99% Invisible A Beetle By Any Other Name
94 snips
Mar 4, 2025 
Andrei Kapla, a researcher at the Slovenian National Institute of Biology, dives into the world of cave ecology and the infamous Anophthalmus beetle. He discusses the hazards of spelunking in Slovenia’s Pekal Cave, which hides this unique, eyeless creature. The podcast explores the tumultuous ethical debates around species naming, particularly the controversial Anophthalmus hitlery. Kapla also addresses the alarming links between poaching of this endangered beetle and far-right extremism, raising questions about conservation and the implications of historical legacies.
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Hunting Hitler's Beetle
- Will Aspinall and Andrei Kapla explored Pekal Cave in Slovenia.
- They sought an elusive beetle named after Adolf Hitler.
Linnaeus's Naming System
- Carl Linnaeus, an 18th-century botanist, created the binomial system for naming species.
- This system uses two words (genus and species) and is still used today.
Linnaeus's Apostles
- Linnaeus honored his students, who explored the world collecting plants, by naming species after them.
- He established guidelines for naming, prioritizing those who contributed to botany.
