Joaquin Phoenix now has a spider named after him

Hollywood actor Joaquin Phoenix has received numerous accolades during the span of his career. But this year, he's being honored in a very unique way: by naming a newly discovered spider after him.

Joaquin Phoenix | Photo by: Harald Krichel (Wikipedia)

The newfound spider in Iran was named Loureedia phoenixi. It belongs to a genus of spiders named after iconic punk rock musician Lou Reed, who rarely smiled and known to wear mostly black clothing. Hence, part of the spider's name is 'Loureedia.'

The Loureedia phoenixi. A new and easternmost species of Loureedia (Aranei: Eresidae) from Iran - Scientific Figure on ResearchGate. | Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Habitus-of-in-vivo-specimens-of-Loureedia-phoenixi-spn-Alborz-Province-Karaj-N_fig1_342313071 [accessed 29 Jun, 2020] | Photos by: Alireza Zamani (Researchgate)

It was specifically given the name 'phoenixi' because the red and white pattern on its back had an uncanny resemblance to the makeup of the famous Batman villain, the Joker, whom Joaquin Phoenix portrayed in the film 'Joker' in 2019.

Joaquin Phoenix as Joker | Source: IMDB and Warner Bros.

The Loureedia phoenixi belongs to the Eresidae family, who are also known as velvet spiders. It is the first Loureedia spider to be identified outside of the Mediterranean region.

Live Science also reports that velvet spiders like the Loureedia phoenixi are known for their unusual habits such as building communal nests and caring for their young collectively.

Check out more photos of the Loureedia phoenixi below.

What do you think, mga Kapuso? Does the spider really look like The Joker? Sound off in the comments section.

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