A newly discovered species of parasitic wasp from Chile has been named after legendary naturalist David Attenborough to celebrate his 100th birthday on May 8, 2026, according to a statement.
Scientists at the Natural History Museum in London, United Kingdom have discovered a new species of wasp in Chile and named it Attenboroughnculus tau after Attenborough.
The discovery was announced on May 7th, 2026. Researchers named the tiny parasitic wasp to honour Attenborough’s contribution to nature and wildlife education.
The wasp is very small, measuring about 3.5 millimetres. Scientists said the insect is very different from other kind of wasps. Since it cannot fit into any established genus and species, it has been given its own.
The insect was first collected in Chile’s Valdivia Province in 1983, but researchers only recently noticed its unusual features while studying the old museum collections.
Its unusual characteristics were only recently discovered by volunteer Augustijn De Ketelaere while conducting a detailed examination of the ichneumonid collection.
The study was led by Gavin R Broad. Researchers said the species’ name “Tau” comes from a T-Shaped mark on the wasp’s abdomen.
The scientific team also said Attenborough has often spoken about parasitoid wasps in his documentaries including memorable sequences in the Trails of Life where he named them as “body snatcher wasps” and helped people understand the importance of even the smallest creatures in nature.
The museum said the discovery shows how important old and scientific collections are, as many unknown species may still be waiting to be identified.
As Attenborough said, “the future of the natural world, on which we all depend, is in our hands”.
The paper, The description of a new genus of Pedunculinae (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae) from Chile and a key to the world genera, is published in the Journal of Natural History.