Four new species, one pop star: The new insect genus named after Taylor Swift

Four newly described plant-eating insect species from Australia have been named after Taylor Swift and her music. Find out why a researcher chose the pop star for this unusual tribute.

Taylor Swift has inspired millions of fans with her music. Now, the pop star has an unusual new honour: several newly described plant-eating insects from Australia have been named after her and her albums.

Researchers at the University of California, Riverside, described 12 new species of plant bugs in a paper published in the journal Insect Systematics and Evolution. One of the newly identified genera has been named Swiftiephylus, combining "Swiftie", the popular term for Swift's fans, with "Phylus", a name commonly used for this group of insects.

Four species have names inspired by the singer and her music: Swiftiephylus taylorae, Swiftiephylus amator, Swiftiephylus intrepidus and Swiftiephylus poetorum. Their names are Latin versions of "Taylor", "lover", "fearless" and "poets", respectively, referring to Swift and her albums Lover, Fearless and The Tortured Poets Department.

Why were the insects named after Taylor Swift?

The idea came from Sarah Schroeder, a doctoral student in entomology at UC Riverside and a lifelong Swift fan. She hoped that naming the insects after the singer would draw attention to insect diversity and conservation.

"It felt authentic to me as a lifelong Swiftie to honor Taylor in this way, as well as bring attention to the diversity of insects that has yet to be discovered," Schroeder said in a statement provided by the university.

Their appearance also inspired the tribute. The insects are pale yellow or cream-coloured, with red markings that reminded Schroeder of Swift's blonde hair and red lips.

"Taylor Swift's iconic look is her blonde hair and red lips. These insects are pale yellow with accents of red throughout," she said. "In the paper, I refer to them as blonde."

The insects are closely associated with Australian she-oaks, trees and shrubs that grow in environments ranging from tropical forests to coastal dunes. Their colours may help them camouflage among the plants' reddish-orange flowers. Similar colouring has been observed in distantly related bugs living on the same plants, suggesting that camouflage may have evolved independently in different groups.

What do we know about these insects?

The newly described insects belong to the family Miridae, the largest family of true bugs, with more than 11,000 described species worldwide. According to UC Riverside, they are not known to be pests of humans or animals.

Although the species are new to science, researchers collected the specimens decades ago. They were among plant bugs gathered between 1995 and 2004 during a biodiversity project involving researchers from the American Museum of Natural History and Australian collaborators. The effort yielded more than 50,000 specimens, many of which required years of research before researchers could formally identify and describe them.

For Schroeder, the discovery highlights why identifying species matters, especially for conservation.

"Taxonomy is the cornerstone of conservation," she said. "If we don't describe species, we don't know they exist and can't conserve them."

By connecting the insects to a globally recognised musician, the researcher hopes to bring attention to the many species that remain undocumented and the importance of studying them.

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