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This is an archive article published on November 21, 2019

Explained: What is Idris Elba?

Idris Elba is a wasp species. Why was it named after the actor?

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Idris elba. (Source: Pensoft Publishers)

In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, British actor Idris Elba stars as Heimdall. The character has an almost namesake: Heimdallr, a Norse deity believed to be the sole protector of the bridge linking the human world and the realm of the gods. Now, scientists have given the name Idris elba to a species of wasp that is again a protector — of crops.

The wasp, recently discovered in Mexico, was found living as a parasite in the eggs of another insect, known as the bagrada bug, which is a major pest of cruciferous vegetables.

In fact, the genus Idris already exists, having been described in 1856. It now contains over 300 species, including the newest one discovered and given the species name elba.

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While other species of the Idris genus were known to only parasitise spider eggs, specimens of Idris elba have now been found to emerge from eggs of the bagrada bug.

The species is described in the Journal of Hymenoptera Research. The research team comprised scientists from Colegio de Postgraduados (Mexico), Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and the Florida State Collection of Arthropods.

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