and helped collect the type specimens. Subsequently transferred to genus Pterophyllum. | |
| Platygobiopsis akihito Springer & Randall, 1992 | Fish | Akihito | | |
| Pleisticanthoides piccardorum Ng & Richer de Forges, 2012 | Crustacean | Auguste Piccard and Jacques Piccard | "The name honors the Piccard family, Auguste Piccard (1884–1962), the inventor of the bathyscaphe, and his son, Jacques Ernest-Jean Piccard (1922–2008), who, together with U.S. Navy officer Don Walsh, were the first men to dive to a record depth of 10,915 m in the Mariana Trench in the Trieste on January 23, 1960." | |
| Pliotoxaster donaldtrumpi † Thompson, 2020 | Sea urchin | Donald Trump | A fossil species from the Cretaceous of Texas, USA. | |
| Podistra kloevedali † Fanti & Damgaard, 2018 | Beetle | Troels Kløvedal | A fossil soldier beetle found in Eocene Baltic amber, "named in honour of the Danish pioneer, longtime sailor, author and lecturer Troels Kløvedal (born Troels Beha Erichsen), in recognition of his trips with the Nordkaperen ship." | |
| Podocotyle nimoyi † Blend, Dronen & Armstrong, 2016 | Fluke | Leonard Nimoy | A marine fluke that parasitises grenadiers in the Gulf of Mexico. "named in honor of the passing of Leonard Nimoy, an actor in the Star Trek television series and movies. His fictional character, Mr. Spock, and his career strongly influenced one of us in childhood to pursue a career in science." | |
| Poecilipta elvis Raven, 2015 | Spider | Elvis Presley | "The species epithet is from Elvis Presley (1935–1977), rock star, whose curl of hair resembled the terminal curl of the male palpal embolus" | |
| Polycheles martini Ahyong & Brown, 2002 | Crustacean | Brian Martin | A species described from specimens collected off the coast of New South Wales, Australia, and "Named in honour of Brian Martin, University of Wollongong, New South Wales, for his contributions on power and suppression in science." | |
| Polyzonus bhumiboli Skale, 2018 | Beetle | Bhumibol Adulyadej | "Named after the King of Thailand Bhumibol Adulyadej who died on October 13, 2016." | |
| Potamon bhumibol Naiyanetr, 2001 | Crustacean | Bhumibol Adulyadej | A freshwater crab from Thailand, named "in honour of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej at the occasion of His Majesty's 72nd birthday, as a token of respect and recognition of the great interest shown by His Majesty in the natural history and conservation of wildlife in Thailand. His Majesty the King graciously permitted the use of His name for this remarkable and most interesting species, which is the largest species of freshwater crab known from Thailand." Subsequently transferred to genus Indochinamon. | |
| Potamotrygon leopoldi Castex & Castello, 1970 | Stingray | Leopold III of Belgium | A South American freshwater stingray known as Xingu River ray, white-blotched river stingray, or polka-dot stingray, named in honor of Leopold III, sponsor of scientific studies at the Institut Royal des Sciences Naturelles de Belgique. | |
| Potosa elsanto Cruz-López, 2018 | Harvestman | El Santo | "in honor to Rodolfo Guzmán Huerta, a.k.a "El Santo", an emblematic Mexican wrestler and actor who was born in Hidalgo, Mexico, where the type locality is located." | |
| Predatoroonops schwarzeneggeri Brescovit, Rheims & Ott, 2012 | Spider | Arnold Schwarzenegger | The generic name Predatoroonops "is a contraction of "Predator Oonops," taken from the science-fiction action movie Predator. The name refers the fact that all species show the frontal area of the male chelicerae with modified structures that resemble the face of the Predator character [...]. It is also a homage to the 25th anniversary of this blockbuster success." Schwarzenegger is the star of the film. | |
| Predatoroonops stani Pereira & Labarque, 2021 | Spider | Stan Winston | The specific name honors Stanley "Stan" Winston, responsible for the visual effects in the movie Predator of 1987, a category in which the movie was nominated for an Oscar in 1988." | |
| Preseucoela imallshookupis Buffington, 2004 | Wasp | Elvis Presley | The genus name derives from Presley's last name, while the specific name derives from Presley's song "All Shook Up". | |
| Priolepis akihitoi Hoese & Larson, 2010 | Fish | Akihito | "Named for the Emperor of Japan, Akihito, for his significant and innovative contributions to the systematics of gobioid fishes." "This species is known under the name Koku-ten-benkeihaze in Japan and Emperor Reefgoby in Australia." | |
| Pristimantis chomskyi Páez & Ron, 2019 | Frog | Noam Chomsky | "a patronym for Noam Chomsky, US-born theoretical linguist and one of the most cited modern scholars. Chomsky is the founder of modern linguistics. He developed the concept of "universal grammar," an innate cognitive capacity, shared by all humans, which allows to learn and communicate through complex speech". | |
| Pristimantis ledzeppelin Brito-Zapata & Reyes-Puig, 2021 | Frog | Led Zeppelin | "The name honours Led Zeppelin and their extraordinary music. Led Zeppelin was a British rock band formed in London in 1968, one of the most influential bands throughout the 1970s, and progenitors of both hard rock and heavy metal" | |
| Proctophyllodes carmenmirandae Pedroso & Hernandes, 2021 | Mite | Carmen Miranda | A parasitic feather mite that affects the Rufous-collared sparrow (Zonotrichia capensis) in Brazil, "named after the famous Portuguese-born Brazilian female singer Carmen Miranda (1909–1955), who made famous the song "Tico-Tico no Fubá", composed by Zequinha de Abreu in 1917, which is about the Rufous-collared Sparrow (Z. capensis) that is eating her corn meals." | |
| Promyrmekiaphila korematsui Bond, Jochim, Quayle & Starrett, 2024 | Spider | Fred Korematsu | A trapdoor spider from the San Francisco Bay Area, California, named in honor of Oakland-born Fred Toyosaburo Korematsu by UC Davis scientists. "Korematsu was awarded the United States Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1998 in recognition of his lifelong dedication as a civil rights activist and his resistance to the incarceration of Japanese Americans in concentration camps during World War II." | |
| Propionibacterium acnes type Zappae Campisano et al., 2014 | Bacterium | Frank Zappa | "This bacterium is so unconventional in its behavior, and its new habitat is so unexpected that we thought of Frank Zappa". | |
| Protognathinus spielbergi † Chalumeau & Brochier, 2001 | Beetle | Steven Spielberg | A fossil stag beetle from the Eocene, found at the Messel pit, Germany. "We are pleased to dedicate this exceptional species to the director Stephen [sic] Spielberg, whose film Jurassic Park contributed to the revival of interest in the earth's ancient past." | |
| Protopliomerella bowlesi † McAdams & Adrain, 2011 | Trilobite | Paul Bowles | | |
| Protopliomerella kerouaci † McAdams & Adrain, 2011 | Trilobite | Jack Kerouac | | |
| Protopliomerella seegeri † McAdams & Adrain, 2011 | Trilobite | Pete Seeger | | |
| Protopliomerella stegneri † McAdams & Adrain, 2011 | Trilobite | Wallace Stegner | | |
| Prunum quini Ortea & Espinosa, 2018 | Sea snail | Quini | "Dedicated to Quini (Enrique Castro) in heartfelt tribute to "the sorcerer", a master of soccer and a great human being", "Named in honour of Quini (Enrique Castro, 1950–2018), a football sage and a good person of the generation of the authors, who passed away on a sad day of February leaving us his spirit, his legend and a rallying cry for ever: Now Quini now, now Quini... GOOOAL, from heaven." This species was found in Havana, a city twinned with Gijón, Quini's adoptive hometown; it was also found to share the same habitats as Prunum gijon, which is named after Gijón. | |
| Psalikilopsis newmani † Adrain, McAdams, Westrop & Karim, 2011 | Trilobite | Paul Newman | | |
