MSNBC: Slime-mold beetle species named for Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7491302/

ITHACA, N.Y. - President Bush, Vice President Cheney and Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld have shared a common political vision for most of their careers. Now each will share something else — a slime-mold beetle named in his honor.

Two former Cornell University entomologists, who recently had the job of naming 65 newly discovered species of slime-mold beetles, named three species after the American leaders, dubbing them: Agathidium bushi Miller and Wheeler, Agathidium cheneyi Miller and Wheeler and Agathidium rumsfeldi Miller and Wheeler.

According to rules established by the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature, the first word of a new species is its genus; the second word must end in "i" if it's named after a person; and the final part of the name includes the person or persons who first described the species.

Naming the beetles after Bush, Cheney and Rumsfeld had nothing to do with physical features, but was intended to pay homage to them, said Quentin Wheeler, a former professor of entomology and plant biology at Cornell for 24 years until October.

[MADem]

1. Go ahead, make my day! Hahahahaha! n/t

[Jade Fox]

2. What, no orchids?

I've heard of orchids named after the famous (Barbara Bush has one-yech!),
but slime-mold beetles?

Couldn't happen to more deserving people.

[Arkana]

3. Couldn't happen to two more deserving assholes--er, people.

[Lisa]

4. this is unfair to arthropods!

These particular species haven't killed anybody, and they fill an important role in the ecosystem.