New Parasitic Wasp Genus and Species Described from 1983 Chilean Specimen

Scientists from the Natural History Museum in London have described a new genus of parasitic wasp and a new species within it, naming both after Sir David Attenborough to mark his 100th birthday on 8 May. The new genus is Attenboroughnculus and the species is Attenboroughnculus tau. 5 mm long.

The species name tau refers to a T-shaped marking on the insect’s abdomen. The specimen of Attenboroughnculus tau was collected in 1983 in Valdivia province, Chile. It lay forgotten in an unsorted drawer in the Natural History Museum collections until Augustijn De Ketelaere, a volunteer, spotted its unusual characteristics during examination of the ichneumonid collections.

Dr Gavin Broad, principal curator for insects at the Natural History Museum, led the study of the newly described insect. The insect is so distinct it cannot logically fit into any established genus, Broad said. “When I was far too young, I learnt about taxonomy from David Attenborough’s Life on Earth series and resolved to be a taxonomist.

Amazingly, I ended up a taxonomist, so I have Sir David to thank for that,” Broad stated. The eggs of Attenboroughnculus tau are laid inside another animal. One of its fairly close relatives in Australia attacks spider egg sacs, Broad said.

Nothing is yet known about the new species’ habits or life-cycle beyond that fact. Broad noted that the vast majority of ichneumonid wasps are undescribed. Even in Britain new ichneumonid wasp species are described every year.

He hoped Attenborough would be pleased with the naming, particularly with the honour of having an entire genus named after him. A critically endangered echidna was named Zaglossus attenboroughi in 1998. The single individual of Zaglossus attenboroughi was collected in the Indonesian province of Papua in 1961.

The first video footage of a living Zaglossus attenboroughi was recorded in 2023. The paper describing the new wasp was published in the Journal of Natural History. Jennifer Pullar, science communications manager at the Natural History Museum and co-author of the paper, said the discovery should encourage other scientists and taxonomists to examine historic collections for further unique species.

David Attenborough will celebrate his 100th birthday on May 8. He has previously said the Natural History Museum is one of his favourite buildings. Scientists hope the new description will inspire renewed searches of museum drawers worldwide.