Longest animal name in the world
We all know animals by their common names – lion, eagle, butterfly. But dive into the world of science, and you'll find every recognized species has a unique, formal scientific name. Ever wondered which creature holds the title for the longest scientific name? Prepare to be amazed (and perhaps tongue tied)!
The record for the longest acknowledged binomial name for an animal species belongs to a type of soldier fly: Parastratiosphecomyia stratiosphecomyioides.
This impressive name clocks in at a total of 42 letters (including the space between the genus and species). Let's scout this fascinating creature and the world of scientific naming.
Before exposing more about our record holder, let's quickly understand scientific names.
- Binomial Nomenclature: Introduced by Carl Linnaeus in the 18th century, this system gives each species a two part name:
- Genus name: Capitalized (e.g., Parastratiosphecomyia).
- Species name: Lowercase (e.g., stratiosphecomyioides).
- Standardization: These names, usually derived from Latin or Greek, provide a universal standard, avoiding confusion caused by common names that vary by region and language.
- Italic
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11 mar, 2024
The one-day-fly (also, mayfly) owes its name to its rapid lifespan, while a whale can sometimes live up to 200 years! But where do these differences in lifespan come from? And which animals really live to be the oldest? I present to you my 'top 10' of super old animals!
One thing we all know for sure, and that is that we will all die one day. But it is the moment of our death which is uncertain. We consult fortune tellers and their crystal ballsen masse- but often with no gain. No one can predict the future. What we do know is that,sooner or later, we will have to deal with poorer health, illnesses, or an accident, perhaps. And if not, our body will eventually become simply exhausted. This applies to people, but also other animals.[Text continues after photo]
Did you know I once studied the longevity of zoo-housed primates once? You can read about ithere.
Demographics are handy
Fortunately, we can make a reasonable estimate of the potential lifespan - also referred to as the 'longevity' - of an individual of a species based on biological data and statistics. By analy
20 of the best named animal species on Earth, from Boops boop to Agra vation
In the animal kingdom, organisms can be named after anything — an odd behavior, a strange sound and even a funny appearance. The naming system requires all creatures to have two terms; a name that indicates the genus and species.
Although limited by certain rules, taxonomists have found a way to show off their sense of humor. From the irregular to painfully pun-full, here are some of the best named animal species.
Aha ha
Meet the wasp whose stinger isn't the only thing that will leave you in stitches — the Aha ha wasp.
You may likeIn the 1970s, wasp lover and entomologist Howard Ensign Evans spent years collecting wasp specimens to send to his friends for examination and study. After his travels in Australia, Evans sent two specimens to Arnold Menke, a fellow entomologist at the systematic entomology laboratory for the Agricultural Research Center.
Upon opening the parcel, Menke looked at the wasps and exclaimed "Aha! A new species!" to which his colleague, Eric Grissell, responded in disbelief, "ha!". In fact, Menke was right, it was a new genus of wasp belonging
Longest species name?
williamstephens561
I was idly wondering what is the longest name for a species…
My suggestion is 22 letters https://uk.inaturalist.org/taxa/1131240 [Pandanus longissimipedunculatus] - a member of the Screwpine Family2 Likes
chrisangell2
The longest one I’ve come across in a context where I’ve had to use it is Strongylophthalmyia angustipennis (a fly) at 32 letters. But the longest species name ever is apparently Myxococcus llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogochensis (73 letters), named after Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch where the bacterium was originally collected.
13 Likes
lothlin3
Welsh is such a beautiful language.
There’s definitely a few fungi that clock in at above 25 letters - a few I can think of
Psilocybe ovoideocystidiata (26)
Rhizomarasmius pyrrhocephalus (28)
Candolleomyces candolleanus (26)
Tolypocladium ophioglossoides (27)
Callistosporium purpureomarginatum (32)2 Likes
charlie4
i don’t know, but taxonomists shouldnt be doing it. There needs to be a 10 character limit on both genus and species names and anyone who feels otherwise should
Everyone likes a world record, right? Meet the newly described myxobacterium Myxococcus llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogochensis. That’s right: 73 letters (68 if you count by Welsh orthography, treating ‘ch’ and ‘ll’ as digraphs). The previous (probable*) record holder, the soldier fly Parastratiosphecomyia stratiosphecomyioides, is only 42 letters, so I think we have a winner by somewhat more than a nose. (The record for shortest name, by the way, is held by Yi qi among others. Because genus and species names must have at least 2 letters each, this record can never be broken.)
So, authorship team**, achievement unlocked.
Is this a good Latin name or a terrible, horrible, very bad, no good Latin name? Well, yes to both, I guess. On the plus side: it’s interesting; it recognizes a language (Welsh) that’s been historically suppressed; and it’s likely to garner some public attention for species discovery (an extremely important part of science that’s under-resourced and under-recognized) and for the myxobacteria (which are really cool: predatory bacteria that hunt in packs and agglomerate into fruiting bodies!).
On the minus side: llanfairpwllg