Story perspectives

Tiny Chilean Wasp Named Attenboroughnculus tau Discovered

5/8/2026

Summary

Story summary

The 0.14-inch Chilean wasp collected in 1983 was uncovered in an unsorted museum drawer and assigned to the new genus Attenboroughnculus tau.
Graduate student Augustijn De Ketelaere identified the specimen while reviewing the Natural History Museum’s ichneumonid collection.
The parasite displays a T-shaped abdominal mark and distinctive wing and leg morphology.
The naming joins more than 50 species already bearing Sir David Attenborough’s name, such as Nepenthes attenboroughii.

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Story summary

The 0.14-inch Chilean wasp collected in 1983 was uncovered in an unsorted museum drawer and assigned to the new genus Attenboroughnculus tau.
Graduate student Augustijn De Ketelaere identified the specimen while reviewing the Natural History Museum’s ichneumonid collection.
The parasite displays a T-shaped abdominal mark and distinctive wing and leg morphology.
The naming joins more than 50 species already bearing Sir David Attenborough’s name, such as Nepenthes attenboroughii.