tech
Tiny parasitic wasp named after David Attenborough for his 100th birthday
Specimen from 1983 lay forgotten at Natural History Museum until recently, when spotted by a volunteer and identified as new genus
TL;DR
- A new genus of parasitic wasp, *Attenboroughnculus tau*, has been named in honor of Sir David Attenborough's 100th birthday.
- The wasp was discovered in the Natural History Museum's collections, having been collected in Chile in 1983.
- The discovery was made by a volunteer examining ichneumonid collections.
- Dr. Gavin Broad led the study, noting the wasp's distinctness from its relatives.
- The naming honors Attenborough's impact on taxonomy, as he inspired Broad's career.
- Little is known about the new species' habits, but its eggs are laid inside another animal.
- Scientists hope this discovery will encourage further examination of scientific collections for new species.
- Attenborough previously had a critically endangered echidna, *Zaglossus attenboroughi*, named after him.