Myrmekiaphila neilyoungi
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| Myrmekiaphila neilyoungi Bond & Platnick, 2007 |
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Myrmekiaphila neilyoungi is a species of trapdoor spider, described in 2007 by East Carolina University professor of biology Jason E. Bond and Norman I. Platnick, curator at the American Museum of Natural History in New York. It is named after Canadian rocker Neil Young[1].
Bond & Platnick describe the male holotype and female paratype, which were collected in Jefferson Co., Alabama[2] in 1998. While specimens have been collected repeatedly since 1940, it was only in 2007 that they were recognized as a new species[1]. He co-wrote a paper revising the genus with Norman I. Platnick, describing this and several other new species.[3].
M. neilyoungi is widely distributed throughout Alabama, with one known locality from northwestern Florida[1].
Bond received $750,000 in grants from the National Science Foundation in 2005 and 2006 to classify the trapdoor spider species and contribute to the foundation’s Tree of Life project[3].
Bond opted to name the spider after his favorite musician[4], Neil Young, whose music and activism on peace and justice he appreciates[3].
[edit] Footnotes
- ^ a b c Bond & Platnick, 2007
- ^ Neil Young gives his name to a spider
- ^ a b c ECU biologist names 'Young' spider
- ^ Neil Young gets new honor - his own spider - Yahoo! News
[edit] References
- Bond, Jason E. & Platnick, Norman I. (2007): A Taxonomic Review of the Trapdoor Spider Genus Myrmekiaphila (Araneae, Mygalomorphae, Cyrtaucheniidae). American Museum Novitates 3596: 1-30. [1]
