Insect Names Derived from
Greek and Roman
MYTHOLOGY
By Ron H. Cherry
The naming of plants and animals after mythological figures was practiced by early naturalists.
This practice was prompted by the classical education in Greek and Roman mythology received
by many early naturalists. However, the use of mythological names for biological organisms also
has been criticized. Regardless of one's viewpoint on naming biological organisms after mythological figures, these names do occur frequently in the zoological sciences, including entomology.
Insect names derived from Greek and Roman mythology are discussed in this article.
The atlas moth was named for its large size, corresponding
212
to Atlas, the Titan.
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M
YTHOLOGY PERMEATES OUR
LANGUAGE •
.some terms such as Pandora's box,
Achilles' heel, and Midas' touch are used so
frequently that people are aware of the legends
behind them. Others simply will sense that the
terms are based on lore of which they are unaware. However, mythology insinuates itself
into our language in more cryptic ways. Long
before the Titanic sank into history, Titans
ruled the universe. On a smaller scale, a chatty
nymph named Echo was punished by Juno to
repeat the words of others. Names of days and
months also have mythological connections,
ranging from those that are fairly direct, such as
Thursday from "Thor's day" and March from
Mars, to those with more arcane origins (Macrone 1992). It does not take a Herculean effort
to find mythology in our everyday language.
The practice of naming plants and animals
based on mythological origins also was practiced by early naturalists. This practice was
prompted by the classical education in Greek
and Roman mythology received by many early naturalists (Yancey 1952). However, the use
of mythological names for biological organisms also has been criticized. Schenk and
McMasters (1956) opined that the chief virtue
of mythological names in taxonomy was that
they afford variety but lack descriptive value.
In addition, Jaeger (1978) believed that mythological names were objectionable not only
because they have been used so frequently in
other classes that they are likely to be preoccupied but also because of ambiguity in application. For example, Atlas and Hercules may
seem appropriate names when describing very
large insects, such as the atlas moth,1 Attacus
atlas (L.)and hercules moth,1 Cosinocera hercules (Miskin). However, it is less clear why
the insect genus Pieris was named for Pieris, a
daughter of Zeus (Yancey 1952). And, of
course, there is the chance that an organism
with a mythological name may not have been
named after a mythological figure. The alpine
argus,1 Albulina orbitulus DePrunner, and
brown argus,1 Aricia ages tis Denis & Schiffermuller, are butterflies in the family Lycaenidae
(Carter 1992). Unless one knows for sure, it is
impossible to determine if the Argus in the
common name was named after the everwatchful, multi-eyed monster of mythology
(Hamilton 1942) or after a friend, or simply
because someone liked the sound of the name.
Regardless of one's own viewpoint on naming biological organisms after mythological
figures, these names do occur frequently in the
zoological sciences including entomology.
Examples of insects whose common names are
based on Greek and Roman mythology are
given in the table on page 214. The atlas moth;
hercules beetle,1 Dynastes hercules (L.); and
hercules moth were named after mythological
figures of great size and strength. Atlas was one
of the Titans who warred against the gods and
was condemned to uphold the heavens on his
shoulders. Due to an error by Rumold Mercator in 1595 when publishing a map collection,
Atlas was depicted holding a globe (earth)
rather than the sky on his shoulders; from
Mercator's mistake, the word Atlas has been
used for map collections (Macrone 1992). And,
of course, Hercules was the mighty Greek hero
who sailed with Jason and the Argonauts
(Hamilton 1942) and, ultimately, became
worshipped as the god of physical strength.
The wing eyespots of the
polyphemus moth are the
association of this insect to the
one-eyed Cyclops. Polyphemus.
Prometheus, who stole fire from
the gods, is the origin of the
naming of the promethea moth.
See text for an explanation
mythological connection.
of the
'Not currently among common names of insects and related
organisms approved for use by the ESA Committee on Common
Names of Insects.
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213
Common names of insects derived from Greek and Roman mythology
Common Name
Amazon ants"
Atlas moth"
Hercules beetle"
Hercules moth"
10 moth
Large parnassian"
Large wood nymph"
Little wood satyr"
Polyphemus moth
Promethea moth
a
Species
Reference
Five species of Polygerus
Attacus atlas (L.)
Dynastes hercules (L.)
Coscinocera hercules (Miskin)
Automeris io (E)
Parnassius phoebus E
Cercyonis pegala (E)
Megista cymela (Cramer)
Antheraea polyphemus (Cramer)
Callosamia promethea (Drury)
Mason 1974
Yancey 1952
Yancey 1952
Carter 1992
Mitchell and Zim 1962
Jaeger 1978
Yancey 1952
Jaeger 1978
Mitchell and Zim 1962
Yancey 1952
Not currently among common names of insects and related organisms approved for use by the ESA Committee on Common
Names of Insects.
