This trapdoor spider discovered by ECU biologist Jason Bond was named after the musician Neil Young.
Photo courtesy East Carolina University News Services

Any rock star aspires to certain milestones in his career - a number one hit, a Grammy award, a gold record. When Neil Young began his music career as a folksinger in the early '60's, you can bet he didn't predict this one. An East Carolina University biologist and fan of Young discovered a new species of trapdoor spider, and dubbed the find Myrmekiaphila neilyoungi to honor the singer-songwriter.

"With regards to Neil Young, I really enjoy his music and have had a great appreciation of him as an activist for peace and justice,” said Jason Bond, an ECU professor of biology. In 2007, Bond discovered the new spider species in Jefferson Co., Ala, and later co-wrote a paper with Norman I. Platnick, curator at the American Museum of Natural History in New York, on the genus.

Spiders in the trapdoor genus are distinguished on the basis of differences in genitalia from one species to the next. Bond confirmed through the spider’s DNA that the Myrmekiaphila neilyoungi is an identifiable, separate species of spider within the trapdoor genus.

If you discovered a new insect or spider species, who would you name it after and why?