Researchers Name Whirligig Beetle After Late Roy Orbison

January 28, 2008 9:28 p.m. EST

Tempe, AZ (AHN) - One of 65 new species of beetles discovered in India by American scientists in 2005 has been named after legendary rock 'n' roll singer and songwriter Roy Orbison.

Arizona State University (ASU) entomologist Quentin Wheeler announced the naming of the Orectochilus orbisonorum in honor of the late Grammy Award winner who popularized "Oh, Pretty Woman" during a tribute concert for him by ASU's Center for Film, Media and Popular Culture and the Tempe Center for the Arts on Jan. 25.

To mark the occasion, Wheeler presented Orbison's wife Barbara and children Wesley and Roy Kelton Orbison Jr. a watercolor painting of the whirligig beetles. The beetles were called whirligigs because they swim rapidly in circles when alarmed. They have eyes that can see both above and below the water.

Among these whirligigs, the O. orbisonorum is the only one with a white underbelly and a shiny black surface that Wheeler describes as visually stunning and tuxedo-like.

The other beetles were named after Star Wars character Darth Vader, President George W. Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney and former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld.