Sadly, Game of Thrones isn’t returning until April 2019, but if you’re in the mood for some show- related news to hold you over, we’ve got you covered.
Brett Ratcliffe, a University of Nebraska entomologist and professor, decided to name three of his eight newly discovered beetle species after Game of Thrones characters. How fun!
According to The Omaha World-Herald, Ratcliffe named the three species of beetles — each from the Gymnetis genus — after Daenerys Targaryen’s three dragons: Drogon, Rhaegal, and Viserion.
The official species names are drogoni, rhaegali and viserioni, the Latin versions of characters’ names.
“I’ve often thought that scientists take themselves too seriously,” says Nebraska entomologist. So he named three new beetle species after dragons from “Game of Thrones.” https://t.co/HgHFNF93zw
— AP Central U.S. (@APCentralRegion) December 30, 2018
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“When you create names like these, you do it to gain a little bit of notoriety and bring public attention to it,” Ratcliffe, who’s reportedly named more than 200 species of scarab beetles, told the World-Herald.
Ratcliffe is apparently a fan of the HBO show based on the George R.R. Martin book series A Song of Ice and Fire, and said one of the reasons he chose the names is because he appreciates the way the dragons were portrayed in the series. Also, the beetles each sport orange features that are reminiscent of a dragon’s fire.
“I’ve often thought that scientists take themselves too seriously, and this is a way to circumvent that,” Ratcliffe said.
But of course, Ratcliffe ultimately hopes the well-known pop culture-themed names will help people become more aware of and reflect on the world’s unknown species and biodiversity.
The drogoni and viserioni species can be found in Colombia and Ecuador, according to the World-Herald, and the rhaegali can only be found only in French Guiana.
The Mother of Beetles — errr, Dragons — will be proud.
