Public Radio East serves Eastern North Carolina by providing news, fine arts, and informational programming that challenges, stimulates, educates, and entertains an intellectually curious audience.

© 2026 Public Radio East

Public Radio East
800 College Court
New Bern, NC 28562

EIN 56-1802728
Public Radio For Eastern North Carolina 89.3 WTEB New Bern 88.5 WZNB New Bern 91.5 WBJD Atlantic Beach 90.3 WKNS Kinston 89.9 W210CF Greenville
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

A Virginia Tech entomologist named a new millipede species after Taylor Swift

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

Good morning. I'm Steve Inskeep. Derek Hennen is a Virginia Tech scientist and a huge fan of Taylor Swift. So when his team discovered a new species of millipede in Taylor Swift's home state of Tennessee, he named it after her. The Swift Twisted-Claw Millipede is one of many species Hennen's team discovered, and Swift is not the only one with a nom de millipede. One is named for the Virginia Tech Hokies, and another is named for Hennen's wife.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "BLANK SPACE")

TAYLOR SWIFT: (Singing) And I'll write your name.

INSKEEP: It's MORNING EDITION. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.

NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.