Taylor Swift has had a millipede named after her

A new species of millipede has been named after singer-songwriter Taylor Swift.

The newly-named Nannaria swiftae is one of 16 other new species discovered in the Appalachian Mountains in the US.

Virginia Tech entomologist Derek Hennen is a fan of Swift, and commented: “Her music helped me get through the highs and lows of graduate school, so naming a new millipede species after her is my way of saying thanks.”

He also named a species after his wife: Nannaria marianae.

The twisted-claw millipedes are busy invertebrates who have an important job as decomposers, breaking down leaf litter and releasing nutrients into the ecosystem, researchers say.

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These creatures live on the forest floor, but they’re very shy and usually remain buried in the soil.

Measuring up between 18 and 38 mm long, these little bugs are typically caramel brown or black with white, red or orange spots, and white legs, according to scientists.

“I know not everyone likes bugs quite as much as I do, but I hope she thinks it’s a nice gesture. For us scientists, we consider it a huge honor to have a species named after you, and I hope she feels the same way,” Hennen told HuffPost.

Although the millipede’s namesake hasn’t responded just yet, we’re sure that not even in her Wildest Dreams did she imagine she’d be given such a huge honour thanks to a tiny critter.

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