| Psalikilopsis redfordi † Adrain, McAdams, Westrop & Karim, 2011 | Trilobite | Robert Redford | | |
| Psalikilus hestoni † Adrain, McAdams & Westrop, 2009 | Trilobite | Charlton Heston | | |
| Psephophorus terrypratchetti † Köhler, 1995 | Turtle | Terry Pratchett | A fossil species of marine turtle from the Eocene of New Zealand. "In honour of the British novelist Terry Pratchett, whose wonderful style and great sense of humour, combined with his deep affection for turtles, merits the naming of this new species after him". Pratchett wrote a series of fantasy books set on a world carried on the back of a giant turtle. | |
| Pseudapanteles alfiopivai Fernández-Triana & Whitfield, 2014 | Wasp | Alfio Piva | "in recognition of his many years of administrative support to ... INBio ... and of his policy efforts on behalf of conserving biodiversity in Costa Rica." | |
| Pseudapanteles margaritapenonae Fernández-Triana & Whitfield, 2014 | Wasp | Margarita Penón | "who listened patiently ... and thereby set the process in motion that protects all of these wasps and hundreds of thousands of other ACG species." | |
| Pseudapanteles oscarariasi Fernández-Triana & Whitfield, 2014 | Wasp | Óscar Arias | "who, upon listening to Margarita Penon's summary of the ACG concept in 1986, set ACG survival policy in motion" | |
| Pseudharpinia bonhami Andrade & Senna, 2020 | Crustacean | John Bonham | One of four species of amphipods named concurrently after the members of Led Zeppelin. "Named after John Bonham (1948–1980), drummer of the band Led Zeppelin, who inspired many generations of musicians with his outstanding talent and unique way of playing." | |
| Pseudharpinia jonesyi Andrade & Senna, 2020 | Crustacean | John Paul Jones (musician) | One of four species of amphipods named concurrently after the members of Led Zeppelin. "Named after John Paul Jones, artistic name of John Richard Baldwin also known as Jonesy, bassist/keyboardist of the band Led Zeppelin, as a homage to his brilliance and contributions to music as a multi-instrumentalist." | |
| Pseudharpinia pagei Andrade & Senna, 2020 | Crustacean | Jimmy Page | One of four species of amphipods named concurrently after the members of Led Zeppelin. "Named after Jimmy Page, artistic name of James Patrick Page, guitarist and founder of the band Led Zeppelin, considered one of the most influential guitarists in the world, inspiring not only musicians but we both authors during scientific discussions." | |
| Pseudharpinia planti Andrade & Senna, 2020 | Crustacean | Robert Plant | One of four species of amphipods named concurrently after the members of Led Zeppelin. "Named after Robert Plant, artistic name of Robert Anthony Plant, lead singer of the band Led Zeppelin and owner of one of the greatest voices in the world." | |
| Pseudocorinna brianeno Jocqué & Bosselaers, 2011 | Spider | Brian Eno | A corinnid sac spider from West Africa, named "for Brian P.G. St. Jean de la Salle Eno, all-round artist and pioneer of minimal and ambient music, who revolutionized popular music in many ways." | |
| Pseudoloxops harrisonfordi Balukjian & Van Dam, 2024 | True bug | Harrison Ford | A leaf bug from Tahiti, "named in honor of actor Harrison Ford, whose commitment to environmental protection has helped conserve natural resources around the world." | |
| Pseudotanais monroeae Jakiel, Palero & Błażewicz, 2020 | Crustacean | Marilyn Monroe | | |
| Pseudotanais szymborskae Jakiel, Palero & Błażewicz, 2020 | Crustacean | Wisława Szymborska | Identified by scientists of the University of Łódź and "dedicated to Wisława Szymborska, a Polish poet and essayist, a Nobel Prize Laureate in literature." | |
| Pseudotrogulus pagu DaSilva & Pinto-da-Rocha, 2010 | Harvestman | Pagu | A species from São Paulo state, Brazil, named after "Patrícia Galvão, nickname "Pagu" (1910–1962), who was a socialist playwright and modernist writer. She was born and lived in São Paulo state, where she was a feminist symbol and organized worker's struggle." | |
| Ptenothrix dalii Zeppelini, Ferreira & Oliveira 2020 | Springtail | Salvador Dalí | "The name refers to the single pair of labral chaetae, one each side somewhat like the world famous Salvador Dali's moustache." | |
| Ptomaphagus thebeatles Schilthuizen, Latella & Njunjić, 2020 | Beetle | The Beatles | The holotype of this beetle was collected from Vondelpark, in Amsterdam (Netherlands). "Named for the band The Beatles, which no beetle has yet been named after [NOTE:This is incorrect; the leaf beetle Janbechynea georgepauljohnringo, also on this list, had been named in 2004, but the author was not aware of it]. The name also commemorates the 'Bed in for Peace' by John Lennon and Yoko Ono in the nearby Hilton Hotel [of Amsterdam], exactly 50 years (to the day) prior to the collection date of the holotype." | |
| Pycnogonum cesairei Sabroux, Hassanin & Corbari, 2022 | Sea spider | Aimé Césaire | This species is native to the waters of Martinique. | |
| Quadrophenia daltreyi Rifkind, 2017 | Beetle | Roger Daltrey | One of four species of checkered beetles named concurrently after the members of The Who. The genus Quadrophenia was also created concurrently, and named after The Who's concept album. | |
| Quadrophenia entwistlei Rifkind, 2017 | Beetle | John Entwistle | One of four species of checkered beetles named concurrently after the members of The Who. | |
| Quadrophenia mooni Rifkind, 2017 | Beetle | Keith Moon | One of four species of checkered beetles named concurrently after the members of The Who. | |
| Quadrophenia townshendi Rifkind, 2017 | Beetle | Pete Townshend | One of four species of checkered beetles named concurrently after the members of The Who. | |
| Quadrulella madibai Kosakyan et al., 2016 | Protist | Nelson Mandela | A species of testate amoeba from South Africa "named to honour Nelson Mandela, the South African revolutionary and later president, who was called Madiba by his friends in reference to the name of his clan." | |
| Radiolichas davedaviesi † Adrain & Ramsköld, 1996 | Trilobite | Dave Davies | One of two species named concurrently after the two permanent members of The Kinks. | |
| Radiolichas raydaviesi † Adrain & Ramsköld, 1996 | Trilobite | Ray Davies | One of two species named concurrently after the two permanent members of The Kinks. | |
| Ranzania zappai † Carnevale, 2007 | Fish | Frank Zappa | A species of fossil slender sunfish from the Miocene of Torricella Peligna, Italy. | |
| Retrooecobius chomskyi † Wunderlich, 2015 | Spider | Noam Chomsky | A fossil species of disc web spider found in Cretaceous Burmese amber. "This peculiar spider species is named in honour [of] Noam Chomsky, who – according to the New York Times – is probably the most important and influential living intellectual human and an excellent social critic. In my opinion Chomsky's view of anarchism makes sense in a world full of corrupt, inhuman and criminal political, economic and religious leaders. [...] This many-sided author compared also excellently the evolution of languages with the evolution of animals." | |
| Rhinatrema gilbertogili Maciel, Sampaio, Hoogmoed & Schneider, 2018 | Caecilian | Gilberto Gil | A species from Brazil, named "in homage to the Brazilian musician (singer and composer), Gilberto Passos Gil Moreira, better known as "Gilberto Gil" (born in 1942), in recognition of his great contributions to Brazilian music. "Aqui e agora," "Drão," "Esotérico," "Estrela," "Palco," and "Tempo Rei" are some of the most beautiful songs produced by Gilberto Gil. The artist is also known for participating in environmental protection projects." | |
