Scientists have named a newly discovered species of worm that kills tarantulas after American actor Jeff Daniels, a distinction no other actor can claim.

There are more than 25,000 described species of these worms, called nematodes, and they are one of the most abundant animals on Earth. However, this is only the second time one has ever been found to infect tarantulas.

They named it Tarantobelus jeffdanielsi, because Daniels’ character in the 1990 film Arachnophobia saves a town from a deadly infestation of spiders.

«His character in the film is a spider killer, which is exactly what these nematodes are,» said UC Riverside parasitologist Adler Dillman, who led a team that discovered the nematode.

«When I first heard a new species of nematode had been named after me, I thought, ‘Why? Is there a resemblance?’ joked Daniels, in remarks to UCR. «Honestly, I was honored by their homage to me and Arachnophobia. Made me smile. And of course, in Hollywood, you haven’t really made it until you’ve been recognized by those in the field of parasitology.»

The team’s work describing jeffdanielsi has recently been published in the Journal of Parasitology.

In September 2019, a wholesale tarantula breeder contacted Dillman for help identifying a mysterious infection in some of their tarantulas. Specimens sent for inspection had an odd white mass around the mouth area. Dillman, who teaches the only parasitology class at UCR, recognized the white areas immediately as nematodes.

Story Source:
Materials provided by University of California — Riverside. Original written by Jules Bernstein. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.