Scientists name newly discovered species after famous people for all kinds of reasons. They could look like the specie. Often, naming a specie after a famous person also helps raise awareness of the creature, and could even help save it if it’s endangered. Mostly, researchers name their discoveries in tribute or gratitude; for example, Hugh Hefner has a rabbit specie named after him because he helped fund its research. Same with a lemur named after comedian John Cleese. US President George Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney and Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld each have a slime-mold beetle named after them. And then there’s Stephen Colbert, who begged scientists on national TV to name anything after him. He got the Aptostichus stephencolberti — a trapdoor species of spider. But we're here to look at the musicians who have inspired the names of four (or more) legged friends. Here are 20 of our favorites.

David Bowie: 'Heteropoda davidbowie'

The Heteropoda davidbowie, distinguished by its large size and yellow hair, can be found in parts of Malaysia. It was named after David Bowie because of his musical contribution to arachnid world – the 1972 concept album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars.

Peter Jäger, the German spider expert who discovered the Heteropoda davidbowie, said that naming spiders after celebrities helped draw attention to the marginal status of many species as human activity destroys their habitats.