19 Species Named After Your Favorite Celebrities (Including Taylor Swift, Beyoncé and More!)

Mar. 15, 2025

Beyoncé attends the Shawn Carter Foundation Gala at the Seminole Ballroom in the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino on Nov. 16, 2019, in Hollywood, Fla.; Jeff Daniels during an interview on ‘The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon’ on Sept. 30, 2021; Jennifer Lopez attends the 2020 Film Independent Spirit Awards on Feb. 8, 2020, in Santa Monica, Calif.Photo: Getty (3)

Celebrities can be found throughout the animal kingdom — if you know where to look.Occasionally, when a new species is discovered, pop culture-loving scientists decide to name the creature after their favorite star. There are bugs named afterOscarwinners, lemurs sharing names with comedians and spiders with the same titles as starlets.Read on to see what celebrities have received the honor of having a species named after them.

Celebrities can be found throughout the animal kingdom — if you know where to look.

Occasionally, when a new species is discovered, pop culture-loving scientists decide to name the creature after their favorite star. There are bugs named afterOscarwinners, lemurs sharing names with comedians and spiders with the same titles as starlets.

Read on to see what celebrities have received the honor of having a species named after them.

01of 19Barack ObamaFormer President Barack Obama speaks at the Democratic National Convention at the United Center in Chicago on Aug. 20, 2024.Victor J. Blue/Bloomberg via GettyCaloplaca obamaeis a lichen species named after former PresidentBarack Obama. It was discovered in 2007 on Santa Rosa Island, part of California’s Channel Islands.As ScienceDaily reported, lichenologist Kerry Knudsen of the University of California, Riverside, named the species in 2009. “I named itCaloplaca obamaeto show my appreciation for the president’s support of science and science education,” he said of his discovery in the journalOpuscula Philolichenum.

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Barack Obama

Former President Barack Obama speaks at the Democratic National Convention at the United Center in Chicago on Aug. 20, 2024.Victor J. Blue/Bloomberg via Getty

Victor J. Blue/Bloomberg via Getty

Caloplaca obamaeis a lichen species named after former PresidentBarack Obama. It was discovered in 2007 on Santa Rosa Island, part of California’s Channel Islands.

As ScienceDaily reported, lichenologist Kerry Knudsen of the University of California, Riverside, named the species in 2009. “I named itCaloplaca obamaeto show my appreciation for the president’s support of science and science education,” he said of his discovery in the journalOpuscula Philolichenum.

02of 19Taylor SwiftTaylor Swift attends the ‘All Too Well’ premiere at AMC Lincoln Square on Nov. 12, 2021, in New York.ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty ImagesIn April 2022, theNew York Postreportedon a millipede found in the Appalachian Mountains newly named forGrammy-winning pop starTaylor Swift,Nannaria swiftae.“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,” Virginia Tech entomologist Derek Hennensaid in a statement.

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Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift attends the ‘All Too Well’ premiere at AMC Lincoln Square on Nov. 12, 2021, in New York.ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images

In April 2022, theNew York Postreportedon a millipede found in the Appalachian Mountains newly named forGrammy-winning pop starTaylor Swift,Nannaria swiftae.

“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,” Virginia Tech entomologist Derek Hennensaid in a statement.

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Beyoncé

Beyoncé attends the Shawn Carter Foundation Gala at the Seminole Ballroom in the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino on Nov. 16, 2019, in Hollywood, Fla.Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Shawn Carter Foundation

Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Shawn Carter Foundation

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Ruth Bader Ginsburg

Ruth Bader Ginsburg watches President George W. Bush speak at the swearing-in ceremony for then-incoming Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Jan. 28, 2005.Brooks Kraft LLC/Corbis/Getty

Brooks Kraft LLC/Corbis/Getty

According to the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, Sydney Brannoch and Dr. Gavin Svenson had the privilege of naming the insect, whose neck plate happens to resemble the distinctive collars Ginsburg used to wear during her time on the Supreme Court.

