Taylor Swift, American singer and songwriter, known for hits such as "Shake It Off" and "You Belong With Me"
Curly-claw centipede Nannariaswiftae and 16 other new species found in the Appalachians in the United States. These little-known invertebrates play an important role as decomposers: by destroying leaf litter, they release nutrients into the ecosystem. They live on the forest floor, where they feed on decaying leaves and other plant debris. They are quite difficult to catch.
A recently described curl-claw centipede, Nannaria swiftae. Credit: Dr. Derek Hennen.
Scientists have long suspected that centipedes withcurled claws include many unknown species, but these specimens remained undescribed for decades. To remedy this, the researchers began a multi-year project to collect new specimens in the eastern United States. They traveled to 17 states to find species, sequence DNA and describe them scientifically.
After examining over 1800 samples collected duringfield studies or taken from university and museum collections, the authors described 17 new species, including Nannaria marianae, named after Hennen's wife. Scientists have found that centipedes prefer to live in forested habitats near streams and often burrow into the ground. This is unusual behavior for such insects, their relatives behave differently, scientists say. Recently described centipedes are 18 to 38 mm long. Males have small, twisted and flattened claws on their front paws.
Study lead author Derek Hennen isTaylor Swift fan. “Her music helped me get through the ups and downs of graduate school, so naming a new centipede species after her is my way of saying thank you,” he explained.
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