A tiny honey beetle was named after activist Greta Thunberg on Friday by the entomologist who discovered its existence, the London Natural Science Museum said.
"I chose this name because I am very impressed with the young activist's work and I wanted to pay tribute to her outstanding contribution to environmental issues," said Michael Darby, who discovered the small sub-family beetle. ptinidae among the 22 million specimens in the museum's collection.
Collected in Nairobi in the 1960s
"Nelloptodes gretae" is less than a millimeter long and has no eyes or wings. It was collected in the Nairobi soil in the 1960s, the museum said in a statement.
Max Barclay, head of the beetle collection, explained that hundreds of species still remain to be found in the museum's vast collection and around the world, some of which would disappear even before being indexed due to the loss of the biodiversity.
"It is therefore fitting that the most recent discovery is named after someone who struggled to defend the natural world and protect vulnerable species," said Max Barclay.