Your chance to name a species!

Usually, you have to be insanely, insanely lucky to name a species. Not only that, after the ages spent finding and researching your animal, you then have the laborious process of getting your new species published.

Well, here is your chance to cut out all that boring crap, and moreover, dispense with the latin pleasantries, and personally bestow a common name on a species. But not just one - there are 10 species names up for grabs, and it couldn't be easier to submit your name: simply post your name in the comments section of the relevant Guardian article. Last years organisms finally to be bestowed names were...

Blue pepper-pot beetle
Mab's lantern beetle
Scabious cuckoo bee
Queen's executioner beetle
Sea piglet shrimp
St John's jellyfish
Kaleidoscope jellyfish
Witches' whiskers lichen
Pixie gowns lichen

There are a couple of stipulations; firstly, names should ideally consist of two names, and that you should use Arkive, the Encyclopedia of Life and search engines to check the name's not already been taken.

Tragically, I was born with a crippling lack of imagination, so my suggested names are so godawful that I haven't put them in. I am relying on other 2.0ers to do a better job than me! The organisms are below; click on the links for more info.

So, this year's innominate few are...


Chrystotoxum elegans




Lichenomphalia alpina


Octospora humosa



Phallusia mammillata



Chrysis fulgida



Coryphella browni


Ophiura albida



Nymphon gracile



Sagartiogeton lacerates



Xerocumus bubalinus


Old NID
79904

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