05of 19Tobey MaguireTobey Maguire attends the ‘Boyz in the Wood’ premiere during the 2019 SXSW Conference and Festivals at Stateside Theatre on March 8, 2019, in Austin, Tex.Hutton Supancic/Getty Images for SXSWIt only seems appropriate thatoriginal Spider-ManactorTobey Maguirewould get a spider of his own. In 2015, arachnologists Yuri M. Marusik and Alireza Zamani named a new spider species discovered in IranFilistata maguireias a tribute to Maguire’s time in the Spidey suit,per ScreenRant.

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Tobey Maguire

Tobey Maguire attends the ‘Boyz in the Wood’ premiere during the 2019 SXSW Conference and Festivals at Stateside Theatre on March 8, 2019, in Austin, Tex.Hutton Supancic/Getty Images for SXSW

Hutton Supancic/Getty Images for SXSW

It only seems appropriate thatoriginal Spider-ManactorTobey Maguirewould get a spider of his own. In 2015, arachnologists Yuri M. Marusik and Alireza Zamani named a new spider species discovered in IranFilistata maguireias a tribute to Maguire’s time in the Spidey suit,per ScreenRant.

06of 19Andrew GarfieldAndrew Garfield attends the GQ Men of the Year party at The West Hollywood Edition on Nov. 18, 2021, in West Hollywood, Calif.Michael Tran/AFP via Getty ImagesMaguire isn’t the only Spider-Man actor with his own eight-legged species. The same arachnologists who named the Maguire spider — Marusik and Zamani — called another spider species discovered in Iran in 2015Pritha garfieldiafter actorAndrew Garfield.

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Andrew Garfield

Andrew Garfield attends the GQ Men of the Year party at The West Hollywood Edition on Nov. 18, 2021, in West Hollywood, Calif.Michael Tran/AFP via Getty Images

Michael Tran/AFP via Getty Images

Maguire isn’t the only Spider-Man actor with his own eight-legged species. The same arachnologists who named the Maguire spider — Marusik and Zamani — called another spider species discovered in Iran in 2015Pritha garfieldiafter actorAndrew Garfield.

07of 19Jennifer LopezJennifer Lopez attends the 2020 Film Independent Spirit Awards on Feb. 8, 2020, in Santa Monica, Calif.Jon Kopaloff/Getty ImagesAccording to Entomology Today, a research team that discovered a new species of aquatic mite in 2014 in Puerto Rico named the findLitarachna lopezaebecauseJennifer Lopez’s “songs and videos kept the team in a continuous good mood” while they worked on their research.

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Jennifer Lopez

Jennifer Lopez attends the 2020 Film Independent Spirit Awards on Feb. 8, 2020, in Santa Monica, Calif.Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images

Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images

According to Entomology Today, a research team that discovered a new species of aquatic mite in 2014 in Puerto Rico named the findLitarachna lopezaebecauseJennifer Lopez’s “songs and videos kept the team in a continuous good mood” while they worked on their research.

08of 19Angelina JolieAngelina Jolie attends the ‘Eternals’ U.K. premiere at BFI IMAX Waterloo on Oct. 27, 2021, in London.Samir Hussein/WireImageIn 2013, Jason Bond of Alabama’s Auburn University identified several new species of trapdoor spiders and decided to nameAptostichus angelinajolieaeafter actressAngelina Jolie,per CBS News.

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Angelina Jolie

Angelina Jolie attends the ‘Eternals’ U.K. premiere at BFI IMAX Waterloo on Oct. 27, 2021, in London.Samir Hussein/WireImage

Samir Hussein/WireImage

In 2013, Jason Bond of Alabama’s Auburn University identified several new species of trapdoor spiders and decided to nameAptostichus angelinajolieaeafter actressAngelina Jolie,per CBS News.

