New Tarantula Named After Music Legend Johnny Cash

The spider in black, named after the man in black.

A new species of tarantula has been discovered in California by scientists. The black tarantula was discovered in Folsom, California by the lead author of the study Chris Hamilton. Hamilton, who is a self-described Johnny Cash fanatic, named the tarantula after the music legend because of the spider's all black exterior.

The researchers from Auburn University and Millsaps College were examining tarantulas found throughout the Southern United States. For the past decade, they have collected over 3,000 different species in multiple states. The Johnny Cash was often mistaken for another spider, A. iodius.

While Hamilton says he didn't go out looking for a spider to name after Johnny Cash, the deep black color of the male spiders made him think of the country music legend. Also, the location of where the spiders were found was in Folsom, California. Folsom is the home of the state penitentiary where Johnny Cahs famously performed beck in 1968. Once he put together the color of the spider and the location, Hamilton said "the name popped into my head. It fit perfectly."