Summary
A scientist-cum-Monster Hunterfan recently discovered a new spider, and decided to name it after one of the series' most infamous, most disgusting monsters, the Khezu.
As first reported byVG247, the spider, part of the Otacilia species, has been named Otacilia Khezu, after Monster Hunter’s phallic flying wyvern, Khezu.
Why The Khezu!?
As I alluded to, the Khezu is one of Monster Hunter’s more… grim Monsters. Its body is a pearlescent, slimy-looking white color with red, veiny undertones, and its head, well, the less said, the better. You can make your own judgments from the image above.
So, what similarities does a small spider discovered in China have with this flying monstrosity? A lack of eyes, of course. Both the Khezu, and its arachnid namesake, are severely lacking in the optical department.
Reading theofficial discovery report, what concerns me the most is that the Otacilia Khezu is reported as having a “loss of eyes”, suggesting that maybe once upon a time it had them, and then misplaced them, or more likely, evolved to the point of not needing them.
Given its lack of eyes, it’s hard to argue that this new spider doesn’t deserve the Khezu name, however, the Monster Hunter series has historically included a class of monsters called the Temnocerans. These monsters are notable for sharing distinct similarities with spiders, so Otacilia Nerscylla or Otacilia Kadaki would have been equally fitting names.
A Familiar Naming Convention
Naming newly discovered species after video games and other pop culture characters isn’t a new thing. There are dozens of spiders named after characters from the likes ofThe Legend of Zelda,PokemonandStreet Fighter, plus more critters with names pulled fromMario,BioshockandDark Souls. Plus, there’s already a fish named after Monster Hunter’s semi-aquatic Lagiacrus.
This particular scientist is part of the reason for this and has a history of doing things their own way. Revealed on Twitter by@SilencedVouivre, the person who discovered the Otacilia Khezu, also named two newly unearthed spiders after Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure characters, the Funny Valentine and Gyro Zeppeli, alongside a new genus they named the Rathalos genus.
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