The idea behind the name comes from the Natural History Museum in London. According to the museum's curator Max Barclay, the name fits well as many newly discovered species can disappear before being given a name.

"So it is appropriate to name one of the newest discoveries after someone who has worked hard to defend nature and protect vulnerable species," he said in a statement, the BBC reports.

Discovered in Kenya

However, Nelloptodes gretae is not entirely new. The species was found in Kenya as early as the 1960s and was then donated to the museum where it was named part of a larger collection. The beetle was then "discovered" again by Dr. Michael Darby who studied the collection.

“I'm really a big fan of Greta. She is a good advocate for saving the planet and she is fantastic at doing so, which is why I thought it was a good opportunity to acknowledge it, ”he says in a statement, CNN reports.

“I suspect this may be the first time a species has received its name from Greta. I don't know of any other beetle named after her, that's for sure. "