Harrison Ford is the latest celebrity to have a species named after him. A new species of snake found in Peru has been named Tachymenoides harrisonfordi in recognition of the actor and his years of dedication to the environment.
He also has an ant (Pheidole harrisonfordi) and a spider (Calponia harrisonfordi) named after him. However, he’s not the only famous face to receive this honor.
Here are five other celebrities who have inspired new species names.
Jackie Chan
The action star named a species of lizard named Cnemaspis jackieii after him in 2021. The lizard is known for its ability to move quickly and hide in small crevices, reminiscent of Jackie Chan’s research. The reptile is found in southern India.
“Whenever we tried to catch it, it jumped from one rock to another and crawled into the smallest crevices to escape from us,” says Saunak Pal of the Bombay Natural History Society in Mumbai.
In 2020, a wasp named Acrotaphus jackiechani was named after the actor.
Jane Goodall
A baby bilby triplet was named in 2017 after British conservationist Dr. named Jane Goodall Jane.
“Dr. Jane Goodall is a living legend and one of the greatest conservationists of all time,” said Frank Manthey, co-founder of the Save the Bilby Fund. “She has been an idol of mine for so many years and finally meeting her is just beyond words.”
She also has a species of sea slug named after her called Gibberula goodallae.
Sir David Attenborough
According to the `’s Wildlife Magazine, more than 40 species have been named after the famous British naturalist Sir David Attenborough.
These include a black-eyed satyr butterfly named Euptychia attenboroughi (2015), a dragonfly species named Acisoma attenboroughi (2016), and a flat lizard named Platysaurus attenboroughi (2015).
“We thought it appropriate to name the lizard after the world-renowned naturalist after he popularized a closely related flat lizard species on the ` series Life in Cold Blood,” said Dr. Martin Whiting, who was part of a group of scientists who helped discover the new species of lizard.
Taylor Swift
The Blank Space singer inspired the name of a new centipede species discovered last year. Researchers discovered the anthropod in the Appalachian Mountains along with 16 other species of centipedes.
Derek Hennen, senior study author and researcher at Virginia Tech, is a fan of Taylor Swift and has decided to name one of the centipede species Nannaria swiftae, or swift twisted-claw millipede.
“Her music helped me get through the ups and downs of graduate school, so naming a new centipede species after her is my way of saying thank you,” said Hennen.
David Bowie
Once described as a spider, David Bowie was the inspiration for the Heteropoda davidbowie, a type of huntsman spider found in parts of Malaysia, Singapore and southern Thailand.
Peter Jager, the German spider expert who discovered the new species, said naming spiders after celebrities helps draw attention to their marginal status.
“On the occasion of Bowie’s 75th birthday, I wanted to commemorate this incomparable artist who left us far too soon, but what’s most important to me here is the idea of conservation: we only protect what we know – and an attractive name is much more will likely be remembered,” Jager said in 2022.
Updated August 16, 2023 1:37 p.m
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