One of the biggest compliments anyone could get is having someone name something after them, or dedicating something to them. Believe it or not, many scientists who spend their lives trying to find new species of animals and other organisms oftentimes name their findings after their favorite celebrities.
From bugs to fossilized organisms, to lizards and fish, there are plenty of animals and other organisms out there that are scientifically named for quite a few celebrities. What an honor would it be to have a bug named after you? That's exactly the thought process behind these scientists when they dedicate their findings to their favorite celeb.
10 Steve Irwin - Crikey Steveirwini
Steve Irwin lived his life teaching the world about some of the most incredible animals all over the world. He had a love for every living creature on this planet, and all she wanted to do was teach others about wildlife. That's why when Dr. John Stanisic discovered a brand new species of tree snail, he knew he had to name it after the late Crocodile Hunter.
The species of snail is so rare and was found in the wet tropics of Queensland and is scientifically named Crikey steveirwini. Steve was also the inspiration behind the name because the snail is a khaki color, and we all remember that Steve always wore khakis, as it was his signature look.
9 Lady Gaga - Aleiodes Gaga
Lady Gaga is an absolute superstar. Are we even surprised that she has an organism named after her? Researchers at the University of Thailand did some extensive research on some insects and made a discovery. They found a new species of wasp that is very small and found in the country. As if it were a no-brainer, they decided to name the wasp after Lady Gaga. The wasp's scientific name is Aleiodes gaga, which sounds like a pretty name for a wasp. Nevertheless, Gaga has now made her mark on the animal world.
8 Madonna - Echiniscus madonnae
Madonna is an iconic entertainer. She's made her mark on the music world, and now she's made her mark on the animal world as well. Back in 2006, a group of scientists found a new species of microscopic water-swelling organism that are commonly known as "water bears" and "moss piglets." As a result, these scientists wanted to dedicate their hard work and research to Madonna and named the new organism after Madonna — Echiniscus madonnae. Now Madonna will forever be famous in the animal world too.
7 Ozzy Osbourne - Dendropsophus ozzyi
Ozzy Osbourne is known as the prince of darkness, not only because he's in the band Black Sabbath, but because he once bit the head off of a live bat while on stage. Back in 2009, scientists made a discovery in the Brazilian Amazon. While on their trip, the group of scientists discovered a new species of tree frog. The frog, although tiny, has a very loud bat-like call.
Because of the weird sounds the frog made, it made itself known to scientists, and they realized that they had never seen anything like it before. The group of scientists was huge fans of Black Sabbath and Ozzy, and the fact that the frog sounded like a bat, made sense to name it after Ozzy. As a result, scientists gave it the name Dendropsophus ozzyi.
6 Harrison Ford - Peidole harrisonfordi
Harrison Ford is yet another insanely famous actor in Hollywood who is known for some iconic roles over the years. On top of that, Harrison Ford is also Vice Chairman of the American society Conservation International. Because of his conservation work, and all he's done for Hollywood, scientists decided to honor him by naming an ant after him. Scientist Edward Wilson discovered a new species of Central American ant and decided to name it after Harrison Ford, and dubbed the new ant Peidole harrisonfordi.
5 Pink Floyd - Synalpheus pinkfloydi
When it comes to the band Pink Floyd, there's always been this story that the band once played so loud that the volume killed all the fish in a pond nearby. That's why when scientists discovered a new species of shrimp that can kill a fish by making a very loud noise, it only made sense to name it after the band and pay homage to them. The shrimp has a big claw that it can open and close quickly to make a sound that can reach up to 210 decibels which is so loud it can kill a small fish. As a result, they named the shrimp Synalpheus pinkfloydi.
4 Johnny Depp - Kootenichela deppi
A scientist who discovered a fossil of a never-before-seen extinct organism felt the need to name it after one of his favorite actors, none other than Johnny Depp. The extinct creature showed claws that were sharp and scissor hand-like, which was another nod to Johnny Depp and his iconic character of Edward Scissorhands. The fossil was over 500 million years old which most likely been an ancestor of modern-day lobsters and scorpions because of the claw shape. Therefore, he named the organism Kootenichela deppi after the star.
3 Jimmy Fallon -Aleiodes falloni
Jimmy Fallon has his very own wasp named after him, Aleiodes falloni. The wasp doesn't share much in common with its namesake as it's a horrible creature that is a parasite. The wasp mummifies moth caterpillars and eats them from the inside out where it uses the caterpillars for nutrition so they can grow and develop. Once it fully grows, it hatches from the caterpillar's cocoon and continues on with its life, leaving the caterpillar to die and serve as nothing but a host for the wasp.
2 Elton John - Leucothoe Eltoni
Elton John is one of the most iconic musicians to date, as he's broken so many records and barriers that he has become royalty in the music world. Scientists discovered a new type of crustacean in Raja Ampat, Indonesia by Dr. James Thomas from the Halmos College of Natural Sciences and Oceanography, Florida. Dr. Thomas is a huge fan of Elton John and oftentimes spent a lot of time listening to his music when he was in the lab. As a result, he named the crustacean Leucothoe eltoni.
1 Beyoncé - Scaptia beyonceae
Beyoncé is known as a queen for a reason as she's one of the most famous pop divas out there today. Naturally, with all of the influence Beyoncé has on basically the entire world, it only made sense for scientists to name a new species of horse fly after her. You'd think that a bee would make more sense, however, the new horse fly is a special one as it has a golden rear end. Researchers claimed that the fly is the "all-time diva of flies" because of it, which is why they chose to name it after Beyoncé. Therefore, the official scientific title is Scaptia beyonceae.