Seeking a name for one of four beetles recently discovered in Papua New Guinea, scientists resorted to Chewbacca, the world-famous Wookie and sidekick to Han Solo in the 'Star Wars' film series.
Trigonopterus chewbacca, one of four new Trigonopterus species found on the Papua New Guinea province of West New Britain during a 2014 expedition.
The flightless weevil beetle "has dense scales on the head and the legs, which reminds the authors of Chewbacca’s dense fur," according to new research published in the journal ZooKeys.
The T. chewbacca can be as long as 3.13mm, researchers said, contrasting with the 7-foot-6-inch frame of Chewbacca, played by actor Peter Mayhew in the 'Star Wars' movies.
The Wookie-esque beetle isn't the first 'Star Wars'-inspired name in the insect world. According to LiveScience, a kind of Mexican moth is named Wockia chewbacca, an a acorn worm was named Yoda purpurata, and a slime mold beetle is known as Agathidium vaderi.