| Rhipidura habibiei Rheindt et al., 2020 | Bird | B. J. Habibie | A fantail endemic to Peleng island in Indonesia, named "in honor of the late Bacharuddin Jusuf Habibie (deceased 11 Sep 2019), the third president of the Republic of Indonesia. President Habibie was known as a keen environmentalist and contributed greatly to the science and conservation of nature in Indonesia." | |
| Rhodinia tenzingyatsoi Naumann, 2001 | Moth | Tenzin Gyatso, 14th Dalai Lama | This species is native to Tibet. | |
| Rhynchocyon chrysopygus mandelai Agwanda et al., 2021 | Elephant shrew | Nelson Mandela | A subspecies of the golden-rumped elephant shrew found in Lamu county, Kenya. "Our choice of epithet derives from the severe and persisting insecurity in the taxon range, stemming from decades-long lack of peace in bordering Somaliland [sic; meaning Somalia]. Thus, we wish to honor the late Nelson Mandela as the inspiring beacon for peace and prosperity in Africa and link his name with a unique and precious expression of Kenya's and Africa's endemic fauna. We propose the common name "Mandela's sengi" in English ("sengi ya Mandela" in Kiswahili) for this new form" | |
| Rissoella dalii Ortea, Espinosa & Magaña, 2004 | Sea snail | Salvador Dalí | "Named in homage to the brilliant painter Salvador Dalí, on the centenary of his birth. Dalí frequently incorporated snails in his works, from the individual Seashell (1928) to The Path to Enigma (1981), including the drawings of land snails in 50 Magic Secrets to Paint (1947) and Dalí illustrious Casanova (1967), with special mention of The Madonna of Port Lligat (1949 and 1950)." | |
| Roa rumsfeldi Rocha et al., 2017 | Fish | Donald Rumsfeld | A butterflyfish from the Philippines, named "to honor Donald Rumsfeld who immortalized the quote: "there are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns – the ones we don't know we don't know." He said that when referring to the uncertainties of war, but we think it applies perfectly to the taxonomy of MCE species: We only realized this species was new after we took a good look at it here at the [Steinhart] aquarium in San Francisco, so we think it's a perfect example of an unknown unknown." | |
| Roddenberryus Sánchez-Ruiz & Bonaldo, 2023 | Spider | Gene Roddenberry | A genus of caponiid spiders named "honoring Eugene Wesley Roddenberry Sr, the creator of Star Trek, a science fiction media franchise that inspired generations of kids to pursue scientific careers." | |
| Romblonella coryae General & Buenavente, 2015 | Ant | Corazón Aquino | A species from the Philippines, "named in honor of our late former President, Corazon C. Aquino (known to all Filipinos by her nickname "Cory"), who led the country out of the dictatorship era. It is fitting that a genus named after a Philippine island (Romblon) has a species named after a modern Filipino hero." | |
| Rostropria garbo Early & Naumann, 1990 | Wasp | Greta Garbo | A Diapriid wasp described as "a solitary female". | |
| Rotaovula hirohitoi Cate & Azuma, 1973 | Sea snail | Hirohito | "The name of this new species honors His Majesty, Emperor Hirohito of Japan, who is an ardent patron of malacology." | |
| Rothaeina jamesi Bennett, 2023 | Spider | Elmore James | "honouring the late Elmore James who set the standards for electric slide guitar blues in post-World War II Chicago, U.S.A." | |
| Rothaeina mackinleyi Bennett, 2023 | Spider | Muddy Waters | "honouring the late blues guitarist, lyricist, and band leader McKinley "Muddy Waters" Morganfield." | |
| Rustitermes boteroi Constantini, Castro & Scheffrahn, 2020 | Termite | Fernando Botero | | |
| Sacoproteus browni Krug et al., 2018 | Sea slug | Bob Brown | A species from Australia "Named in honor of Robert James "Bob" Brown, former Parliamentary Leader of the Australian Greens, for his life's work fighting to protect the environment and to achieve equality for all people regardless of sexual orientation." | |
| Salinoctomys loschalchalerosorum Mares, Braun, Barquez & Diaz, 2000 | Rodent | Los Chalchaleros | The researcher in charge of the naming stated that he named the new species after Los Chalchaleros because his crews had sung their songs during thirty years of field research across Argentina. Subsequently transferred to genus Tympanoctomys. | |
| Sanaungulus christensenae † Fanti & Damgaard, 2019 | Beetle | Inger Christensen | A fossil soldier beetle found in Cretaceous Burmese amber. | |
| Sanaungulus ghitaenoerbyae † Fanti, Damgaard & Ellenberger 2018 | Beetle | Ghita Nørby | A fossil soldier beetle found in Cretaceous Burmese amber, "named in honor of the Danish actress Ghita Nørby, as thank[s] for decades (over 60 years: 1956-today) of contributions to the Danish theater and film scene." | |
| Sanaungulus troelsikloevedali † Fanti & Damgaard, 2019 | Beetle | Troels Kløvedal | A fossil soldier beetle found in Cretaceous Burmese amber, named "In honor of the Danish pioneer, longtime sailor, author and lecturer Troels Kløvedal." | |
| Sarcoglottis wernerherzogii Collantes, Edquén & Salazar | Orchid | Werner Herzog | A species described from specimens collected in Machu Picchu and Choquequirao, Peru, and "named in honor of the great poet and filmmaker Werner Herzog (Munich, 1942), whose iconic films Aguirre, the Wrath of God (1972) and Fitzcarraldo (1982) reveal the natural magnificence of Machupicchu and the Peruvian Amazon." | |
| Schismatothele benedettii Panzera, Perdomo & Pérez-Miles, 2011 | Spider | Mario Benedetti | A Brazilian tarantula named "in honour of Mario Benedetti, the Uruguayan writer and poet recognised as one of the most important in the Spanish language, who passed away in 2009." | |
| Schistura kaysonei Vidthayanon & Jaruthanin, 2002 | Fish | Kaysone Phomvihane | A blind cave loach endemic to Laos. | |
| Schistura pridii Vidthayanon, 2003 | Fish | Pridi Banomyong | A blind cave loach endemic to Thailand, named "in honor of the late Pridi Bhanomyong (1900–1983), politician, statesman and Thai Prime Minister who founded Thammasart University, which plays an important role in the development of social sciences in Thailand." | |
| Scinax fontanarrosai Baldo et al., 2019 | Frog | Roberto Fontanarrosa | A species of tree frog from Argentina, "named in honor [of] the writer and cartoonist Roberto "El Negro" Fontanarrosa (1944–2007), in recognition of his vast contribution to the Argentinean culture. His work always included elements of nature, like the amphibians." | |
| Scutacarus shajariani Sobhi & Hajiqanbar, 2017 | Mite | Mohammad-Reza Shajarian | A parasitic mite found in Iran, and "named in honor of Mr. Mohammadreza Shajarian, the living legend of Persian traditional music." | |
| Serendipaceratops arthurcclarkei † Rich & Vickers-Rich, 2003 | Dinosaur | Arthur C. Clarke | "Named in honour of Sir Arthur C. Clarke, who inspired both of us in our youth with his writings and who in his youth was lured into science by dinosaurs." Clarke, who was a personal friend of the authors, reportedly told friends "I've had an asteroid named after me and I've had a dinosaur named after me, now what's there to live for?" | |
| Sharpia madibai Haran, 2021 | Weevil | Nelson Mandela | A species found in South Africa and Namibia, "dedicated to Nelson Mandela 'Madiba' for the role he played in the history of the Republic of South Africa." | |
| Showajidaia Korshunova et al., 2020 | Sea slug | Hirohito | "From the Japanese Shōwa jidai (昭和時代) meaning 'Shōwa era' corresponding to the reign of the Shōwa Emperor Hirohito in reference to the collection of the type material for the type species of this genus C. sagamiensis by Hirohito." | |
| Showapolynoe Imajima, 1997 | Polychaete worm | Hirohito | "The genus is named after the late Emperor Showa [Hirohito's posthumous name] who investigated the benthic fauna of Sagami Bay." | |
