The newly established beetle genus Luffy was not given its name simply as a playful reference. Researchers selected it because the insects have distinctive physical features that closely resemble the unusual abilities of Luffy, the main character in One Piece.
Compared with related beetles, members of this genus have exceptionally long and slender mandibles, antennae, and maxillary palps. Their stretched proportions reminded the scientists of Luffy's rubber body, which allows the fictional character to freely extend and enlarge his limbs.
Complete taxonomic descriptions of the genus and its species were published in the open-access, peer-reviewed journal ZooKeys.
Two New Luffy Beetle Species
So far, scientists have identified two species belonging to the new genus: Luffy schillhammeri and Luffy nika.
