The researchers said they named the mantis for Ruth Bader Ginsburg for two reasons. | Getty + courtesy of Cleveland Museum of Natural History Researchers name new praying mantis species after Ruth Bader Ginsburg

Scientists from the Cleveland Museum of Natural History researching female praying mantis genitalia have named a newly discovered species after an unlikely subject: Associate Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

The new species, Ilomantis ginsburgae, comes from Madagascar and is the first praying mantis species to be delineated by observing the female genitalia, as opposed to the male genitalia that are generally the standard for classifying species.


The researchers said they named the mantis for the 83-year-old justice for two reasons: Her "commitment to women's rights and gender equality," and her penchant for wearing a jabot — Ginsburg's signature lace collar, which looks much like the insect's neck plate.

“As a feminist biologist, I often questioned why female specimens weren’t used to diagnose most species,” the study’s lead author, Case Western Reserve University Ph.D. candidate Sydney Brannoch, said. “This research establishes the validity of using female specimens in the classification of praying mantises. It is my hope that our work not only sets a precedent in taxonomy but also underscores the need for scientists to investigate and equally consider both sexes in other scientific investigations.”

