Scientist discovers new species - on ebay

5:24pm Wednesday 20th August 2008

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A SCIENTIST discovered a new species of insect where he least expected to - on the auctioning website ebay.

After months of investigating the insect trapped inside amber Richard Harrington, from Harpenden, was delighted to learn it was in fact an undiscovered insect.

It was bought for just £20 from an unsuspecting owner in Kaliningrad near the Baltics last year, but his discovery was only made official this week.

The entomologist, who works at Rothamstead Research Centre in Harpenden and is the vice-president of the Royal Entomological Society in Chiswell Green Lane, St Albans, had wanted to name the insect Mindarus ebayi after the site but fellow workers did not find his quip amusing.

It was instead named after himself; Mindarus harringtoni.

Dr Harrington said: "I have never used EBay before in my life but colleague pointed it out and I gave him the £20 to buy it.

"It's rather nice to have something named after you, even if it is an old fossil.

"Definitely £20 well spent."

The aphid, which is around 40 to 50 million years-old, is now on display at the Natural History Museum.