| Showascalisetosus Imajima, 1997 | Polychaete worm | Hirohito | "The genus is named after the late Emperor Showa [Hirohito's posthumous name] who collected the specimens." weweweepe | |
| Sinatra Buffington, 2011 | Wasp | Frank Sinatra | | |
| Singafrotypa mandela Kuntner & Hormiga, 2002 | Spider | Nelson Mandela | This South African species "is named after Nelson Mandela in honor of his struggle against Apartheid." | |
| Sisicus volutasilex Dupérré & Paquin, 2007 | Spider | The Rolling Stones | "The epithet is formed by the contraction of volutabundus, a, um: rolling, and silex: pebble/stone, because the shape of the epigynum closely resembles the tongue logo used by the rock band the Rolling Stones." | |
| Socca elvispresleyi Framenau, Castanheira & Vink, 2022 | Spider | Elvis Presley | An Australian orb-weaver spider named "in honour of the late Elvis Aaron Presley (1935–1977), an iconic American singer and actor and known as 'the King of Rock and Roll', due to some resemblance of the apical lobe of the terminal apophysis of the male pedipalp to his pompadour tuft, a haircut very common in the 1950s and a very characteristic feature of Elvis." | |
| Socca johnnywarreni Framenau, Castanheira & Vink, 2022 | Spider | Johnny Warren | An Australian orb-weaver spider named "honouring the late Johnny Warren MBE, OAM (1943–2004), who was an Australian international soccer player, but also coach, administrator, writer and broadcaster who was instrumental in bringing 'The World Game' to a wider audience in Australia. He played 42 international matches for Australia, including 24 as a team captain and also played in Australia's first world cup in Germany in 1974." Genus Socca is named after the game of soccer. | |
| Socca levyashini Framenau, Castanheira & Vink, 2022 | Spider | Lev Yashin | An Australian orb-weaver spider named "honouring the 'Black Spider', the late Lev Yashin (1929–1990), one of the greatest goalkeepers football has ever seen. He played 78 games for the Soviet Union's soccer team, winning the 1956 Olympic Games [held in Melbourne, Australia] and the first European championship, the 1960 European Nations' Cup." Genus Socca is named after the game of soccer. | |
| Solaropsis chicomendesi Cuezzo & Fernández, 2001 | Snail | Chico Mendes | | |
| Solibacillus kalamii Checinska Sielaff et al., 2017 | Bacterium | A. P. J. Abdul Kalam | This bacterium was isolated from a HEPA filter used on board the International Space Station, where it had been in service for 40 months. The filter was later analysed at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), the foremost lab of NASA for work on interplanetary travel. The bacterium was named in honour of Abdul Kalam, who was a renowned aerospace scientist and who had received some early training at NASA in 1963. | |
| Souvanna phoumai Breuning, 1963 | Beetle | Souvanna Phouma | This species was described from specimens collected in Laos; The genus and species names were created concurrently to honor the Laotian Prime Minister in office at the time. Subsequently, this species was synonymised with﻿ Mispila signata (Pic, 1926), which was transferred to the still valid genus Souvanna, and therefore renamed as Souvanna signata (Pic, 1926). | |
| Spelaeornis troglodytoides indiraji Ripley et al., 1991 | Bird | Indira Gandhi | "dedicated to the memory of our beloved friend and foremost member of the Delhi Birdwatching Society, the late Prime Minister of India, Smt. Indira Gandhi." | |
| Spermophora gordimerae Huber, 2003 | Spider | Nadine Gordimer | A cellar spider from South Africa, "Named after Nadine Gordimer, South African writer and Nobel laureate." | |
| Spermophora pembai Huber, 2003 | Spider | George Pemba | A cellar spider from South Africa, "Named after George Milwa Mnyaluza Pemba (1912–2001), one of South Africa's greatest pioneering artists." | |
| Sphaeropthalma mankelli Pitts, 2010 | Wasp | Henning Mankell | A velvet ant from the Colorado Desert, California, "Named in honor of Henning Mankell (1948–present), who is a renowned Swedish crime writer that is best known for his detective novels involving Inspector Kurt Wallander." | |
| Spintharus berniesandersi Agnarsson & Sargeant, 2018 | Spider | Bernie Sanders | A cobweb spider native to Cuba, described by scientists of the University of Vermont; "The species epithet honours the great Vermont senator Bernie Sanders, a tireless fighter for human rights and equality, and environmentally aware social democracy." | |
| Spintharus davidbowiei Agnarsson & Chomitz, 2018 | Spider | David Bowie | "The species epithet honours the great artist David Bowie who passed away prematurely in 2016, but whose music will continue to inspire the generations to come." | |
| Spygoria zappania † Salak & Lescinsky, 1999 | Ediacaran biota | Frank Zappa | A fossil Cloudinid from the Early Cambrian of Nevada, USA. "The specific name honors the late Frank Zappa, musician, composer, politician, whose mission paralleled that of the earliest paleontologists: to challenge conventional and traditional beliefs when such beliefs lacked roots in logic and reason." | |
| Stactobiella solzhenitsyni Sykora & Weaver, 1978 | Caddisfly | Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn | "I take much pleasure in naming this species for Mr. Aleksander I. Solzhenitsyn, the great Russian author, who once shared the same country with the closest relative of the new species—Stactobiella biramosa Martynov." Subsequently synonymised with Stactobiella martynovi. | |
| Stasimopus mandelai Hendrixson & Bond, 2004 | Spider | Nelson Mandela | "honoring Nelson Mandela, the former president of South Africa and one of the great moral leaders of our time." This species is known only from the Great Fish River Nature Reserve in South Africa. | |
| Stegophiura miyazakii † Ishida et al., 2018 | Brittle star | Hayao Miyazaki | A fossil species from the Cretaceous of Japan, "Named in honour of Hayao Miyazaki, co-founder of Studio Ghibli, an animation studio in Japan, to pay tribute to his anime lifework, in particular the masterpiece Ponyo that celebrates marine biodiversity. In addition, Hayao Miyazaki's favourite novelist, Soseki Natsume, lived in Kumamoto Prefecture, where the new ophiuroid fossils were found." | |
| Stenetra miyazakii Tselikh & Burks, 2020 | Wasp | Hayao Miyazaki | | |
| Stenotarsus monterrosoi Arriaga-Varela et al., 2013 | Beetle | Augusto Monterroso | "This small–sized species from Guatemala is dedicated to the late Guatemalan author Augusto Monterroso, who mastered the art of short narrative." | |
| Stenotarsus rulfoi Arriaga-Varela et al., 2013 | Beetle | Juan Rulfo | "This species is dedicated to the prominent Mexican writer Juan Rulfo, who lived his youth at San Gabriel town, 20 kilometers away from the type locality." | |
| Stephenympha Viloria, 2022 | Butterfly | Henry Stephen | A genus from Venezuela "named in remembrance of the internationally renowned Venezuelan musician, actor, composer and extraordinary singer, Henry Stephen". | |
| Stephenympha pauliana Viloria, 2022 | Butterfly | Paul McCartney | "This new species is named after Paul McCartney [...], an animal rights advocate, but best known and celebrated as a highly creative and original songwriter, singer and musician. His remarkable artistic work has achieved an unprecedented cultural impact worldwide over the last sixty years." | |
| Sternolophus mandelai Nasserzadeh & Komarek, 2017 | Beetle | Nelson Mandela | "Named in honor of the great philanthropist, anti-apartheid revolutionary leader and politician Nelson Mandela from South Africa who died on 5 December 2013. Preparing the description was coincident with the national mourning period of his death." | |
