Swedish teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg needs no introduction. Her activism against climate change has inspired millions across the world to take action to mitigate the effects of global warming.
For her brilliant work, she has received a tremendous amount of recognitions and accolades, right from being named the youngest TIME Person of the Year to receiving two consecutive nominations for the Nobel Peace Prize.
And now, Thunberg has added another feather to her cap. A new species of spider has now been named after her!
A new genus of huntsman spider from the African island of Madagascar has been named Thunberga gen. nov by German arachnologist Peter Jager.
Jager said that he named these spider species after Thunberg to draw the attention of the world to the loss of biodiversity in Madagascar.
“The rising temperatures affect all areas of nature -– including the endemic diversity and spider fauna of Madagascar,” said Jager, who has engaged in many protests and demonstrations inspired by Thunberg’s School Strike for Climate.
Earlier, Jager, who has had a career spanning two decades, had also discovered a huntsman spider of the genus Heteropoda in peninsular Malaysia and called it Heteropoda davidbowie in honour of English singer, songwriter, and actor David Bowie.
And what is so special about these new species of huntsman spiders?
They are different from the other huntsman spiders in that they have a unique dotted pattern on their backs. Also, their eye arrangement is significantly different from the other species.
Interestingly, huntsman spiders, unlike other spiders, do not spin webs. Rather, they hunt and forage for their food.
But this is not the first time an animal species has been named after this teenage prodigy. In October 2019, a beetle called Nelloptodes gretae, belonging to the family of Ptiliidae, was been named after her.
Greta Thunberg deserves all this acclaim and more for her inspiring work against climate change. Do you agree? Let us know your views in the comments section below.
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