Why would you name a moth after Donald Trump?
Aside from the resemblance, a scientist wants to bring attention to an unknown species in the USA.
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A small moth preserved in an entomology collection in California has found fame after a scientist has named it after the US President Donald Trump.
The newly described species is now scientifically known as Neopalpa donaldtrumpi and is native to the dune habitats and dry desert areas of southern California and Baja California, Mexico.
“The uncanny resemblence of the tuft of scales on the head of the moth was an inspiration,” said Vazrick Nazari, who studied and identified the moth.
“But I wanted to bring larger public attention to the fact that we still have undiscovered and undescribed species in the USA.
“We need to protect their fragile habitats and give the future generations a chance to study and document them.”
Currently very little is known about Neopalpa donaldtrumpi apart from its habitat.
Other species in this group of micro-moths are known to feed on plants in the nightshade family, so it this species may also feed on these plants.
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