Image: Dr. Vazrick Nazari
A biologist recently named a newly-discovered species of moth after President Donald Trump.
Neopalpa donaldtrumpi has a cluster of yellow scales on top of its head that bears an uncanny resemblance to its namesake’s distinctive hairdo. The moths are also found in California and parts of Mexico, near where Trump’s proposed wall would be built.
Image: Dr. Vazrick Nazari
In an article published in ZooKeys, evolutionary biologist Dr. Vazrick Nazari said he discovered the new species while examining moth specimens collected from the Bohart Museum of Entomology at the University of California. He noticed that some had distinct characteristics from any known species — namely different genitalia and wing patterns. After further analysis, he concluded that they were indeed a separate species.
Nazari, who tweeted his paper to Trump, said he named the new species after the president in hopes of bringing attention to the need for conservation, as the moth’s habit is being threatened by urbanization.
It’s actually quite common for new species to be named after presidents. In 2012, new species of darter fish were named after Theodore Roosevelt, Jimmy Carter, and Bill Clinton. And more recently the Tosanoides obama fish was named after Barack Obama.
The moth also isn’t the first animal to be associated with Trump. A funnel moth caterpillar dubbed ‘Trumpapillar’ and a Chinese golden pheasant have both gone viral online for their Trump-like coif.