| Stigmatomma pagei Hamer, Pierce & Guénard, 2023 | Ant | Jimmy Page | "named after the guitarist of the rock band Led Zeppelin and acclaimed guitar hero, James Patrick Page, known as Jimmy Page. While Jimmy Page wanted to become a biologist as a child but turned into music instead, there is no doubt that he has inspired generations of biologists, including the authors of this work." | |
| Strepsicrates gattii Vargas-Ortiz & Vargas, 2018 | Moth | Eduardo Gatti | A leafroller from the Atacama Desert, Chile, "dedicated to the great Eduardo Gatti for his outstanding contribution to Chilean popular music." | |
| Strumigenys ayersthey Booher & Hoenle, 2021 | Ant | Jeremy Ayers | "In contrast to the traditional naming practices that identify individuals as one of two distinct genders, we have chosen a non-Latinized portmanteau [...] representing people that do not identify with conventional binary gender assignments [...]. The 'they' recognizes non-binary gender identifiers in order to reflect recent evolution in English pronoun use – 'they, them, their' and address a more inclusive and expansive understanding of non-neutral gender identification. Strumigenys ayersthey sp. nov. is thus inclusively named in honor of Jeremy Ayers for the multitude of humans among the spectrum of gender who have been unrepresented under traditional naming practices. Jeremy was a multifaceted and beloved Athens-based (GA, USA) artist and activist whose humanity and achievements defied the limits of categorized classification. Jeremy brought an intellectual and playful, Pan-like curiosity to every aspect of his life. He was a writer, philosopher, painter, musician, activist, photographer, gardener, and exploder of boundaries who transformed the culture that surrounded him. His deep appreciation of the variety and minute details of the natural world astounded all who knew him. In the spirit of Jeremy, we also propose that the -they suffix can be used for singular honorific names of non-binary identifiers in compliance with the ICZN." | |
| Struszia (Avalanchurus) lennoni † Edgecombe & Chatterton, 1993 | Trilobite | John Lennon | One of four species concurrently named in 1993 after the members of The Beatles. Subgenus Avalanchurus was subsequently elevated to genus level. | |
| Struszia (Avalanchurus) starri † Edgecombe & Chatterton, 1993 | Trilobite | Ringo Starr | One of four species concurrently named in 1993 after the members of The Beatles. Subgenus Avalanchurus was subsequently elevated to genus level. | |
| Struszia (Struszia) harrisoni † Edgecombe & Chatterton, 1993 | Trilobite | George Harrison | One of four species concurrently named in 1993 after the members of The Beatles. | |
| Struszia mccartneyi † Edgecombe & Chatterton, 1993 | Trilobite | Paul McCartney | One of four species concurrently named in 1993 after the members of The Beatles. | |
| Struszia epsteini † Adrain & Edgecombe, 1997 | Trilobite | Brian Epstein | One of five species concurrently named in 1997 after people connected to The Beatles (See also Frammia). | |
| Struszia martini † Adrain & Edgecombe, 1997 | Trilobite | George Martin | One of five species concurrently named in 1997 after people connected to The Beatles (See also Frammia). | |
| Struszia onoae † Adrain & Edgecombe, 1997 | Trilobite | Yoko Ono | One of five species concurrently named in 1997 after people connected to The Beatles (See also Frammia). | |
| Struszia petebesti † Adrain & Edgecombe, 1997 | Trilobite | Pete Best | One of five species concurrently named in 1997 after people connected to The Beatles (See also Frammia). | |
| Stygocapitella berniei Cerca, Meyer, Purschke & Struck, 2020 | Polychaete worm | Bernie Sanders | "The species name reflects upon field collection. The field collection site is in a private property, and while collecting, the caretaker of the property mentioned we could collect sand as long as we would support a progressive such as Bernie Sanders. The species honours Bernie Sanders for his efforts of inclusiveness, diversity and protection of minorities and underrepresented groups." | |
| Stygocapitella josemariobrancoi Cerca, Meyer, Purschke & Struck, 2020 | Polychaete worm | José Mário Branco | "The name honors José Mário Branco, an important Portuguese singer whose music inspired whole generations. JC was hearing his music in the field." | |
| Stygocapitella zecai Cerca, Meyer, Purschke & Struck, 2020 | Polychaete worm | José Afonso | "While collecting in Henningsvær, JC was hearing Zeca Afonso, an important freedom fighter whose songs inspired generations. The name honors him." | |
| Suberea etiennei van Soest, Kaiser & Van Syoc, 2011 | Sponge | Jean-Louis Étienne | "Named after Jean-Louis Etienne, the leader of the 2004/5 Expedition to Île Clipperton, who brought the significant collection of Clipperton sponges to the Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Paris." (this being one of those sponges). | |
| Sulawesidrobia abreui Zielske, Glaubrecht & Haase, 2011 | Snail | José Antonio Abreu | "named after José Antonio Abreu, a Venezuelan composer and founder of El Sistema, a network which enables underprivileged children to get a musical education." | |
| Sulawesidrobia soedjatmokoi Zielske, Glaubrecht & Haase, 2011 | Snail | Soedjatmoko | "named after Soedjatmoko Mangundiningrat, an Indonesian peace activist and honoree of the Ramon Magsaysay Award, the prestigious Asian equivalent of the Nobel Peace Prize." | |
| Sulawesidrobia yunusi Zielske, Glaubrecht & Haase, 2011 | Snail | Muhammad Yunus | "named after the Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Muhammad Yunus, a Bangladeshi economist and founder of Grameen Bank, which among other activities makes micro credits available for the foundation of small companies" | |
| Suturoglypta leali Espinosa & Ortea, 2018 | Sea snail | Eusebio Leal | A species described from specimens collected from Havana Harbor in the mid-20th century, "named in honour of Dr. Eusebio Leal Spengler, Historian of the City of Havana, who is part of the city's history in his own right. Finding a new species, born of the bay's past, can have no better destiny than to bear the name of the man who has made Havana a different city in a uniform world." | |
| Suturoglypta orboniana Espinosa & Ortea, 2018 | Sea snail | Julián Orbón | A species native to Cuba, "named after Julián Orbon (Avilés, 1925), a Spanish-Cuban musician who in 1958 adapted simple verses by José Martí to the melody of "La Guantanamera" [sic], composed in the 1930s by the popular musician Joseíto Fernández. From that moment on, the humble song reached a universal dimension." | |
| Syllipsimopodi bideni † Whalen & Landman, 2022 | Cephalopod | Joe Biden | A fossil basal species from Carboniferous Bear Gulch Limestone, named "... to celebrate the recently inaugurated (at the time of submission) 46th President of the United States, Joseph R. Biden" | |
| Sylvilagus palustris hefneri Lazell, 1984 | Rabbit | Hugh Hefner | Known as the Lower Keys marsh rabbit, this subspecies was "named for Hugh M. Hefner, whose corporation has generously supported field work on this and other species." Hefner's Playboy Enterprises famously has a rabbit as its logo. | |
| Synagelides walesai Bohdanowicz, 1987 | Spider | Lech Wałęsa | | |
| Synagelides wyszynskii Bohdanowicz, 1987 | Spider | Stefan Wyszyński | Subsequently synonymised with Synagelides martensi. | |
| Synalpheus pinkfloydi Anker et al., 2017 | Crustacean | Pink Floyd | "Named after the well-known British rock band Pink Floyd, inspired by the bright pink-red claw of the new species. Suggested vernacular name: Pink Floyd pistol shrimp." | |
| Synopeas saintexuperyi Buhl, 1997 | Wasp | Antoine de Saint-Exupéry | | |
