unilad homepage
  • News
  • Film and TV
  • Music
  • Tech
  • Features
  • Celebrity
  • Politics
  • Weird
  • Community
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • LADbible
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
TikTok
YouTube
Submit Your Content
Scientists discover new species of spider and name it after Tom Hardy and Venom

Home> News> Animals

Published 21:15 12 Sep 2023 GMT+1

Scientists discover new species of spider and name it after Tom Hardy and Venom

Of course, this new spider was discovered in Australia.

Joe Harker

Joe Harker

google discoverFollow us on Google Discover
Featured Image Credit: Murdoch University / Sony

Topics: Science, Animals, Australia, Tom Hardy

Joe Harker
Joe Harker

Joe graduated from the University of Salford with a degree in Journalism and worked for Reach before joining the LADbible Group. When not writing he enjoys the nerdier things in life like painting wargaming miniatures and chatting with other nerds on the internet. He's also spent a few years coaching fencing. Contact him via [email protected]

X

@MrJoeHarker

Advert

Advert

Advert

Scientists have discovered a new type of spider in Australia and named it in honour of Tom Hardy and his character Venom.

When discovering a new animal, one of the hardest things has got to be working out what to call it since that's what everyone's going to be calling your big discovery pretty much forever.

After an expedition to Tasmania discovered this new type of spider, there must have been some superhero movie fans among the team as they spotted some distinctive markings on the spider which reminded them of the movie Venom.

Scientists MSc Giullia Rossi, Dr Pedro Castanheira, and Dr Volker Framenau of Murdoch University worked with Dr Renner Baptista from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro to name the spider because of the distinctive black spots on its abdomen.

Advert

Meet the Venomius tomhardyi, so named because it kind of looks like his Marvel character Venom.
Murdoch University

The markings reminded the team of Venom's eyes in the movie, at least during the times when he's not peeling back his face to show Hardy's appearance underneath.

Because of this they've dubbed the new spider 'Venomius tomhardyi', with it being the only spider of the newly discovered 'Venomius' genus to be found, so perhaps one day the family could consist of more than just the 'tomhardyi' spiders.

While you might reckon that a spider named 'Venomius' to be, you know, venomous that's not actually the case so if you ever encounter one in the wild, it's probably fine to see if you can get a better look at it's distinctive pattern which scientists reckon makes it look like Hardy's character.

However, at this point, Hardy's take on the alien symbiote is yet to really dig into the whole spider thing as he's not interacted with the MCU beyond a couple of cameos.

Perhaps one day we'll see a Venom crossover with Tom Holland's Spidey and on that day, Venom will probably start becoming a lot more spider-like in his behaviour.

The spider has been named for its resemblance to Tom Hardy's Venom.
Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

While Hardy's Venom likes eating bad guys, the Venomius tomhardyi prefers to shelter in the branches of trees and spin circular webs to trap prey.

According to IGN, this is by no means the first time scientists have looked to the world of entertainment when trying to figure out what to call newly discovered species.

There's an ant, spider and a snake (why did it have to be snakes) named after Indiana Jones star Harrison Ford, who has had to deal with both while navigating traps on the way to treasure.

Meanwhile, a butterfly was named after Lord of the Rings baddie Sauron after researchers reckoned the pattern on its wings looked like the burning eye, lidless and unblinking, from Peter Jackson's adaptation of J.R.R Tolkien's legendary fantasy series.

  • Scientists discover how dog contact improves survival in cancer patients in shocking new study
  • Scientists discover first ever dolphin with 'thumbs' and reveal shocking reason why it could have happened
  • Scientists make groundbreaking discovery about chimpanzees' likeness to humans and it could change everything
  • Marvel Fans Convinced Tom Hardy Just Confirmed A Venom And Spider-Man Film

Choose your content:

an hour ago
2 hours ago
  • Getty Stock
    an hour ago

    Doctor explains what changes to your fingernails could reveal about your health

    Fingernails can prove to be a key indicator of health issues

    News
  • Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images
    an hour ago

    Scientists claim to discover a second Sphinx in Egypt after conducting underground scans

    Researchers believe they've found another Sphinx structure buried deep underground but the scientific community is not convinced.

    News
  • Kami Parsa, M.D. via YouTube
    2 hours ago

    Doctor reveals disturbing MRI scan of what happens to filler in the face as it never fully dissolves

    Injectable hyaluronic acid is used to reduce the appearance of lines and wrinkles

    News
  • Kevin Carter/Getty Images
    2 hours ago

    United Airlines praised for new 'Relax Row' feature that'll change how you fly

    One person said that the new feature 'might be the most loved upgrade in years'

    News