Jay Chou’s Hits Are Now Crawling Into Science — As Spider Names

Mandopop sensation Jay Chou has left his mark on music charts, concert halls, and pop culture. Now, he’s making his way into taxonomy. A Chinese researcher, and longtime fan, has named 16 newly discovered spider species after Chou’s most famous songs.

The discovery, led by arachnologist Mi Xiaoqi of Tongren University, in Guizhou province, was published in the journal Zoological Research: Diversity and Conservation this past December. His team identified 16 new spider species found in the tropical rainforests of Xishuangbanna, in southwestern China’s Yunnan province.

Rather than using traditional naming conventions — based on physical traits, location, or a researcher’s surname — Mi, a longtime Jay Chou fan, turned to his discography. The 43-year-old named each species after a Jay Chou hit, from “Anjing” (“Silence”) to “Dao Xiang” (“Rice Field”).

“I really enjoy his music, and since he has so many songs, there was a wide range of choices,” Mi told domestic media. He added that the idea was inspired by another study that named new species after movie characters to avoid duplication.

Since early January, news of Mi’s discovery has taken over Chinese social media, racking up 26 million views on microblogging platform Weibo. Some called him “the ultimate fan,” a scientist fusing taxonomy with Mandopop.

“Jay Chou’s fanbase cuts across generations and industries, with many fans being top professionals in their fields. It’s no surprise that many leaders in their respective industries are also fans of his music,” wrote one top-rated comment on Weibo.

Mi’s team found the new species at the Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden and its surrounding areas. The area has recorded a total of 920 spider species over the past 18 years, according to the research paper.

These newly identified spiders belong to the Araneidae family, commonly known as orb-weavers, the third most diverse spider family. In China, more than 460 species across 50 genera in this family have been recorded.

Mi initially worried the naming might seem frivolous. Instead, the reaction has been overwhelmingly positive. “It’s brought attention to our field,” he said. “People are learning about spider taxonomy and better understanding our work.”

While Mi’s personal admiration for Jay Chou is clear, his decision to use the singer’s songs for naming the species was largely based on practicality. With over 50,000 known spider species in the world, Mi explained, it’s crucial to avoid duplication in names, which could lead to confusion in scientific research.

“Having the same name for different species in research papers may confuse readers and lead to misunderstandings about which species is being discussed,” he told domestic media.

Although the characteristics of the spiders don’t necessarily relate to the themes of the songs, Mi’s selection process wasn’t random. To ensure the names were concise and memorable, Mi and his team chose only two-character song titles.

For example, Cyclosa anjing sp. nov., named after Chou’s song “Anjing,” features a pear-shaped, yellowish-brown body with dark patches — though it shares no thematic link to the song. Another, Zhuaraneus daoxiang sp. nov., takes its name from “Dao Xiang,” a song about resilience. The spider has a dark brown, pear-shaped body with a pale stripe running down its back.

In recent years, China has made significant strides in spider taxonomy, with Yunnan and Jiangxi provinces leading the way in new species discoveries. According to a 2020 report, Yunnan alone accounts for nearly 40% of all newly identified spider species in the country.

Mi, who has spent his career studying arachnids, has identified nearly 100 new species. “I know each species well. I can usually tell at a glance if something is new,” he said.

(Header image: From the journal Zoological Research and Weibo, re-edited by Sixth Tone)