| Tachymenoides harrisonfordi Lehr, Cusi, Fernandez, Vera & Catenazzi, 2023 | Snake | Harrison Ford | "We dedicate this species to Harrison Ford, actor and conservationist, in recognition of his work for Conservation International and his voice for nature (e.g., 'Nature is speaking – Harrison Ford is The Ocean')." | |
| Taeniogonalos latae Polaszek & Binoy, 2022 | Wasp | Lata Mangeshkar | A trigonalid wasp from India, named "after the Indian playback singer Lata Mangeshkar (1929–2022) known as the Nightingale of India, one of the greatest and most influential singers with a distinguished career spanning over seven decades. We dedicate the species to her memory, fondly remembering the timeless song "Lag Ja Gale" from the film Woh Kaun Thi (1964)." | |
| Taeniopteryx mercuryi Fochetti & Nicolai, 1996 | Stonefly | Freddie Mercury | "The discoverer of this species (P. Nicolai) wishes that it will be named after the great singer and artist Freddie Mercury [...], who died prematurely in London in 1991. Dr. Nicolai, in such way, wishes to pay homage to him and to his musical work, with the certainty of awarding a kind of honour that Freddie has not yet received." (this was the first organism to be named after Mercury) | |
| Tanytarsus chicomendesi Dantas, Hamada & Gilka, 2023 | Fly | Chico Mendes | "a tribute to Francisco Alves Mendes Filho, better known as "Chico Mendes", a Brazilian rubber tapper, trade union leader and environmentalist. He fought to preserve the Amazon rainforest and advocated for the human rights of Brazilian peasants and Indigenous peoples. Chico Mendes was born and lived in Acre, the same Brazilian state where the new species was found, and he was cowardly assassinated on 22 December 1988." | |
| Tapinothrix clintonii Bohunická & Johansen, 2011 | Bacterium | Bill Clinton | "named in honor of President William Jefferson Clinton, in recognition of his efforts to provide protection for the ecosystems and landscapes now set aside in the Grand Staircase–Escalante National Monument." [where the specimens were collected] | |
| Tarkus squirei † Carnevale & Pietsch, 2011 | Fish | Chris Squire | A fossil species of batfish from the Eocene deposits of Monte Bolca, Italy named "after the British musician and composer Christopher Russell Edward 'Chris' Squire, commonly known by his nickname 'Fish'". The genus Tarkus, created concurrently, "is taken from the suite released in 1971 by Keith Emerson, Greg Lake and Carl Palmer, which depicts Tarkus as an armoured half armadillo/half tank creature, [...] in reference to the thick dermal covering of bony tubercles that characterize this genus." | |
| Tasmanocaecilius truchanasi Schmidt & New, 2008 | Barklouse | Olegas Truchanas | This species is endemic to Tasmania, where Truchanas was a conservation campaigner and nature photographer. | |
| Technomyrmex montaseri Sharaf, Collingwood & Aldawood, 2011 | Ant | Salah Montaser | Montaser was a personal friend of the lead author. | |
| Temnothorax elmenshawyi Sharaf, Wachkoo & Hita Garcia, 2019 | Ant | Muhammad Saddiq Al-Minshawi | | |
| Teresirogas nolani Quicke & Butcher, 2014 | Wasp | Sidney Nolan | An Australian parasitoid wasp "Named after the famed Australian artist, Sidney Robert Nolan (1917–1972) well known for his Ned Kelly series of paintings." | |
| Teresirogas williamsi Quicke & van Achterberg, 2014 | Wasp | Fred Williams (artist) | An Australian parasitoid wasp "Named after the Australian painter Fred Williams (1927–1982), well known for his evocative paintings of the Australian landscape." | |
| Testudacarus dennetti O'Neill & Dowling, 2016 | Mite | Daniel Dennett | "after Daniel Clement Dennett III, the American philosopher, writer, and cognitive scientist. Dennett's work has been the focus of many late night debates in close social circles just as he adds the necessary philosophical spice to the New Athiests [sic]." | |
| Testudacarus hitchensi O'Neill & Dowling, 2016 | Mite | Christopher Hitchens | "after the late Christopher Eric Hitchens, the English author, journalist, and literary critic. As Sam Harris' wife, Annaka, said: "Nothing Hitchens does is ever boring." Hitchens has inspired thousands of free-thinkers to remain clever and engaged in our attempts to understand the world around us." | |
| Tetragramma donaldtrumpi † Thompson, 2016 | Sea urchin | Donald Trump | A fossil species from the Cretaceous of Texas, USA. "The name will become a permanent part of the scientific record," said Thompson. "Obviously, I'm probably voting for him. I want change [...] I'd love for him to change the world, or at least the politics of the United States." | |
| Thalassema steinbecki Fisher, 1946 | Polychaete worm | John Steinbeck | "Named for John Steinbeck, whose expedition to the Gulf of California collected the type." | |
| Themus bennyianderseni † Fanti & Damgaard, 2018 | Beetle | Benny Andersen | A fossil soldier beetle found in Eocene Baltic amber, "named in honour of the Danish songwriter, poet, author, composer and pianist Benny Andersen, in recognition of his long, successful career." | |
| Theognete weiri Anderson 2010 | Weevil | Peter Weir | A species of lesser weevil from Mexico. The dedication was arranged through a donation to Nature Discovery Fund of the Canadian Museum of Nature by members of the Patrick O'Brian fansite The Gunroom of HMSSurprise.org, in appreciation for Weir's film Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World. | |
| Tianchisaurus nedegoapeferima † Dong, 1993 | Dinosaur | Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, Richard Attenborough, Bob Peck, Martin Ferrero, Ariana Richards, and Joseph Mazzello | Actors involved in the 1993 film Jurassic Park: Neill, Dern, Goldblum, Attenborough, Peck, Ferrero, Richards, and Mazzello. The type specimen was informally referred to as "Jurassosaurus". The species name was proposed by director Steven Spielberg. | |
| Tmesiphantes amadoi Yamamoto et al., 2007 | Spider | Jorge Amado | A tarantula native to the Brazilian state of Bahia, where Jorge Amado was born. | |
| Tmesiphantes bethaniae Yamamoto et al., 2007 | Spider | Maria Bethânia | A tarantula native to the Brazilian state of Bahia, where Maria Bethânia was born. | |
| Tmesiphantes caymmii Yamamoto et al., 2007 | Spider | Dorival Caymmi | A tarantula native to the Brazilian state of Bahia, where Dorival Caymmi was born. | |
| Tmesiphantes raulseixasi Fabiano-da-Silva, Guadanucci & DaSilva, 2019 | Spider | Raul Seixas | A tarantula native to the Brazilian state of Bahia, where Raul Seixas was born. | |
| Tolegnaro sagani Álvarez-Padilla, Ubick & Griswold, 2012 | Spider | Carl Sagan | | |
| Tomognathus gigeri † Cavin & Giner, 2012 | Fish | H. R. Giger | A fossil bowfin from the Cretaceous of France, named "In honour of Hans Ruedi Giger, the designer of the monster of the movie Alien (1979), a beast that possesses an inner mouth reminiscent of the dermopalatine/coronoid jaw of the fossil studied." | |
| Travisia amadoi Elías et al., 2003 | Polychaete worm | Jorge Amado | A marine worm native to the Atlantic coasts of Argentina and Southern Brazil. | |
| Triacanthella madiba Janion, D'Haese & Deharveng, 2012 | Springtail | Nelson Mandela | This species is native to South Africa; "We dedicate this species to Madiba, former President of South Africa, Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, who celebrated his 20 years of freedom on 11 February 2010." | |
| Trichogramma nerudai Pintureau & Gerding, 1999 | Wasp | Pablo Neruda | This species is native to Chile. | |
| Trichomycterus dali Rizzato, Costa, Trajano & Bichuette, 2011 | Catfish | Salvador Dalí | "an allusion to the Spanish artist Salvador Dali, in reference to his famously long moustache (or whisker)." | |
| Trichomycterus garciamarquezi Ardila Rodríguez, 2016 | Catfish | Gabriel García Márquez | The specimens were collected in Tucurinca, very close to García Márquez's birthplace, Aracataca. | |
