Rhyzodiastes xii
| Rhyzodiastes xii | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Coleoptera |
| Family: | Carabidae |
| Genus: | Rhyzodiastes |
| Species: | R. xii
|
| Binomial name | |
| Rhyzodiastes xii C. B. Wang, 2016[1]
| |
Rhyzodiastes xii (
Discovery
Cheng-Bin Wang, a Prague-based Chinese national,[3] discovered the new beetle species on Hainan, a semi-tropical island off China’s southern coast in the contentious South China Sea.[4] The Rhyzodiastes (Temoana) xii, which can be loosely translated as 'Xi’s Rhyzodiastes', lives in decaying logs in the rainforests of the Jianfeng mountain range.[4]
Wang collected three samples, including one male found in rotten wood and another male pulled from cow dung. It is an example of a
Naming
In an article published in the peer-reviewed taxonomy journal Zootaxa, Wang wrote that “…this specific epithet is dedicated to Dr. Xi Jinping, the President of China, for his leadership making our motherland stronger and stronger.”[1][2]
The entomologist also says that “The Rhyzodiastes (Temoana) is very rare – you might not encounter a single one even after 10 field collection sessions – and it also eats rotten wood for food… so it’s a metaphor for Xi Jinping, a rare person you only encounter once a century, and specifically his controls on corruption [eating rot], which will allow Chinese corruption to gradually disappear”.[6]
Wang's description of the beetle included minute detail, including the 'lustrous' sheen of its body and 'genital segment… with handle moderately long and narrowly rounded at the tip'.[7] He says that Xi’s name has been presented respectfully, adding the Latin “i", to show a male possessive, resulting in "Xii".[8]
Censorship by Chinese authorities
_xii.jpg)
Censors in China have clamped down on any online references to the new beetle species.[9] Wang had not only named the beetle for paramount leader Xi, but also added the word “wolf” in Chinese: 习氏狼条脊甲 (literally, “Xi's wolf-stripe-spined beetle”).[8][a]
The beetle's name has been banned from China's social media platform
On 11 July 2016, a government censorship instruction was posted, saying: "All websites find and delete the article: Entomologists Report: Scholars Use ‘Daddy Xi’[sic] to Name a New Type of Beetle, and related information". Nicknames for Xi Jinping include “Uncle Xi” (Xi Dàda 习大大).[2] A number of related keywords were blocked on blogs, public accounts, forums and electronic message boards, including the terms: “Xi beetle”, “Xi dung beetle", “Xi clan beetle", “Xi Dada beetle” and “Xi tiger".[12]
Despite the attempts at censorship, many Chinese language reports were available outside the Great Firewall, so people within China could still access them by using virtual private networks (VPNs).[13]
Media coverage
Some in the media were sceptical about the reports, and one Chinese language site initially filed the story under its 'joke' section.[14]
In Taiwan, columnist Daniel J. Bauer also initially dismissed the reports as a hoax.[15] However, writing in The China Post, he went on to observe that the Communist Party could control many things, 'but not the naming of a new beetle', and that 'when a political system censors even the names of beetles, it reveals how weak it can sometimes be.'[15]
The Hong Kong Free Press included satirical images of the beetle,[16] and The Times suggested that Xi Jinping lacked a sense of humour.[17] While Zhang Lifan, a Chinese writer and historian, responded to the beetle controversy with a poem in the style of Franz Kafka.[16]
Responding to the censorship, entomologist Cheng-Bin Wang said his gesture had been 'deliberately vilified'.[18] He was mortified that the naming had been taken as an insult, and stated that it had been intended as a 'tremendous honour'.[19] Wang believes it is the first species to be named after a Chinese leader, saying: “As long as science exists, the name will forever exist. It’s a very rare species of beetle, and I would certainly have appreciated it if someone had named it after me”.[4]
See also
References
- Rhysodidae. Both taxa include beetles and not cockroaches.[1]
- ^ PMID 27395589.
- ^ a b c Josh Rudolph (11 July 2016). "Minitrue: Delete News on "Daddy Xi" Beetle". China Digital Times. Retrieved 2016-07-18.
- ^ a b c "Chinese entomologist names rare beetle after President Xi Jinping". En.yibada.com. Retrieved 2016-07-16.
- ^ a b c Lucy Hornby in Beijing (2016-07-12). "Beijing censors beetle named after Xi Jinping". FT.com. Retrieved 2016-07-18.
- ^ "Xi Jinping Beetle Creeps Out China's Censors - China Real Time Report - WSJ". Blogs.wsj.com. 2016-07-01. Retrieved 2016-07-15.
- ^ "Crushed underfoot: beetle named after China's President Xi Jinping is a pest, state censors say". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 2016-07-15.
- ^ "Beetle named Xi is a pest, say China censors". Free Malaysia Today. 2016-07-12. Retrieved 2016-07-18.
- ^ a b c "Beetle Is Named in Honor of Xi Jinping, but China Aims to Squash the News". The New York Times. 13 July 2016.
- ^ Agence France-Presse (2016-07-12). "Quit bugging me: China censors beetle named after President Xi". The Guardian. Retrieved 2019-02-25.
- S2CID 230541583.
- ^ Voices, Global (12 July 2016). "A new species of beetle named after President Xi is blacklisted on Chinese social media".
- ^ josh rudolph (13 July 2016). "Minitrue: Filter Keywords on "Xi Jinping Beetle" - China Digital Times (CDT)". China Digital Times. Retrieved 2016-07-16.
- ^ Tatlow, Didi Kirsten (12 July 2016). "Beetle Is Named in Honor of Xi Jinping, but China Aims to Squash the News". The New York Times. Retrieved 14 April 2019.
- ^ "Taipei Times". Taipei Times. Retrieved 2016-07-18.
- ^ a b "Beetle named for president bugs China's censors". The China Post. Retrieved 2016-07-18.
- ^ a b "A new species of beetle named after President Xi is blacklisted on Chinese social media | Hong Kong Free Press". Hongkongfp.com. 2016-07-12. Retrieved 2016-07-18.
- ^ Calum MacLeod, Beijing (2016-07-13). "Xi bugged by the dung beetle that took his name | World | The Times & The Sunday Times". Thetimes.co.uk. Retrieved 2016-07-18.
- ^ Agence France-Presse (12 July 2016). "Quit bugging me: China censors beetle named after President Xi | World news". The Guardian. Retrieved 2016-07-16.
- ^ "Beetle named Xi is a pest, say China censors, East Asia News & Top Stories". The Straits Times. 2016-06-28. Retrieved 2016-07-16.
