Strange Species Names

Every Tuesday the Null seeks out another silly species name from the world of taxonomy and tells us which unfortunate organism it applies to. Click on the links below to find biological curiosities from previous weeks.

Aaadonta - South Pacific snail.
Abra cadabra - A fossil mollusc.
Abudefduf - A genus of fish.
- Abudefduf barffi
- Abudefduf sordidus
Agathidium bushi - A slime-mold beetle.
- Agathidium cheneyi
- Agathidium rumsfeldti
- Agathidium vaderi
- Agathidium pocahontasae
- Agathidium akallebregma (means 'ugly face')
- Agathidium iota
- Agathidium gallititillo (means 'French tickle')
Agra vation - A beetle.
- Agra phobia
- Agra beegees
- Agra culture
- Agra dable
- Agra lilu
- Agra eponine
- Agra tuitis
- Agra pefruit
- Pericompsus bilbo
Anodonta dejecta - A freshwater mussel
- Anodonta cataracta
- Anodonta imbicilis
Apopyllus now - A spider.
Avalanchurus lennoni - Trilobites
- Avalanchurus starri
- Avalanchurus simoni
- Avalanchurus garfunkeli
- Struszia mccartneyi
- Struszia harrisoni
Beelzebufo - The biggest ever toad
Bugeranus - The wattled crane.
Castnia inca dincadu - A moth.
Cavaticovelia aaa - A water treader
Cuttysarkus mcnallyi - A prehistoric salamander.
Eubetia bigaulae - A moth.
- Eucosma adamantana
Fiordichthys slartibartfasti - A fjord-loving fish.
- Bidenichthys beeblebroxi
Funkotriplogynium iagobadius - A mite, iago = James, badius = Brown.
Gluteus minimus - A fossil of 'uncertain affinity'.
Hexidionis garfieldi - A mite
- Hexidionis navajoae
- Trombicula allredi
- Trombicula doremi

Ia io - A bird-eating bat.

Ittibittium - A genus of snails which are a bit smaller than Bittium snails.

Leblondiella densa - A seaweed

Masiakasaurus knopfleri - A buck-toothed dinosaur.

Ninjemys oweni - A turtle

Ochisme - Shield bug (pronounced "Oh kiss me")

Dolichisme

Elachisme

Florichisme

Isachisme

Marichisme

Nanichisme

Peggichisme

Polychisme

Oedipus complex - A salamander.

Orsonwelles - A genus of spiders including:

Orsonwelles othello

Orsonwelles macbeth

Orsonwelles falstaffius

Papasula abbotti costelloi - A booby.

Parastratiosphecomyia stratiosphecomyioides - A fly.

Pharlapiscus breviceps - A seahorse named after a racehorse.

Pieza kake - The easy fly.

Pieza pi

Pieza rhea

Pieza deresistans

Pinus flexilis and Pinus rigidis - Pine trees.

Pison eu - A wasp.

Sarucallis kahawaluokalani - An aphid whose name might mean "you fish on your side of the lagoon and I'll fish on the other, and no one will fish in the middle"

Scrotum humanum - The first dinosaur ever discovered.

Strategus longichomperus - An ox beetle.

Strigiphilus garylarsoni - An owl louse.

Wakiewakie - A fossil rat-kangaroo.

Bulungamaya

Gumardee

Wabularoo

Ytu brutus - A water beetle.

Ytu zeus

Ytu athena

Ytu cupidus

Ytu morpheus

Zyzzyxdonta - South Pacific snail.