Taxonomists at London’s Natural History Museum have identified a new genus and species of parasitic wasp, Attenboroughnculus tau, and named it after broadcaster Sir David Attenborough in recognition of his 100th birthday. The discovery was published in the Journal of Natural History. Attenborough, who turned 100 on May 8, has had a seven-decade career with the BBC and is widely known for his nature documentaries.
Discovery and Characteristics
The wasp, Attenboroughnculus tau, is brown, 3.5 millimeters long, and has two T-shaped markings on its abdomen, which inspired the species name tau (the Greek letter for T). It belongs to the ichneumon wasp family (also known as Darwin’s wasps), which are parasitoids that lay eggs inside or on a host.
The only known specimen was collected in 1983 in Chile’s Valdivia province. It was stored at the Natural History Museum in London for over 40 years before being identified by a team led by Gavin Broad, principal curator of insects at the museum, and volunteer Augustijn De Ketelaere. Broad stated that the host species is unknown, but some relatives lay eggs in spider egg sacs.
Significance of the Naming
The team determined the wasp’s unique combination of characteristics required the creation of a new genus, rather than placing it within an existing one. Broad stated, "We realized it’s got a combination of characters that meant it wouldn’t fit anywhere. So, we had to describe a new genus to accommodate this lovely little species." He added that naming a genus after Attenborough was fitting because of his contributions to natural history.
The wasp belongs to a subfamily with a distribution across Chile, Argentina, Australia, and New Guinea—regions considered relicts from the ancient supercontinent Gondwana. Entomologist Jess Marsh noted that the group likely contains many more undescribed species.
David Attenborough: Background and Legacy
David Attenborough was born in 1926 in Leicester, England. He studied geology and zoology at the University of Cambridge, completed national service in the navy, and worked in publishing. After an initial rejection by the BBC in 1950, he joined as a trainee producer in 1952. His nature documentary career began with Zoo Quest in 1954 and gained prominence with Life on Earth in 1979. He has since produced and hosted series including The Living Planet, The Blue Planet, Planet Earth, and Frozen Planet.
Attenborough served as controller of BBC Two in the 1960s, where he oversaw the introduction of color television to British screens and commissioned programs such as Civilisation and Monty Python’s Flying Circus.
He married Jane Ebsworth Oriel in 1950; they had two children, Robert and Mary. Jane died in 1997. Attenborough has stated in interviews that he regrets not being more present for his family during his career.
Attenborough has received two knighthoods and has had more than 50 species of plants, animals, and ancient life-forms named after him, including several genera such as Sirdavidia, Attenborosaurus, and now Attenboroughnculus. He sent a handwritten thank-you note in response to the naming of the wasp.
Attenborough continues to present and narrate documentaries. He has stated that he continues working because he enjoys it.