Ruth Bader Ginsburg is now an insect.
Scientists have identified a new species of praying mantis, dubbed Ilomantis ginsburgae. The name is a nod to cultural icon US Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, chosen partly because of the similarity between the Ginsburg’s trademark ruffed collars and the neck plate of I. ginsburgae.
However, the real inspiration for the name was Ginsburg’s “relentless fight for gender equality,” according to a press release.
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Historically, differences in the appearance of male genitalia have been a standard way of classifying insect species.
In their paper describing the new species, published in the journal Insect Systematics & Evolution, the researchers outlined a new method of using female genital structures to delimit new species of praying mantis.
“As a feminist biologist, I often questioned why female specimens weren’t used to diagnose most species,” said lead author Sydney Brannoch, a Case Western Reserve University doctoral candidate.
The researchers found that the female genital characteristics alone were sufficient to define the new species and to accurately classify 30 other praying mantis specimens.
Identifying insect species by current methods is challenging. According to study co-author Gavin Svenson, curator of invertebrate zoology at The Cleveland Museum of Natural History, male and female praying mantises can differ greatly in appearance.
“If a person finds one sex, they may only be able to identify the specimen if their specimen’s sex matches what is known from previous research,” Svenson said. “Our work reduces this impediment by characterizing both sexes for praying mantis species.”
Brannoch hopes that this work will not only set a precedent in taxonomy, but will also underscore the need for scientists to equally consider both sexes in other areas of scientific inquiry.
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