Zyzzyva


Zyzzyva is a genus of South American weevils, often found on or near palm trees. It was first described in 1922 by Thomas Lincoln Casey Jr., based on specimens obtained in Brazil by Herbert Huntingdon Smith.
Casey describes Zyzzyva ochreotecta in his book Memoirs on the Coleoptera, Volume 10:

Etymology

Zyzzyva has achieved notoriety for being the last word in several English-language dictionaries. Casey is commonly credited with naming the genus, although the etymology of the word is unclear. One theory is that the word was inspired by Zyzza, a former genus of leafhoppers. An entomologist at New York's Museum of Natural History speculated that Casey made up the word as a joke, "to have the last word." The scrabble program Zyzzyva is named after the genus because it is one of the least likely words to be able to make in scrabble.

Species

There are three accepted species within this genus.
  • Zyzzyva ochreotecta Casey, 1922
  • Zyzzyva rufula Hustache, 1951
  • ''Zyzzyva squamosa''