Cool! New Species of Moth is Named After Donald Trump Ahead of His Swearing in as President

News Staff : Jan 18, 2017
Pensoft Publishers

The new moth, officially described as Neopalpa donaldtrumpi, stands out with yellowish-white scales present on the head in adults.

(Davis, CA)—[Pensoft Publishers] Days before Donald J. Trump steps forward on the Inaugural platform in Washington to assume the role of the 45th President of the United States of America, evolutionary biologist and systematist Dr. Vazrick Nazari named a new species in his honor. The author, whose publication can be found in the open access journal ZooKeys, hopes that the fame around the new moth will successfully point to the critical need for further conservation efforts for fragile areas such as the habitat of the new species. (Photo credit: Dr. Vazrick Nazari)

While going through material borrowed from the Bohart Museum of Entomology, University of California, Davis, Dr. Vazrick Nazari stumbled across a few specimens that did not match any previously known species. Following thorough analysis of these moths, as well as material from other institutions, the scientist confirmed he had discovered the second species of a genus of twirler moths.

While both species in the genus share a habitat, stretching across the states of California, USA, and Baja California, Mexico, one can easily tell them apart. The new moth, officially described as Neopalpa donaldtrumpi, stands out with yellowish-white scales present on the head in adults. In fact, it was in these scales that the author found an amusing reference to Mr. Trump's hairstyle and turned it into an additional justification for its name.

Donald Trump's flying namesake is announced only a month following the recently described...

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