Newly discovered spider species in Madagascar named after climate activist Greta Thunberg

A new spider species has been named after Swedish climate campaigner Greta Thunberg. The 17-year-old Thunberg recently made news after she was named the Time magazine’s 'Person of the year'.  According to reports, the new genus of huntsman spiders from Madagascar, described by German arachnologist Peter Jager, was named after Thunberg in an effort to honour her commitment to protecting nature.

Huntsman spiders

In a study published in the scientific journal, Zootaxa Jager explained that the new genus differed from other huntsmans in their eye arrangement and unique dotted patterns on their backs. According to the study, huntsman spiders are different from normal spiders as they do not spin their webs and wait for their prey. Instead, the Huntsman spiders hunt and forage for the prey.

Speaking to international media reporters, later, he said that he hoped that naming a new species could draw attention to the issue of biodiversity loss in Madagascar. Jager, who has previously discovered several new species of spider in its 20 years long career, named a previous discovery of Southeast Asian huntsman spider Heteropoda davidbowie.

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Meanwhile, Thunberg on June 5 reportedly said that the US struggle for racial justice after the death of George Floyd is part of the fight against climate change and social justice that unites everyone together. In an interview with an international media outlet, Thunberg said that the world needs to stand ‘united’ and remember that the fight for social justice, environmental justice, racial justice and climate justice is the same fight.

The 17-year-old activist is known for castigating world leaders for inaction on climate change. While speaking at the launch of a crowdfunding campaign to buy medical supplies and provide telemedicine services to residents in Brazil’s Amazon rainforest, she said that she had widened her message. 

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(Representative Image of spider)