Ergo, jabot.

June 2, 2016 10:43 AM

New praying mantis honors Ruth Bader Ginsburg, equality and frilly neckwear This research establishes the validity of using female specimens in the classification of praying mantises. It is my hope that our work not only sets a precedent in taxonomy but also underscores the need for scientists to investigate and equally consider both sexes in other scientific investigations
posted by Michele in California (7 comments total)

Does that make the mantis The Notorious B.U.G.?
posted by NoxAeternum at 10:49 AM on June 2, 2016 [21 favorites]

Oh, dayam. That would have been a much better title for the post. I totally missed that one.

(kicks floor)
posted by Michele in California at 10:55 AM on June 2, 2016 [1 favorite]

So female genitalia have never been used to distinguish species? That's... jaw-dropping.
posted by clawsoon at 11:02 AM on June 2, 2016 [2 favorites]

So female genitalia have never been used to distinguish species? That's... jaw-dropping.

The article is a little unclear, but the paper only states that "Historically, mantodean taxonomists have emphasized characters of the male genitalic complex for genus- and species-level delimitation and diagnosis." (emphasis added). I'm not a biologist, and I don't know whether that statement applies to most or all non-mantodean taxonomists.

Also mantodean is a fun word and makes me want to find an example of a quotidian antipodean mantodean.
posted by jedicus at 11:25 AM on June 2, 2016 [5 favorites]

Also mantodean is a fun word and makes me want to find an example of a quotidian antipodean mantodean.

Would this count?
posted by clawsoon at 11:32 AM on June 2, 2016 [4 favorites]

I can just picture them presenting RBG a beautiful color portrait of her namesake, preferably signed by the naming team --- or even better, make that a caricature of the mantis in jabot and full judicial robes.....
posted by easily confused at 12:02 PM on June 2, 2016 [3 favorites]

[When a female mantis is hungry, she fakes fertility to snack on duped mates]

Give it up for the gay mantises out there what what
posted by a lungful of dragon at 12:42 PM on June 2, 2016 [3 favorites]