Supreme Insect! Praying Mantis Named After Ruth Bader Ginsburg
A new praying mantis has been identified, and like Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, it has a fondness for prominent neckwear.
The new leaf-dwelling species was discovered in the wilds of Madagascar and named Ilomantis ginsburgae, after Supreme Court Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. I. ginsburgae is the first species to be defined and classified based on its female genitalia. Historically, biologists relied on male genitalia to classify and identify species.
"This species description of Ilomantis ginsburgae is novel since it relied heavily on the features of the female genitalia," lead author Sydney Brannoch, a Case Western Reserve University doctoral candidate, said in a statement.
"As a feminist biologist, I often questioned why female specimens weren't used to diagnose most species. This research establishes the validity of using female specimens in the classification of praying mantises."
Leaf-dweller The creature in question was first discovered in Madagascar in 1967, but the specimen has been housed at the French National Museum of Natural History in Paris ever since. Only recently was it closely studied and identified. Like other praying mantises,I. ginsburgae has a green flattened body, huge bug eyes and veiny wings that resemble leaves. Like other mantises, the newly designated species has prominent neck plates that somewhat resemble the frilly collars, called jabots, that Justice Ginsburg is so fond of wearing.
http://www.livescience.com/54969-pra...-ginsburg.html
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