Scientists Bestowed An Unexpected Honor Upon Taylor Swift

• 10.09.2026, 14:19

A fan from the scientific community named a new species after the superstar.

Scientists have named a new genus of herbivorous insects after Taylor Swift and her music albums, according to People.

The new genus has been named “Swiftiephylus.” It includes four species, whose names refer to the singer and her albums: “Swiftiephylus taylorae,” “Swiftiephylus amator,” “Swiftiephylus intrepidus,” and “Swiftiephylus poetorum.”

According to researcher Sarah Schroeder, the insects are light yellow with red markings and can blend in among Australian cassowaries. Their appearance reminded the scientist of Swift’s famous look—blonde hair and red lips.

“For me, as a longtime Swift fan, this was a natural way to honor her and, at the same time, draw attention to the diversity of insects that we have yet to discover,” Schroeder said.

Specimens of the new insects were collected as far back as 1995–2004. In total, scientists have collected more than 50,000 specimens, but they estimate that about 30 million insect species remain undescribed.