What happens when you mix pop culture with biology and entomology? You get an assortment of animals, plants, and other wildlife with gnarly names. Some creatures are named after famous figures because there's a semblance of similar traits–the horsefly Scaptia beyonceae is a tribute to Beyoncé because they both have golden hair, for example–or because a person has championed preservation efforts for a particular species or animal, like with Prince Charles and Hyloscirtus princecharlesi.
From Sir David Attenborough to Barack Obama to SpongeBob SquarePants, here are some of the wildest examples of celebrity wildlife.
This winter bee fly was named after Game of Thrones' resident villain, The Night King, by Australian researchers. This little guy is indeed a fly and not a bee—we know, the name can be misleading. So, why was this critter named after such a bonafide bad guy?
"Because it reigns in Australia's winter season and has a crown of spine-like hairs," according to CNET.
What do Greta Thunberg and N. gretae have in common? They both inspire each other. The beetle was named by scientist Michael Darby who was inspired by Thunberg's climate activism.
The BBC reports that Darby "wanted to acknowledge her [Thunberg's] outstanding contribution in raising awareness of environmental issues."
This parasitic wasp species was named after actor Idris Elba, specifically, the role he played in the Thor movies, Heimdall. Researchers are hoping that I. elba will be able to help manage Bagrada hilaris (stink bug) populations and deter them from ruining crops.
Because of its potential usefulness in controlling B. hilaris numbers and protecting crops, researchers drew parallels between Heimdall and I. elba.
This isn't the first animal named after the famous broadcaster. There's also Zaglossus attenboroughi, also known as Sir David's Long-beaked Echidna, and Microleo attenboroughi, a kind of marsupial lion.
This designation is especially meaningful because it's not just one animal named after Attenborough, it's an entire genus: Attenborosaurus conybeari.
The Lower Keys marsh rabbit was named after Hefner, the legendary founder of Playboy magazine.
Hefner donated funds to preserve the subspecies, which was deemed endangered in 1990 due to the rapid urbanization of the Keys.
This Australian horse fly was actually discovered way back in 1981, but not studied until 2011. The specimen was named after Bey because of the golden segment on its body, which reminded scientists of Beyoncé's own flowing golden mane.
This stream tree frog from Ecuador's rainforests was named after His Royal Highness in recognition of his rainforest preservation efforts.
H. princecharlesi is easily distinguishable from other members of its group thanks to the coloration and smattering of spots on its body in addition to physiological markers that include a glandular nuptial (thumb) pad.
In 2005, a woolly lemur, an endangered species native to Madagascar, was named after the English actor, who has admitted that he is "absurdly fond" of lemurs.
"I was really touched, and indeed, honored when Urs Thalmann [the anthropologist who discovered the species] told me they would like to name the lemur after me," Cleese told Swiss Info.
This Californian lichen was named after President Barack Obama.
Kerry Knudsen, the lichen curator in the University of California Riverside Herbarium, collected the last of his samples during the final weeks of Obama's 2008 election campaign and managed to finish a final draft of his research paper, published in Opuscula Philolichenum, on Obama's inauguration day.
Knudsen picked the name to "show my appreciation for the president's support of science and science education."
A. vaderi was named after Star Wars villain Darth Vader because they both have "broad, shiny, helmet-like" heads.
The beetle, named by Cornell entomologists, belongs to the Leiodidae family, which boasts approximately 3,800 species across the globe.
This beetle belongs to the Carabidae family, which has more than 40,000 species. Entomologists named the bug after the Titanic star for a good reason.
"Her [Winslet's] character did not go down with the ship, but we will not be able to say the same for this elegant canopy species if all the rain forest is converted to pastures," said Terry Erwin, the entomologist who discovered A. katewinsletae.
In 2011, scientists discovered this mushroom species, which looks like a sea sponge, in the forests of Borneo. Researchers from San Francisco State University say that a closer look under the microscope shows the "spore-producing area of the fungus looks like a seafloor carpeted in tube sponges," hence its name.
This wasp was named after actress Greta Garbo, who was famously private and reclusive. Just like R. garbo, who is solitary by nature.
Spider-Man actor Tobey Maguire has an entire genus of crab named after him. These spiny spider crabs sometimes look green and fuzzy due to algae that grows on their shells, but their natural coloring is more of a light orange.
This genus has distinctive spines sticking out all over its body and has been known to make a migratory journey of over 100 miles, too.
P. zappa was named after rocker Frank Zappa due to the markings on its body, which resemble Zappa's signature mustache.
P. zappa was discovered in 1994 on Mount Cameroon by Belgian biologists Robert Bosmans and Jan Bosselaers.
"Pretty Woman" crooner Roy Orbison and his wife, Barbara, have a whirligig water beetle named after them.
The posthumous designation was shared with Barbara Orbison at a tribute concert for Roy. This species is known to swim above water unless it feels threatened, in which case it will fully submerge itself.
Because it doesn't have distinct coloring like many other beetles, it can be hard to spot.
This Venezuelan diving beetle was named after the Late Show host, who asked the scientific community to name an animal "cooler than a spider" in his honor. Scientists gladly obliged.
Colbert received news of the naming on his 45th birthday via a card reading, "What has six legs and is way cooler than a spider?" from entomologists Quentin Wheeler of Arizona State University and Kelly Miller from the University of New Mexico.
This little guy was named after Gryffindor, the Harry Potter house. But it's more commonly known as the Sorting Hat Spider because it so closely resembles the hat that sorts students into one of four houses at Hogwarts: Gryffindor, Slytherin, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw.
E. gryffindori was discovered in India.