Dolly Parton, Taylor Swift, and more celebrities with species named after them

German arachnologist Peter Jäger dubbed a species of huntsman spider in honor of David Bowie in 2008. Hoping to draw attention to the need to protect arachnids, he later named a whole genus of wandering spiders after the singer.A rare species of horse fly was collected in 1981, the year Beyoncé Knowles was born. Bryan Lessard didn't name it until 2012. According to the entomologist, the unique dense golden hairs on the fly's abdomen led him to the name beyonceae. Others wondered if the fly's gold behind reminded him of the Bootylicious singer.Johnny Cash sang Folsom Prison Blues and dressed in black. A black tarantula was found near Folsom prison and Chris A. Hamilton and his colleagues were inspired to connect the critter and the country singer.The genus Aptostichus contains dozens of species of trapdoor spiders. Many bear famous monikers, including Aptostichus angelinajolieae, Aptostichus stephencolberti, Aptostichus bonoi, Aptostichus pennjillettei, and Aptostichus chavezi. Researcher Jason Bond, now at the University of California, Davis, is responsible for naming them after Angelina Jolie, Stephen Colbert, U2's Bono, magician Penn Jillette, and labor activist César Chávez.The Materpiscis attenboroughi is an extinct fish. A remarkable fossilized specimen was found by researcher John Long and his former colleagues at Museum Victoria. It still had an umbilical cord and embryo inside. Biologist Sir David Attenborough has this fossil and many other eponymous species to his credit.After avidly listening to Jennifer Lopez's music while working on a manuscript about newly discovered water mites, biologist Vladimir Pešić and co-authors decided to offer a small token of gratitude — her own eponymous species. Her songs and videos kept the team in a continuous good mood, Pešić said in a statement.In 2017, researchers from the Smithsonian Institution's Ant Lab published a study on a new kind of ant. The females were covered in a white crystal-like substance. The scientific name they gave the ant comes from the band Radiohead. We wanted to honor their music Ana Ješovnik, one of the researchers, said in a press release. But more importantly, we wanted to acknowledge the conservation efforts of the band members, especially in raising climate-change awareness.Derek Hennen is a Taylor Swift fan. Her music helped me get through the highs and lows of graduate school, so naming a new millipede species after her is my way of saying thanks, the Virginia Tech researcher said in a statement. The Nannaria swiftae is an invertebrate that helps decompose plant matter, an important process for returning nutrients to the ecosystem in the Appalachian Mountains. They do not, however, weave little webs of opacity.In 2012, Paul Sikkel discovered a not-so-friendly crustacean. The parasitic creature preys on fish in eastern Caribbean coral reefs. Despite its blood-feeding habits, the scientist named it after a musician he admired, Bob Marley. I named this species, which is truly a natural wonder, after Marley because of my respect and admiration for Marley's music, Sikkel said in a statement. Plus, this species is as uniquely Caribbean as was Marley.Appalachia is a haven for lichen diversity, and it's where one of the most famous musicians in the world, Dolly Parton, has her roots. Botanists Jessica Allen and James Lendemer described a species of lichen in 2015 and decided to call it Japewiella dollypartoniana. As we sat on that rocky summit, we could not help but think of the inspiring example of Dolly Parton, they wrote in a statement about the lichen. Ms. Parton grew up in a small cabin on the edge of the Smokies in Tennessee, rising from humble roots to stardom.Best known for writing Jaws, the book the movie was based on, Peter Benchley went on to try and dispel myths about sharks. Marine biologist Vicky Vásquez wanted to honor his conservation work, so the scientist named the bizarre ninja lanternshark for him.Four years after they named a lichen for Dolly Parton, Lendemer and Allen were inspired by another media mogul. Hypotrachyna oprah is a rare species of lichen that glows under ultraviolet light. This was the first species named for Oprah Winfrey. We realized we had a new species from the southeastern US that had a bright UV fluorescence and was easily recognized in the field, Lendemer said in a statement. It seemed like a perfect fit.

Dolly Parton, Taylor Swift, and more celebrities with species named after them

David Bowie and the Heteropoda davidbowie spider

Beyoncé and the Scaptia (Plinthina) beyonceae bee-like horse fly

Johnny Cash and the Aphonopelma johnnycashi tarantula

Angelina Jolie and the Aptostichus angelinajolieae spider

Sir David Attenborough and the Materpiscis attenboroughi fish

Jennifer Lopez and the Litarachna lopezae mite

Radiohead and the Sericomyrmex radioheadi ant

Taylor Swift and the Nannaria swiftae millipede

Bob Marley and the Gnathia marleyi crustacean

Dolly Parton and the Japewiella dollypartoniana lichen

Peter Benchley and the Etmopterus benchleyi shark

Oprah Winfrey and the Hypotrachyna oprah lichen