In September we set readers the unusual task of coming up with a name for a new species of wasp. The creature is a member of the Ecuadorian parasitic wasp family and has resided without a name in The Natural History Museum in London since being donated by Martin Cooper, an insect collector, in 2005. To mark the launch of the museum’s Darwin Centre, staff decided it was time the insect was given a proper title and handed responsibility over to Times readers.

Names for the exotic insect poured in, with around 800 entries by the time we closed the competition. The judges, comprising The Times science team and Dr Gavin Broad, the museum’s parasitic wasp curator, set about picking a worthy winner. Perhaps unsurprisingly, given the insect’s bloodsucking tendencies, bankers, politicians and mother-in-laws received a generous share of votes.

Various other gripes (Ofsted inspectors, student fees) and dedications (Michael Jackson, Margaret Thatcher, Darwin) were aired but none seemed to have a broad enough appeal. In the end, we decided a priority should be picking a name that would be helpful for the scientists who will use it. I asked Dr Broad what he thought made a good species name. “The traditional descriptive names are most useful as they help you to remember who they are,” he said.

We were looking for a name that instantly invoked the wasp’s long iridescent form. All the judges agreed that the name entered by Jean Halperin, an artist from North London, does just this. Her suggestion was to name the wasp after the Swiss sculptor Alberto Giacometti, famous for his stretched-out figures, which have an insect-like quality. Here’s what she said on her entry: “When I looked at the large picture of the wasp, my first thought was — a Giacometti! This wasp is slender and elegant and deserves this name in celebration of its natural extended physical structure.”

To recap on nomenclature, new species are always given a first name, middle name and an author’s name. The first refers to its genus, which in this case Umanella, the second is its unique species name and the last name is that of the first person to describe the wasp in a scientific paper, which will be Dr Broad. An insect is not considered to have an official scientific name until it is described together with its name in scientific literature. The paper describing the Giacometti wasp is being prepared and should be published in the next few months. But, for now, let me unofficially introduce you to Umanella Giacomettae Broad.

Hannah Devlin

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