Turns out, Idris Elba, who is known for playing Heimdall in Thor from the Marvel Cinematic Universe has had a species of wasp named after him.
The wasp, which was first discovered in Goanajuato, Mexico, has been linked to Elba’s character from Thor, who protects the bridge linking the human world and the realm of the gods, a report in Daily Mail revealed.
The wasp, which is protecting crops in North American against a certain bug us a Heimdall-like “protector: revealed Dr Elijah Talamas, the co-author of the study.
According to the report, the Idris elba wasp combats the invasive Bagrada hilaris bug, or the Painted bug, a king of stink bug, “by ‘parasiting’ its eggs.”
The bug is wreaking havoc on a number of crop in the US like cabbages, broccoli and potatoes and farmers are petrified of stink bugs due to the fact that they eat everything in their path.
Speaking about the same, Dr Talamas said that measures to stop the spread of the bug have proven to be ineffective. However, researchers have revealed that the Idris elba wasp may work by mistaking the eggs of the stink bug for those of a spider.
According to the report in Journal of Hymenoptera researchers have confirmed that it is a new species. Study author Dr Tara Gariepy used molecular forensics to confirm that it is indeed a new species, the report further said, adding, that they matched DNA of the adult Idris elba wasp with whatever was left behind in the stink bug egg from which it emerged.
The specimen was then sent to Dr Talamas who said it was an unknown species.
While the usual norm is to name the new species after a scientist, there already is a group of wasps named Idris, so scientists say, adding an elba to it seemed natural, the report added.