picture via cncbraconidae blog
Scientists at Landcare Research in Auckland, New Zealand, have given some newly discovered species of wasps, the names of hobbits from Tolkien’s books.
Dr Darren Ward and his colleagues have named the wasps S. bilboi, S. frodoi, S. meriadoci, S. peregrini, and S. samwisei after the characters Bilbo, Frodo, Merry, Pippin and Sam. There’s even a S. tolkieni named after J.R.R. Tolkien himself. They belong to the new genus, Shireplitis, named after the hobbit’s home, The Shire.
The wasps are said to be small, short and stout – like hobbits, according to Stuff.co.nz and are only found in New Zealand.