| Trichopelma cheguevarai Ríos-Tamayo, 2024 | Spider | Che Guevara | A tarantula from Cuba, named "in honour of Ernesto "Che" Guevara, an Argentinian revolutionary (later a nationalized Cuban), who fought for the liberation of Cuba and Latin America." | |
| Trichopelma fidelcastroi Ríos-Tamayo, 2024 | Spider | Fidel Castro | A tarantula known only from Holguín Province, Cuba, named "in honour of Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz, the historical leader of the Cuban revolution who was born in Holguín province." | |
| Triplocania garciamarquezi González-Obando, Carrejo-Gironza & García Aldrete, 2017 | Barklouse | Gabriel García Márquez | "The specific name honors the Nobel Prize Gabriel García Márquez, as Colombian and Neotropical as the Triplocania species here studied." | |
| Triplocania hawkingi González-Obando, Carrejo-Gironza & García Aldrete, 2021 | Barklouse | Stephen Hawking | "This species is dedicated to Stephen William Hawking, theoretical physicist, cosmologist, and author. In works of popular science he wrote several books, among them A Brief History of Time: From the Big Bang to Black Holes" | |
| Triplocania nerudai González-Obando, Carrejo-Gironza & García Aldrete, 2021 | Barklouse | Pablo Neruda | | |
| Triraphis cortazari Valerio, 2015 | Wasp | Julio Cortázar | | |
| Trithemis morrisoni Damm & Hadrys, 2009 | Dragonfly | Jim Morrison | "Named after the poet James Douglas Morrison and his passion for deserts and the hidden mysteries of nature." | |
| Tschaidicancha scorsesei Benedetti & Pinto-da-Rocha, 2022 | Harvestman | Martin Scorsese | | |
| Tsitsikamma (Clavicaulis) madiba Samaai, Kelly, Payne & Ngwakum 2020 | Sponge | Nelson Mandela | A Poecilosclerid sponge from the coasts of South Africa, "Named in honour of the great South African president Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, also known by his clan name "Madiba", liberation struggle hero and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, who passed away on 5 December 2013 at the age of 95." | |
| Tutusius † Gess & Ahlberg, 2018 | Stem tetrapod | Desmond Tutu | A genus of fossil tetrapods from the Devonian of South Africa. The senior author stated "When I was thinking about names for them, it occurred to me that these tetrapods led the way from these rather anoxic swamps out into the sunshine. And it seems to me that in many ways, that was a metaphor for what Desmond Tutu had done." | |
| Udea nicholsae Mally, 2022 | Moth | Nichelle Nichols | A grass moth from Tanzania, "named in honour of the late American actress Nichelle Nichols (December 28, 1932 – July 30, 2022), best known for her portrayal of communications officer Nyota Uhura on board the starship USS Enterprise in the science-fiction television series Star Trek as well as in six following feature films." The paper was published just four months after Nichols's demise. | |
| Ummidia waunekaae Godwin & Bond, 2021 | Spider | Annie Dodge Wauneka | A trapdoor spider from New Mexico, named "in honor of Annie Dodge Wauneka (1910–1997), influential member of the Navajo Nation who worked tirelessly to improve education and health of the Navajo. Among other awards, she was bestowed the United States Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1963 by President Lyndon B. Johnson." | |
| Uroballus carlei Logunov & Obenauer, 2019 | Spider | Eric Carle | A jumping spider that mimics the appearance of a lichen moth caterpillar, "dedicated to Eric Carle (b. 1929), the American illustrator and author of more than 70 books for children and adults. His most renowned books include The Very Hungry Caterpillar, which chronicles the growth and metamorphosis of a caterpillar, and The Very Busy Spider. Indeed, these and other books by Eric Carle provide the first conscious contact of young readers with the natural world, being innovative tools for early-age environmental and biodiversity education." The species description was published on the occasion of Carle's 90th birthday and the 50th anniversary of the first publication of The Very Hungry Caterpillar. | |
| Vaimosa rambaiae H.M. Smith, 1945 | Fish | Rambai Barni | "Special permission to use her name for this species was obtained from Her Majesty Rambai Barni, former Queen of Siam, and at a reception and exhibit given by the Siam Society in honor of their majesties on January 8, 1934, a water-color painting, made by the talented Thai artist Luang Masya Chitrakarn, was presented to her majesty. The painting represented several life-size examples of the fish in their natural habitat." Subsequently transferred to genus Mugilogobius. | |
| Vallaris zappai † Wessels et al., 2001 | Rodent | Frank Zappa | A fossil species of gerbil from the Miocene of Anatolia. Zappa's music was the favourite of one of the authors to listen to while carrying out their research. | |
| Velundella Pánek, Táborský & Čepička, 2015 | Protist | The Velvet Underground | A genus of Jakobids "named after the Velvet Underground, an American rock band that represent underground music and is often considered as one of the most important and influential groups of the 1960s." | |
| Venezillo moreirai Campos-Filho, Carpio-Díaz & Bichuette, 2023 | Crustacean | Moraes Moreira | A Brazilian woodlouse "named in memoriam of the Brazilian musician Antônio Carlos Moraes Pires, also known as Moraes Moreira. The musician was born in the municipality of Ituaçu [the type locality], and he was famous for his engagement with the Brazilian cultural movement "Novos Baianos", with compositions allusive to the culture of the country". | |
| Vigdisia praesidens Agnarsson, Kuntner, Yu & Gregorič, 2024 | Spider | Vigdís Finnbogadóttir | "The genus name, feminine in gender, honors Vigdís Finnbogadóttir, former president of Iceland (1980–1996) and the first democratically elected female president in the world. Vigdís shares the spider's elegance and wits."; "The species ephithet praesidens is a noun in apposition, honoring the presidential legacy of Vigdís Finnbogadóttir." The lead author for this Malagasy species is from Iceland. | |
| Vologesia rollingstones † Schlüter & Wiese, 2017 | Sea urchin | The Rolling Stones | A fossil species from the Cretaceous of Northern Spain, "Named after British Rock'n'Roll band The Rolling Stones for the song "Gimme Shelter" (1969) and all the rest." | |
| Volvarina (Mirpurina) blezai Ortea, 2019 | Sea snail | Francisco Xavier da Cruz | A margin shell from Cape Verde, "Named in honour of Francisco Xavier da Cruz (1905–1958), native of São Vicente and immortalised as B. Leza, musician, composer, performer, writer, researcher, pedagogue and poet. Author of the poem "Mar Azul", our common home, and master of the cadenced rhythm we know today as Morna, the hallmark of Cape Verdean music". Immediately after the formal description, within the same paper, subgenus Mirpurina was elevated to genus status. | |
| Volvarina dulcemariae Espinosa & Ortea, 1998 | Sea snail | Dulce María Loynaz | A margin shell from Cuba, "named in honour of the late Cuban poet Dulce María Loynaz [...] and in gratitude for her contribution to the book Fábulas del Mar [Fables of the Sea, a children's book sponsored by the second author, which Loynaz wrote the prologue for]." | |
| Volvarina milanesi Espinosa, Ortea & Pina-Amargós, 2022 | Sea snail | Pablo Milanés | A margin shell from Cuba, "Dedicated to the Cuban singer-songwriter Pablo Milanés (Bayamo, 1943 – Madrid, 2022), one of the founders of the Nueva Trova Cubana [...] With Pablo we shared a way of thinking about our daily work. If I don't live the song I don't sing it, Pablo used to say. If we don't collect the new species we don't describe them, we use to say." | |
