Common names of insects and related arthropods were formally recognized in the United States in the early 20th century to help bridge communication between those who study insects and those who don’t. However, not all common names accepted over the past 120 years align with the goal of better communication; instead of acting as bridges, some act as barriers.
ESA’s Better Common Names Project (www.entsoc.org/better-common-names-project) is an effort to identify and change common names of insects and related arthropods that are offensive, derogatory, exclusionary, and/or dehumanizing. One of the end goals is to make entomology and sectors of the public that interact with entomology more inclusive, respectful, and effective. The project was announced in July 2021, along with an announcement that ESA had unapproved the common name for Lymantria dispar. Feedback on the project was extensive, from statements of support to profanity-laden voicemails.
What is Problematic about Common Names?
Common names affect people in our science and community. Here are some comments shared during development of the Better Common Names Project:
- “I can recall the feelings that the annual ‘gypsy moth’ eradication and education campaigns brought forth for me as a child—embarrassment, worry that I/we were dirty, and fear that my neighbors would make the connection between myself and my family and those moths and caterpillars that were such nuisances.”
- “Having to address the g-word … on a required, state-mandated form felt like a huge violation of my dignity and a disregard for the dignity of Roma people in general.”—Victoria Rios
- “It is uncomfortable sitting in the audience during a presentation where the insect common name has the word ‘Asian’ in it, and the words that immediately follow are: invasive, pest, nuisance, problematic, etc. Shortly after a presentation on insect pests, someone turned to me and said that I would be considered an invasive species.”
- “Combining ‘Japanese’ with ‘invasive’ reinforces the narrative of Japanese people as unwanted and dangerous outsiders and is a painful reminder of the trauma we survived.”
- “The geographic names are problematic when explaining non-native species taking over a region and I’ve heard many xenophobic remarks.”
ESA’s Better Common Names Project (www.entsoc.org/better-common-names-project) is an effort to identify and change common names of insects and related arthropods that are offensive, derogatory, exclusionary, and/or dehumanizing.
Furthermore, immigrants, refugees, or “othered” groups are often compared to insects or referenced in terms commonly used for harmful insects (e.g., vermin, pests, infestations, plagues, swarms) in order to dehumanize people and sway public opinion against inclusion of those groups (Santa Ana 1999; Anderson 2017).
Some common names can have a similar dehumanizing effect. After the common name for L. dispar was unapproved, Ethel Brooks, a Romani scholar at Rutgers University, told CNN, “This is a step toward us being able to push back, and say, ‘Hey, there are actually 12 million or more of us in the world. We have a history. We are people. We’re human’” (Boha and Marya 2021; emphasis mine).
Similarly, Margareta Matache, director of the Roma Program at Harvard University, said in the same CNN story, “We have been constantly dehumanized through the means of language, and links to insects, animals, criminality, opulence. Changing the name of this insect is very relevant in rectifying the mainstream narratives about Romani people.”
Following a similar thread, Jeannie Shinozuka wrote in American Quarterly, “[T]he Japanese beetle … influenced anti-Asian and anti-immigration policies during the early twentieth century. The umbrella metaphor of Japanese immigrants as invaders formed the central vehicle that dehumanized them and persuaded the larger American public that these foreigners ought to be eradicated” (Shinozuka 2013).
How Can You Get Involved?
There are many ways that each of us can make changes to build a more inclusive entomology society as relates to common names:
- Use new names when available. The project to improve common names only works if the community joins in adopting the new names when they are announced.
- Support the effort at an organizational level. Successfully changing common names will require communication efforts to scientists, stakeholders, and the public, as well as re-creating outreach materials, updating websites, modifying regulatory documents, and more. The resources, influence, and support of organizations and institutions will be essential in getting the work done.
- Join a working group. For each organism undergoing a name change, a working group will be formed to research, select, and propose a new name. The Better Common Names Project was created in response to requests for change from the community, and working groups will allow the community to lead the process of name changes. Stay tuned for announcements about what names might be changing and how to join a working group.
- Pay attention to language. Are there other areas in our science where our common language contributes to the ubiquity of racism and xenophobia? If yes, how can we adjust it to be more inclusive and respectful?
Common names of insects and related arthropods have been implicitly and explicitly participatory in dehumanizing people. Changing common names won’t end this form of racism and xenophobia, but perhaps it could help alleviate it. Together, we can reverse course and build a better common names program for a more inclusive and respectful society for all.
Josh Lancette is managing editor for the Entomological Society of America.
Published in American Entomologist, Volume 67, Issue 4, Winter 2021, Pages 10–11, https://doi.org/10.1093/ae/tmab061Published: 09 December 2021, Josh Lancette