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Brad Pitt

Brad Pitt, winner for ‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,’ poses in the press room at the 26th Screen Actors Guild Awards on Jan. 19, 2020, in Los Angeles.Gregg DeGuire/Getty Images for Turner

Gregg DeGuire/Getty Images for Turner

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Jeff Daniels

Jeff Daniels during an interview on ‘The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon’ on Sept. 30, 2021.Mike Coppola/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images

Mike Coppola/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images

“His character in the film is a spider killer, which is exactly what these nematodes are,” said parasitologist Adler Dillman, who led the team that discovered the new species.

11of 19ShakiraShakira performs during the Pepsi Super Bowl LIV halftime show at Hard Rock Stadium on Feb. 2, 2020, in Miami.Focus on Sport/Getty ImagesA different parasitic wasp, found in 2014, was namedAleiodes shakiraeafter Colombian singer-songwriterShakirabecause stings from the wasp cause host caterpillars to shake and wiggle in a way that reminded researchers of the singer’s dance moves,GMA Network reported.

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Shakira

Shakira performs during the Pepsi Super Bowl LIV halftime show at Hard Rock Stadium on Feb. 2, 2020, in Miami.Focus on Sport/Getty Images

Focus on Sport/Getty Images

A different parasitic wasp, found in 2014, was namedAleiodes shakiraeafter Colombian singer-songwriterShakirabecause stings from the wasp cause host caterpillars to shake and wiggle in a way that reminded researchers of the singer’s dance moves,GMA Network reported.

12of 19Stephen ColbertStephen Colbert pictured for ‘The Late Show with Stephen Colbert’ during the March 12, 2021, show.Scott Kowalchyk/CBS via Getty ImagesStephen Colbertdoesn’t have just one species named after him —fivedifferent creatures are crawling around with theLate Showwith Stephen Colberthost’s name: the diving beetleAgaporomorphus colberti, the parasitic waspAleiodes colberti, the trapdoor spiderAptostichus stephencolberti, the stoneflyDiamphipnoa colbertiand the beetleSonoma colberti.

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Stephen Colbert

Stephen Colbert pictured for ‘The Late Show with Stephen Colbert’ during the March 12, 2021, show.Scott Kowalchyk/CBS via Getty Images

Scott Kowalchyk/CBS via Getty Images

Stephen Colbertdoesn’t have just one species named after him —fivedifferent creatures are crawling around with theLate Showwith Stephen Colberthost’s name: the diving beetleAgaporomorphus colberti, the parasitic waspAleiodes colberti, the trapdoor spiderAptostichus stephencolberti, the stoneflyDiamphipnoa colbertiand the beetleSonoma colberti.

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Greta Thunberg

Greta Thunberg at the Hotel de Lassay before visiting the French National Assembly on July 23, 2019, in Paris.Lionel Bonaventure/AFP/Getty

Lionel Bonaventure/AFP/Getty

14of 19Kate WinsletKate Winslet attends the 73rd Primetime Emmy Awards at L.A. LIVE on Sept. 19, 2021, in Los Angeles.Rich Fury/Getty ImagesAccording toThe Guardian, entomologist Terry Erwin named a species of ground beetle found in Costa Rica in 2002 afterTitanicactressKate Winslet, calling the insectAgra katewinsletae.

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Kate Winslet

Kate Winslet attends the 73rd Primetime Emmy Awards at L.A. LIVE on Sept. 19, 2021, in Los Angeles.Rich Fury/Getty Images

Rich Fury/Getty Images

According toThe Guardian, entomologist Terry Erwin named a species of ground beetle found in Costa Rica in 2002 afterTitanicactressKate Winslet, calling the insectAgra katewinsletae.

15of 19StingSting performs on ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ on Dec. 8, 2021.GettyStingdoesn’t have a wasp or bee named after him, but he does have his own frog. After identifying a new species of Colombian tree frog in 1994, Moises Kaplan of the University of Michigan called the amphibianHyla stingi(orDendropsophus stingi) after the singer in recognition of the 17-time Grammy-winning rocker’s work in rainforest conservation,per the Journal of Herpetology.

