Eponym
Guides
Aphonopelma johnnycashi
Johnny Cash Tarantula
Aphonopelma johnnycashi is a North American tarantula species described in 2016 from specimens collected near Folsom State Prison in California. The species was named in honor of Johnny Cash, the country music singer known as "The Man in Black," referencing both the location and the mature male's solid black coloration. It is one of 14 new species described in a comprehensive taxonomic revision of the genus Aphonopelma, which nearly doubled the number of recognized species in the southwestern United States.
Conura maria
Conura maria is a species of chalcid wasp described by Riley in 1870. It belongs to the family Chalcididae, a group of small parasitoid wasps known for their enlarged hind femora. The species epithet honors Maria Sibylla Merian, the pioneering 17th-century entomologist and scientific illustrator. Like other members of the genus Conura, this species is presumed to be a parasitoid, though specific host associations remain undocumented.
Cophura powersi
Cophura powersi is a species of robber fly in the family Asilidae, described by Wilcox in 1965. The species was named in honor of entomologist Jack Powers, who collected the type specimens in the Dakotas. It belongs to a genus of robber flies that are primarily found in western North America.
Cryptocephalus downiei
Downie's spotted leaf beetle, Downie-dotted Cryptocephalus
Cryptocephalus downiei is a species of case-bearing leaf beetle in the family Chrysomelidae. It was described in 2000 by E. Riley and Gilbert, with the specific epithet honoring American psychologist and coleopterist Norville Downie. The species is known from North America and belongs to a genus whose larvae construct portable cases from their own feces and shed exoskeletons.
Heliopetes elonmuski
SpaceX White-Skipper
Heliopetes elonmuski is a species of skipper butterfly described by Grishin in 2023. It belongs to the genus Heliopetes within the family Hesperiidae. The common name "SpaceX White-Skipper" references Elon Musk and his aerospace company. The species has been documented in 175 iNaturalist observations.
Hydroscapha redfordi
Hydroscapha redfordi is a species of skiff beetle in the family Hydroscaphidae, described in 2010 from specimens collected in the southwestern United States. The species is named in honor of actor and conservationist Robert Redford. Members of this genus are among the smallest beetles, inhabiting thin water films on rocks in streams and waterfalls.
Neohypnus beckeri
Ed Becker's Rove Beetle
Neohypnus beckeri is a rove beetle in the family Staphylinidae, described by Smetana in 1982. It is known from northeastern North America, with records in Canada and the United States. The species is named in honor of Ed Becker. Like other members of the genus Neohypnus, it belongs to the tribe Xantholinini within the subfamily Staphylininae.
Nevadasilus blantoni
Nevadasilus blantoni is a species of robber fly (family Asilidae) in the genus Nevadasilus. It is a predatory dipteran endemic to the western United States, specifically associated with Nevada and surrounding arid regions. The species is named in honor of entomologist John Blanton. As with other Asilidae, it is presumed to be an aerial predator of other insects, though detailed studies of its biology remain limited.
Plateumaris balli
Ball's reed beetle
Plateumaris balli is a species of reed beetle in the family Chrysomelidae, described by Askevold in 1991. The specific epithet honors Dr. George E. Ball, a renowned carabidologist and distinguished expert on ground beetles. The species is known from eastern North America, with records from New Brunswick and Québec in Canada. Reed beetles in the genus Plateumaris are typically associated with wetland habitats and aquatic or semi-aquatic vegetation.
Selenacentrus
Selenacentrus is a monotypic genus of treehoppers in the family Membracidae, subfamily Centrotinae, described by Morris and Dietrich in 2016. The genus contains a single species, Selenacentrus wallacei, found in Texas and northern Mexico. The genus was named in honor of Selena Quintanilla-Pérez, the "Queen of Tejano Music." Selenacentrus lacks diagnostic features of currently recognized tribes within Centrotinae, including specific male genital capsule structures and femoral setae patterns, and does not fit into existing tribal classifications based on wing venation.
Stenometopiellus vader
Stenometopiellus vader is a species of leafhopper in the family Cicadellidae, described by Hamilton in 2002. The specific epithet "vader" references the Star Wars character Darth Vader, following a tradition of naming insects after fictional characters. This species belongs to the tribe Cicadulini within the subfamily Deltocephalinae. Records indicate it has been collected in Idaho, USA.