New species named in honour of Sir David Attenborough’s 100th birthday
A Chilean bumblebee has been named in honor of Sir David Attenborough’s 100th birthday celebrations.
Scientists from London’s Natural History Museum have described a new genus and species of parasitic wasp found in museum collections and named it a birthday present for the famous broadcaster and natural historian to mark his milestone birthday on Friday.
Although bumblebees may not be as universally loved as Sir David, there is no doubt that natural historians will appreciate them. Attenboroughnculus tau, It was called a tribute to him. Sir David has previously focused on parasitoid wasps in his documentaries, describing them as “body-stealing wasps”. Trials of Life.
This wasp, with a body length of only 3.5 mm, was first collected in the Chilean province of Valdivia in 1983; It was only recently when volunteer Augustijn De Ketelaere was examining ichneumonid collections in detail that he noticed the wasp’s unusual features.
The newly described insect is both a new species and genus because it is so different from its closest relatives that it cannot logically fit into any other established genus.
The species name, tau, refers to the striking ‘T’ shaped marking on the insect’s abdomen; Chief curator of insects at the Museum of Natural History, Dr. According to Gavin R Broad, this insect is believed to be one of the least understood groups of wasps.
Many other species are named after natural historians, from Euptychia attenboroughi, a rare Amazon butterfly, to Attenborosaurus conybeari, a dinosaur that roamed Europe during the Synemurian period of the early Jurassic period.
The curator said Sir David had been an inspiration to him and many others at the museum because he had worked for the past eighty years to draw attention to organisms often overlooked due to their small size or unusual life histories.
Dr Broad said: “When I was very young, I learned about taxonomy from David Attenborough’s Life on Earth series and decided to become a taxonomist. Amazingly, I ended up becoming a taxonomist, so I have Sir David to thank for that.”
Sir David has a close relationship with the Museum, having been the face of the first immersive experience, Our Story with David Attenborough. In this experience, the natural historian lends a voice to tell the story of planet earth and the people and creatures that inhabit it.
Also displayed in the museum’s gardens is a quote from the publisher written in bronze letters: “The future of the natural world on which we all depend is in our hands.”
Jennifer Pullar, director of science communications at the Natural History Museum, said: “We hope to inspire global scientists to look again at their collections to see if there is a little something that could contribute to our collective understanding and therefore the future of our natural world.”
