Summary
Scientists have named a new spider species after the popularMonster Hunterbeast Khezu. TheMonster Hunterfranchise is recognized for its incredible wildlife with many monsters based on real-life animals and others on fantasy creatures like dragons or leviathans.
Since the firstMonster Huntergame was released in 2004 for PlayStation 2, the series has presented players with dozens of fantastic monsters to hunt down, each with a unique physiology and behavior. Thelargest monsters inMonster Hunterare usually dragons, but the variety found in the Capcom franchise ranges from small beings like the feline lynians to huge deadly monsters like wyverns. These creatures are often inspired by mythological beings from tales, while others draw from existing life forms fans know. However, a group of scientists has turned the tables and named a newly found spider after aMonster Hunterbeast.
A newly discovered spider from China has received the name of Otacilia Khezu. The first half of the name, Otacilia, is the Latin term that describes the spider’s Araneomorphae genus, while the second half, Khezu, is a reference to theMonster Huntercreature.The paper was publishedin the Biodiversity Data Journal and the authors attribute the game as their inspiration. The Otacilia Khezhu is an eyeless spider and, in theMonster Hunterseries, Khezu are a kind of blind flying wyvern, so this is the trait that connects the two.
Scientists Name Newly Discovered Spider After Khezu From Monster Hunter
As pointed out by Twitter user SilencedVouivre, the scientist behind the Otalia Khezu is Arachnologist Yejie Lin and they have previously named other real-life animals after their personal interests. For example, they named two spiders Funny Valentine and Gyro Zeppeli, like the characters fromJojo’s Bizarre Adventure, and they came up with the Rathalus genus based on anotherMonster Hunterwyvern. The author is not alone in the trend of naming newly found life forms based on pop culture. In fact, severalinsects and animals are named after video game franchises.
Khezu are a popular species from theMonster Huntersaga, as they were introduced in the first installment of the series and have returned in various sequels. Even though Khezu are eyeless, they are still among thehardest monsters to kill inMonster Hunter: Rise. Whether Khezu will appear in the upcomingMonster Hunter Wildsremains unknown.
In May 2024, theMonster Hunterfranchise hit 100 million copies sold, a milestone that followed the saga’s 20th anniversary. Fans can look forward to even more content and new monsters whenMonster Hunter Wildsreleases in 2025.
Monster Hunter Wilds
WHERE TO PLAY
The unbridled force of nature runs wild and relentless, with environments transforming drastically from one moment to the next. This is a story of monsters and humans and their struggles to live in harmony in a world of duality.Fulfill your duty as a Hunter by tracking and defeating powerful monsters and forging strong new weapons and armor from the materials you harvest from your hunt as you uncover the connection between the people of the Forbidden Lands and the locales they inhabit.The ultimate hunting experience awaits you in Monster Hunter Wilds.
