London’s Natural History Museum has used the Doctor Who 60th-anniversary celebrations as an excuse to give fourteen newly-discovered species of wasp a genus inspired by a classic Doctor Who villain.
Wasp Name Gest Doctor Who Fans Buzzing
The Dalek nationi genus is indeed named after the deadly alien race known as the Daleks. The museum’s scientific associate, John Noyes, was a childhood fan of the long-running sci-fi show and said it was ”a bit of fun” getting to name the species after the show’s villains.
This particular genus was among 619 species of wasp described by the museum across over 700 research papers this year and 815 species overall.
Doctor Who recently celebrated its 60th anniversary with three specials that saw David Tennant return to the show. The new lead, Ncuti Gatwa, also appeared in the final special, and he then made his full debut in the Doctor Who Christmas Special on Christmas Day.
Since returning to screens in 2005, The Doctor has been played by Christopher Eccleston, Tennant, Matt Smith, Peter Capaldi, Jodie Whittaker, and now Ncuti Gatwa.
The latest season of Doctor Who starring Gatwa is due to premiere on BBC and Disney Plus in May of 2024.