Newly Discovered Plant-Eating Insects Named After Taylor Swift https://t.co/StAOIhjJ8q
— Variety (@Variety) September 9, 2026
Researchers at the University of California, Riverside discovered a new species of plant-eating insects from Australia.
The name combines “Swiftie” with “phylus,” a name commonly used for this group of insects.
Four of the 12 have been given names inspired by Taylor Swift and her albums: Swiftiephylus taylorae, Swiftiephylus amator, Swiftiephylus intrepidus, and Swiftiephylus poetorum. The names are Latin versions of “Taylor,” “lover,” “fearless” and “poets,” respectively.
“It felt authentic to me as a lifelong Swiftie to honor Taylor in this way, as well as bring attention to the diversity of insects that has yet to be discovered,” UC Riverside entomology doctoral student Sarah Schroeder said in a statement.
While these insects may be new to science, the specimens themselves have been waiting decades to be formally described.
