Say hello to the new moth species named after Donald Trump!

N. donaldtrumpi - The moth named after Donald Trump because of its yellowish-white scales. (Image courtesy: Vazrick Nazari Photo via ZooKeys/Pensoft)

New Delhi: Looks like nearly every new species of animals and insects are taking a liking to US Presidents.

After a trapdoor spider, a speckled freshwater darter, a parasitic hairworm, an extinct lizard and a coral-reef fish were named after reigning US President Barack Obama, a new moth species has found its namesake in US President-elect Donald Trump!

Donald Trump's hair became a talking point and the new moth has totally copied that hairstyle!

'Neopalpa donaldtrumpi', as the moth has been named, stands out because of the yellowish-white scales present on the head in adults.

Biologist Dr Vazrick Nazari from University of California found these scales to be an amusing reference to Trump's hairstyle and turned it into an additional justification for its name.

Another reason why scientists decided to honour Donald Trump by naming the moth after him is to encourage the conservation in the fragile areas.

The study, published in the open access journal ZooKeys, hopes that the fame around the new moth will successfully point to the critical need for further conservation efforts in the fragile areas such as the habitat of the new species.

"The discovery of this distinct micro-moth in the densely populated and otherwise zoologically well-studied southern California underscores the importance of conservation of the fragile habitats that still contains undescribed and threatened species and highlights the paucity of interest in species-level taxonomy of smaller faunal elements in North America," said Nazari.

Following thorough analysis of these moths as well as material from other institutions, they confirmed he had discovered the second species of a genus of twirler moths.

Being a substantially urbanised and populated area, the habitat of N. donaldtrumpi is also under serious threat.

"By naming these species after the 45th President of the United States, I hope to bring some public attention and interest in the importance of alpha-taxonomy in better understanding the neglected micro-fauna component of the North American biodiversity," Nazari added.

Before today, the best-known animal with a Trump connection was the “Donald Trump caterpillar,” also known as the flannel moth caterpillar or Megalopyge opercularis, which sports a luxurious layer of yellow venomous spines.

(With ANI inputs)