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Sting

Sting performs on ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ on Dec. 8, 2021.Getty

Stingdoesn’t have a wasp or bee named after him, but he does have his own frog. After identifying a new species of Colombian tree frog in 1994, Moises Kaplan of the University of Michigan called the amphibianHyla stingi(orDendropsophus stingi) after the singer in recognition of the 17-time Grammy-winning rocker’s work in rainforest conservation,per the Journal of Herpetology.

16of 19Lady GagaLady Gaga attends the ‘House of Gucci’ U.K. premiere at Odeon Luxe Leicester Square on Nov. 9, 2021, in London.Samir Hussein/WireImage"If there is going to be aLady Gagabug, it’s going to be a treehopper, because they’ve got these crazy horns, they have this wacky fashion sense about them," Brendan Morris, an entomology graduate student at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign,said in the university’s news releaseon the insect he studied and namedKaikaia gagain 2020.

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Lady Gaga

Lady Gaga attends the ‘House of Gucci’ U.K. premiere at Odeon Luxe Leicester Square on Nov. 9, 2021, in London.Samir Hussein/WireImage

“If there is going to be aLady Gagabug, it’s going to be a treehopper, because they’ve got these crazy horns, they have this wacky fashion sense about them,” Brendan Morris, an entomology graduate student at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign,said in the university’s news releaseon the insect he studied and namedKaikaia gagain 2020.

17of 19Leonardo DiCaprioLeonardo DiCaprio attends the ‘Don’t Look Up’ world premiere at the Jazz at Lincoln Center on Dec. 5, 2021, in New York City.Kevin Mazur/GettyLike Colbert,Killers of the Flower MoonactorLeonardo DiCapriohas a fleet of critters named after him. So far, there is the beetleGrouvellinus leonardodicaprioi, another beetle calledMetallactus dicaprioi, the spiderMisumessus dicaprioiand another spider namedSpintharus leonardodicaprioi.

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Leonardo DiCaprio

Leonardo DiCaprio attends the ‘Don’t Look Up’ world premiere at the Jazz at Lincoln Center on Dec. 5, 2021, in New York City.Kevin Mazur/Getty

Kevin Mazur/Getty

Like Colbert,Killers of the Flower MoonactorLeonardo DiCapriohas a fleet of critters named after him. So far, there is the beetleGrouvellinus leonardodicaprioi, another beetle calledMetallactus dicaprioi, the spiderMisumessus dicaprioiand another spider namedSpintharus leonardodicaprioi.

18of 19John CleeseJohn Cleese poses for the 23rd annual German Comedy Awards at Studio in Koeln Muehlheim on Oct. 2, 2019, in Cologne, Germany.TF-Images/Getty ImagesAfter raising awareness about lemurs in the filmFierce Creatures(1997) and the documentaryIn the Wild: Operation Lemur with John Cleese(1998),Monty Python actor John Cleese got a lemur of his own. In 2005, researchers from the University of Zurich in Switzerland named a newly discovered lemur speciesAvahi cleesei, also known as Cleese’s woolly lemur, as a thank-you for the star’s support of the mammals,per theLos Angeles Times.

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John Cleese

John Cleese poses for the 23rd annual German Comedy Awards at Studio in Koeln Muehlheim on Oct. 2, 2019, in Cologne, Germany.TF-Images/Getty Images

TF-Images/Getty Images

After raising awareness about lemurs in the filmFierce Creatures(1997) and the documentaryIn the Wild: Operation Lemur with John Cleese(1998),Monty Python actor John Cleese got a lemur of his own. In 2005, researchers from the University of Zurich in Switzerland named a newly discovered lemur speciesAvahi cleesei, also known as Cleese’s woolly lemur, as a thank-you for the star’s support of the mammals,per theLos Angeles Times.

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King Charles

King Charles III walks past a guard of honor during the ceremonial welcome at the State House on Oct. 31, 2023, in Nairobi, Kenya.Chris Jackson/Getty

Chris Jackson/Getty

source: people.com