| Volvarina saramagoi Espinosa, Ortea & Moro, 2013 | Sea snail | José Saramago | "in honour of José de Sousa Saramago, illustrious Portuguese writer and poet, winner of the 1998 Nobel Prize for Literature, who chose Lanzarote [where the holotype was collected] as his refuge and residence at the end of his life; he died on 18.6.2010 in Tías." | |
| Volvarina sofiae Ortea & Espinosa, 1998 | Sea snail | Queen Sofía of Spain | This species was described from specimens collected in Jardines del Rey ("Gardens of the King") islands in Cuba, and named after Queen Sofía to celebrate the visit of the King and Queen of Spain to Cuba arranged for the following year after publication (1999) (the first ever by Spanish monarchs). The sea slug species Chelidonura juancarlosi, found in Jardines de la Reina ("Gardens of the Queen"), was named concurrently after her husband King Juan Carlos I. | |
| Vulcanobatrachus mandelai † Trueb, Ross & Smith, 2005 | Frog | Nelson Mandela | A fossil species from the Cretaceous of Marydale, South Africa. | |
| Vunicothoe Boyko, 2009 | Crustacean | The Velvet Underground and Nico | "Vunicothoe is a combination of the root "nicothöe" from the copepod genus name derived from the name of one of the harpies of Greek mythology, with the prefix "vu" as a contraction of the words "Velvet Underground." This generic epithet pays homage to the seminal musical recording The Velvet Underground & Nico, as performed by Lou Reed, John Cale, Sterling Morrison, Maureen Tucker, and Nico (a pseudonym for Christa Paffgen), released in 1967 with the infamous peel-a-banana cover art by producer Andy Warhol." | |
| Whartonia carpenteri Brennan, 1962 | Mite | Scott Carpenter | One of four species of chiggers named concurrently after the cosmonauts and astronauts who participated in the first four crewed orbital spaceflights in 1961 and 1962 (see also Euschoengastia). "Named for Lt. Cmdr. Malcolm Scott Carpenter., USA, who completed three orbits of the earth in the Aurora VII, 24 May 1962." | |
| Whartonia glenni Brennan, 1962 | Mite | John Glenn | One of four species of chiggers named concurrently after the cosmonauts and astronauts who participated in the first four crewed orbital spaceflights in 1961 and 1962 (see also Euschoengastia). "Named for Lt. Col. John H. Glenn Jr., USA, who made three orbits of the earth in Friendship II [sic; the name was actually Friendship 7], 20 February 1962." | |
| Wolongia papafrancisi Malamel, Nafin, Sankaran & Sebastian, 2018 | Spider | Pope Francis | "This species is dedicated to Pope Francis, the present reigning Pope of the Catholic Church in honour of his great contributions as an environmental conservationist." | |
| Wormaldia boteroi Muñoz-Quesada & Holzenthal, 2015 | Caddisfly | Fernando Botero | A Colombian species "named in honor of the Colombian painter and sculptor Dr. Fernando Botero (born in Medellín, 1932), in recognition of his outstanding artwork. The widened inferior appendages of the male genitalia of this new species, remind us of the fat or inflated forms of the characters of Dr. Botero." | |
| Wrightia sirikitiae D.J.Middleton & Santisuk | Flowering plant | Sirikit | A plant from the dogbane family native to Thailand, named "in honour of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit of Thailand who has long been interested in the diversity and complexity of natural ecological systems. She has initiated a number of projects related to the conservation of biological diversity." | |
| Xanthosomnium Wahl & Sime, 2002 | Wasp | Tangerine Dream | "The genus is named after the musical group Tangerine Dream, the choice of discriminating ichneumonologists. From the Greek xanthos, yellow or yellowish-red (the closest equivalent to 'tangerine' in a classical language) and the Latin somnium, dream." | |
| Xanthosomnium froesei Wahl & Sime, 2002 | Wasp | Edgar Froese | "Named after Edgar Froese, the founder and continuity behind Tangerine Dream." | |
| Xyalophora tedjoansi van Noort, Buffington & Forshage, 2014 | Wasp | Ted Joans | "The specific epithet [...] is to commemorate the American-cosmopolitan poet Ted Joans (1928–2003), a surrealist, beat, black power and jazz activist who made Mali [where this species is found] one of his several homes in the world. The Xyalophora spine may suggest the horn of Joans' totemic rhino." | |
| Xylotrechus haveli Viktora, 2021 | Beetle | Václav Havel | A longhorn beetle species from Vietnam described by a Czech scientist, "dedicated to Václav Havel (1936–2011), writer, playwright, Defender of Human and Civil Rights, the last President of Czechoslovakia and the first President of the Czech Republic." | |
| Xylotrechus kryli Viktora, 2021 | Beetle | Karel Kryl | A longhorn beetle species from The Philippines described by a Czech scientist, "dedicated to Karel Kryl (1944–1994), Czech singer and poet, one of the most important representatives of the Czech protest song in 1968–1989." | |
| Yanomamius raonii Bertani & Almeida, 2021 | Spider | Raoni Metuktire | A species native to the Amazon basin, named after the indigenous leader Raoni Metuktire, a Brazilian environmentalist and indigenist, for his decades-long struggle to defend the Amazon rainforest and its sites. The genus name honours the Yanomami people. | |
| Ypsolopha chicoi Vargas, 2021 | Moth | Chico Buarque | "Ypsolopha chicoi sp. n. is named in honour of the eminent Brazilian musician and composer Chico Buarque (Francisco Buarque de Hollanda), for all his wonderful contribution to the "Música Popular Brasileira"." | |
| Zanclea hirohitoi Boero, Bouillon & Gravili, 2000 | Jellyfish | Hirohito | "This species is dedicated to the late Hirohito, Emperor of Japan, distinguished hydrozoan taxonomist, who first described material referable to this species." | |
| Zappa Murdy, 1989 | Fish | Frank Zappa | "The generic name is in honour of Frank Zappa for his articulate and sagacious defense of the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution." (referring to his intervention at the PMRC Senate Hearings) | |
| Zappaichthys † Carnevale & Collette, 2014 | Fish | Frank Zappa | A fossil genus of toadfish from the Miocene of Austria. | |
| Zaprionus aungsani Wynn & Toda, 1988 | Fly | Aung San | A fruit fly from Myanmar, "dedicated to the late general Aung San, the national leader of Burma." | |
| Zasphinctus sarowiwai Hita Garcia et al., 2017 | Ant | Ken Saro-Wiwa | "in honour of the famous Nigerian writer, environmentalist, and human rights activist Kenule Beeson "Ken" Saro-Wiwa. By naming a species from threatened rainforest habitats after him, we want to acknowledge his environmental legacy and draw attention to the often-problematic conservation situation in most Afrotropical rainforests." | |
| Zimmerius chicomendesi Whitney, Schunck, Rêgo & Silveira2, 2013 | Bird | Chico Mendes | "Francisco "Chico" Alves Mendes Filho (1944–1988) was a man wise beyond the borders of his time and space. He learned to use the Amazon rainforest by living in it and understood the fundamental importance of preservation of natural resources as well as the dire socio-economic consequences of their destruction – and [...] [he] was able to make that knowledge count in the international arena. We have no doubt that Mendes and his message, during the last few years of his short life, did more to educate such agencies as the Inter-American Development Bank to more wisely distribute funding toward sustainable uses in Amazonia than has any other individual. If Mendes were alive today, we cannot help but imagine that Brazil would be far ahead of where it is in the development of a truly sustainable Amazonia in reasonable harmony with indigenous peoples and colonists. In bringing this obscure little bird to the light of science, we call up the spirit of Chico Mendes to help us all get it right." | |