The name of the butterfly family
Pieridae was derived from the
genus Pieris. named after Pieris.
one of the muses.
214
Another group of insects with an interesting
common name derived from mythology is the
amazon ants, 1who were named after the fierce
female warriors, the Amazons, of Greek mythology (Mason 1974). These ants, which are
comprised of five species in the genus
Polygerus, are slave makers. Amazon ants are
nowhere very common, but their striking appearance (large size, bright red or black coloration, and shiny body surface), the extraordinary degree of their behavioral specialization,
and the spectacular qualities of their slave
raids have placed them among the most frequently studied of all the ants (Holldobler and
Wilson 1990). The workers are "femme fatales," possessing long, pointed mandibles for
fighting. The analogy of these ants to the fierce
female warriors of Greek mythology is apparent. These warlike women lived on the coast of
the Black Sea where they formed a state from
which men were excluded. To reproduce,
Amazons ventured into nearby settlements
where they used men to satisfy their sexual
needs before heading home to await the results.
Male babies were returned to the fathers or
killed. Female babies were saved and raised in
a strict regimen including burning off the right
breast so it would not interfere with the handling of a bow or javelin (Macrone 1992).
With the exception of the breast mutilation, the
comparison of Polygerus ants to Amazons is
appropriate because both groups are femalebased societies sustained by ferocity and occasional raids.
Two other insects whose common names
have been derived from well known mythological figures are the polyphemus moth,Antheraea polyphemus (Cramer), and the promethea
moth, Cal/osamia promethea (Drury). In the
polyphemus moth, the large eyespots on the
hind wings are the mythological connection
(Mitchell and Zim 1962). Polyphemus was one
of the Cyclops (giants with one large eye in the
middle of their foreheads) who, occasionally,
fed on human flesh. In Homer's The Odyssey,
Polyphemus eventually was blinded by the
Greek hero Odysseus after Odysseus and his
crew were taken prisoner by this one-eyed giant (Hamilton 1942). The best-known legend
about Prometheus also contains a good dose of
violence. Prometheus was the Titan who stole
fire from the gods and gave it to humans. He
later was punished by Jupiter, who chained
him to a mountain where an eagle preyed upon
his liver which was renewed as fast as it was
devoured. Fortunately, Prometheus finally was
released by Hercules (Bulfinch 1991). The association of the myth with the promethea moth
is not obvious. Because of his exploits, the
name Prometheus over time became synonymous for independence and daring. The cocoon of the promethea moth is suspended rath-
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er freely by silken thread. Hence, it is this developmental feature of the insect from which
the moth has gained its elegant name (Yancey
1952).
Insect genera also abound in Greek and
Roman mythological derivations. An example
is the naming of the genus Colias. Colias is a
lesser known name for Aphrodite, the Greek
goddess of love and beauty, and the name was
given in reference to the beauty of the butterflies in the genus (Yancey 1952). Other examples areAtropos and Clothilla, named after the
two fates Atropos and Clothos (Sharp 1895).
Family names of insects also have been
derived from genera named after Greek and
Roman mythological figures (see table below).
An interesting example concerns the psocopteran family Atropidae (= Trogiidae), the name of
which is derived from Atropos. In mythology,
Atropos was one of the three Fates who were
goddesses who determined the course of human life; her role was to cut the thread of life
(Bulfinch 1991). The genus Atropos was
named after the mythological Atropos beca use
it was thought that members of this genus made
a tapping noise on wood at the death of humans
(Sharp 1895). Females of some species in this
family do produce a sound by tapping their
abdomens on a substrate (Borror et al. 1992).
However, it has been suggested that original
"death watch" insects were not atropids but,
rather, anobiid beetles that produce sounds in
their galleries (Sharp 1895).
Another example is that of the family Saturniidae, the name of which is derived from the
The name of the moth family
Uraniidae was derived from the
genus Urania, named after
Urania, the muse of astronomy.
The bright colors of some
members of the family are the
mythological connection to
Urania (Yancey 1952).
Family names of insects based on genera derived from Greek or Roman mythology
Family
Mythological figure
Reference
Atropidae
Atropos was one of the three fates.
She severs the thread of human life.
Danaus was a mythical king of Arabia.
Erycina was a name of Venus from her temple
in Erycus, Sicily.
Hesperides were the daughters of Atlas. The
three sisters guarded trees with golden apples.
Japyx was the mythical progenitor of the
Japyges of southern Italy.
Lares were household gods being deified
ancestors or heroes.
Nymphs were lesser divinities of nature
represented as beautiful maidens.
