Leonardo DiCaprio is an Academy Award winning actor, environmental activist, and most recently, a beetle namesake.
A water beetle species discovered in Malaysia was named Grouvellinus leonardodicaprioi in honor of DiCaprio's environmental work. The tiny black beetle -- Leotle, if you will -- was found on the side of a waterfall in Malaysian Borneo. The 3mm Leotle found by scientists was in rough shape -- it was missing an antennae and front leg.
SEE ALSO:Crowdfunding campaign leads to major discovery of healthy Tasmanian devilsThe expedition, organized by Ateneo de Manila University in the Philippines and Dutch organization Taxon Expeditions, is part of a program that trains every day people to capture, study, and identify new species. In a video by Taxon Expeditions, the group calls the new beetle's discoverers "ecotourists trained by experts in rainforest biology."
Newly discovered fauna are sometimes named after the celebrities they resemble, like this irate looking Donald Trump moth or the "big-armed fly" named after Arnold Schwarzenegger. Although you could argue that DiCaprio rocked the otherworldly bug outfit at Coachella, Taxon Expeditions clarified that the name comes from more than just looks.
Tweet may have been deleted
In a statement announcing the beetle's discovery, Taxon Expeditions says the name is in tribute to the 20th anniversary of the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation and "its efforts towards biodiversity preservation."
The foundation has awarded more than $80 million in grants to "high-impact projects" since 2010, according to the statement. The statement cited a video by the foundation, where DiCaprio says, "We can all have an impact, but we have to work together to protect our only home."
DiCaprio also emphasized the importance of conservation during his Academy Award speech in 2016.
"Climate change is real. It is happening right now," he said. "It is a most urgent threat facing our entire species and we need to work collectively together and stop procrastinating."
DiCaprio even changed his profile picture on Facebook to one of the Leotle in all its buggy glory.
Which definitely got some interesting reactions from his fans.
"This new beetle may not win any Oscars for charisma," Taxon Expeditions' founder and entomologist Dr. Iva Njunjic said. "But in biodiversity conservation, every creature counts."
TopicsAnimals
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