A “Gypsy Moth”, now known solely as Lymantria dispar (Photo by Ben Sale, CC-BY-2.0)

Last Wednesday the Entomological Society of America announced that it will stop using common names of the Lymantria dispar moth and the Aphaenogaster araneoides ant: the “Gypsy Moth” and the “Gypsy Ant”. News outlets were quick to cover this story, as the New York Times garnered reactions from academics and entomologists, exploring the history of recent name changes in the entomology, ornithology, and other academic circles. The moth is particularly devastating to the Northeastern US, where its destruction regularly makes the news in places like the Finger Lakes and North Country regions of New York.

The move to rename the moth and ant is part of a greater initiative called the Better Common Names Project, wherein the society expresses the desire to bridge the gap between entomologists and the general public. The project acknowledges that “common names of insects were formally recognized in the early 20th century to help bridge communication between those who study insects and those who don’t. However, not all common names accepted over the past 120 years align with the goal of better communication, and some hinder it.” The project aims to end the use of “problematic names perpetuate harm against people of various ethnicities and races, create an entomological and cultural environment that is unwelcoming and non-inclusive, disrupt communication and outreach, and counteract the very purpose of common names.”

Until a new name is announced, scientists will use the Latin names Lymantria dispar and Aphaenogaster araneoides to refer to these insects. If you are interested in joining the committee responsible for renaming this moth, you can fill out an application form here.

John Mercer Langston, member of the United States House of Representatives.

An Arlington County highway named for the Confederate General Robert E. Lee may soon be renamed for John M. Langston, an abolitionist and Virginia’s first Black congressman. After a year-long process, the Arlington County Board is set to vote on the issue soon. The road was named “Lee Highway” in the 1920’s, long after the eponymous former Confederate General lived in Arlington County. The County recently renamed another highway once named for former Confederate President Jefferson Davis. John M. Langston was one of five African Americans elected to congress during the Jim Crow era, and would be one of the last Black congressmen elected from the southern United States until 1972, after the Voting Rights Act was passed.

As reported by the Chronicle of Higher Education, a committee at Dixie State University recommended the institution change its name to Utah Polytechnic State University. The move follows recent debates across the nation, including Washington and Lee University’s decision to keep its name amid student, faculty, and alumni initiated requests to change it. The article discusses the support and opposition to the measure in Utah, a state not typically associated with the American south.

TC Williams High School from King Street (Photo by Addisnog, CC-BY-4.0)

Next year, “Alexandria City High School” will grace the diplomas of graduates from the former “T.C. Williams High School”. The school was named for former superintendent Thomas Chambliss Williams, a fervent segregationist who argued against integrating Alexandria public schools. Students petitioned for a name change and were successful this academic year. The school is most recently famous for the motion picture Remember the Titans, which featured a dramatized version of the school district’s integration efforts as they impacted the lives of the students.

While the doppelgangers might not appear in the same aisle (or even the same local grocer), THC infused candies stylized like their popular non-THC infused equivalents are sweeping the markets in states that have legalized recreational cannabis. An article in The New York Times features images of two packages of Skittles, virtually identical save for a series of small cannabis leaves across the package. One is product of Mars Wrigley and the other a THC infused imposter.

Read more about efforts to protect trademarks and brand names, with a few interesting perspectives shared throughout, over at The New York Times.