Pieris was a daughter of Zeus.
Psyche was a beautiful girl with whom Cupid
fell in love. She is represented with the wings
of a butterfly and the name signifies "soul"
and "butterfly."
Psyche as discussed in Psychidae.
Python was a monstrous serpent who killed
men and cattle and was killed by Apollo.
The most important of the Titans, Saturn was
the Roman equivalent of the Greek Cronus (time).
The satyrs were immortal goatmen (part goat,
part human) who lived in woodlands.
Urania was the Muse of astronomy and
celestial forces.
Kellogg 1914
Danaidae
Erycinidae
Hesperidae
Japygidae
Lariidae
Nymphalidae
Pieridae
Psychidae
Psychodidae
Pythidae
Saturniidae
Satyridae
Uraniidae
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Jaeger 1978
Jaeger 1978
Yancey 1952
Kellogg 1914
Jaeger 1978
Yancey 1952
Kellogg 1914
Yancey 1952
Yancey 1952
Yancey 1952
Swann and Papp 1972
Jaeger 1978
Yancey 1952
215
heavens, Prometheus steals fire from the gods,
and the Amazons wage war upon men. These
are great and lasting tales whose characters
have added life to entomology.
References Cited
Borror, D. J., C. A. Triplehorn, and N. F.Johnson.
1992. An introduction to the study of insects,
6th ed. Saunders College, New York.
Bulfinch, T. 1991. Bulfinch's mythology. Harper
Collins, New York.
Carter, D. 1992. Butterflies and moths. Dorling
Kindersley, New York.
Hamilton, E.1942. Mythology. Little, Brown, Boston.
Holldobler, B., and E. O. Wilson. 1990. The ants.
Belknap, Cambridge, MA.
Jaeger, E. C. 1978. A source book of biological
The io moth derives its common
name from 10, who was a
beautiful woman changed into a
heifer by Jupiter.
216
genusSaturnia (Swan and Papp 1972). Saturn
was a major, well known god of Roman mythology who, in an infamous act, devoured his
children except Jupiter, Neptune, and Pluto
(Bulfinch 1992). However, what makes the
family interesting from a mythological perspective is that it contains some of the best
known examples of insects named after mythological figures. These insects include the atlas
moth; hercules moth; io moth, Automeris io
(F.);polyphemus moth; and promethea moth.
As a final note, Atlas and Prometheus were
brothers in mythology. Prometheus consoles
Princess 10 by telling her that her race will one
day yield a glorious hero. Io's descendant
would be Hercules, one of the greatest mythological heroes, who ultimately
freed
Prometheus (Hamilton 1942). It seems poetic
justice that through common names of insects,
Atlas, Hercules, 10, and Prometheus have been
rejoined again in the same family, the Saturniidae.
The preceding examples show that the naming of insects after mythological figures has
added much spice to our science. Alfalfa weevil, cat flea, and sugarcane borer certainly are
functional names. However, they are mundane
when compared to mythological names such as
the amazon ants or polyphemus moth. Also,
mythological names at times are appropriate in
helping to describe an insect. Insects named
after Atlas and Hercules are some of the world's
largest and most powerful and clearly correspond to the mythological figures from whom
their names were derived. And, most important1y,insects that have been named after mythological figures connect entomology to some of the
world's greatest legends. Atlas holds up the
names and terms, 3rd ed. Charles Thomas,
Springfield,lL.
Kellogg, V.L.1914. American insects, 3rd ed. Henry Holt, New York.
Macrone, M. 1992. By Jove! Brush up your mythology. Cader, New York.
Mason, Jr., H. M. 1974. The fantastic world of
ants. David McKay, New York.
Mitchell, R. T., and H. S. Zim. 1962. Butterflies
and moths. Western, Racine, WI.
Schenk, E. T., and J. H. McMasters. 1956. Procedure in taxonomy. Stanford University Press,
Stanford, CA.
Sharp, D. 1895. Insects, pp. 395-396. In Cambridge natural history, vol. 5. MacMillan, New
York.
Swan, L. A., and C. S. Papp. 1972. The common
insects of North America. Harper & Row, New
York.
Yancey, P. H. 1952. Origins from mythology of
biological names and terms. BIOS Classroom
Series No.5. Mt. Vernon, IA.
•
Ron Cherry works for the Institute of Food and
Agricultural Science of the University of Florida.
He is located at the Everglades Research and
Education Center, P.O. Box 8003, at Belle Glade,
FL 33430. He conducts research on insect pests
of rice, sugarcane, and turf. He also is interested
in cultural entomology and has published several articles on the subject. This paper is Florida
Agricultural Experiment Station Journal Series
Number R-05712.
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