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Neil Young’s Web Widens

The iconic musician becomes a spider man

by Peter Gilstrap
Posted May 14th, 6:00am | Celeb/Entertainment

He once named his band after a tractor named after an animal (Buffalo Springfield), but that’s pretty much the only name brand tie-in Neil Young has established with the wild kingdom. Until now. Thanks to East Carolina University biologist and major Young fan Jason Bond, a newly discovered spider he’s named Myrmekiaphila neilyoungi walks delicately among us.

“There are rather strict rules about how you name new species,” revealed Bond. “As long as these rules are followed you can give a new species just about any name you please. With regards to Neil Young, I really enjoy his music and have had a great appreciation of him as an activist for peace and justice.”

Other than the fact that Bond discovered the spider in Alabama and Neil Young once wrote a song called “Southern Man,” the eight-legged creature and the legendary Canadian musician seem to have little in common. The spider burrows and builds trap doors to seal off its living quarters, while the singer tends to dwell on an expansive farm in California’s tony Marin County. The spider is, however, of the trapdoor genus, and Young’s farm could well have a trap door somewhere, perhaps in a barn or something.

Though Young’s honor is seemingly unique, it’s not the first time a bug has been named for a musical icon. Earlier this year, a type of beetle that looks like it’s wearing a tuxedo was christened Orectochilus orbisonorum after the great Roy Orbison; odd, as the singer never wore tuxedos. Apparently whoever discovered the beetle didn’t like Dean Martin.
 

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