Taylor Swift Has a Millipede Species to Call Her Own Thanks to Superfan Scientist

April 23, 2022 E Jazz Reporter

One lucky species has been named Nannaria swiftae, in honor of the singer/songwriter.

Taylor Swift attends the “All Too Well” New York Premiere on Nov. 12, 2021 in New York City.
Dimitrios Kambouris/GI

While Taylor Swift has won all sorts of prestigious awards over the course of her career, getting an arthropod named after her is certainly a first.

Yes, you read that right. There is now a species of millipede named after Swift. According to Phys.com, scientists have discovered 16 new species of millipede in northeastern North America’s Appalachian Mountains, and one lucky species has been named Nannaria swiftae, in honor of the folklore singer.

The twisted-claw millipede was discovered by Virginia Tech scientists. The lead author of the study, Derek Hennen, is a fan of Swift’s and was the one who chose the name, saying: “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.” Nannaria swiftae has also only been found in Tennessee, a state where Swift has lived. No word yet, however, on whether the species shares her musical or songwriting abilities.

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Hennen also named one of the species Nannaria marianae, after his wife.

Check out the Nannaria swiftae millipede below.

This new millipede species is Nannaria swiftae: I named it after @taylorswift13! I’m a big fan of her music, so I wanted to show my appreciation by naming this new species from Tennessee after her. A high honor! pic.twitter.com/fXml3xX5Vs

— Derek Hennen, Ph.D. (@derekhennen) April 15, 2022

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