The Associated Press
AUGUSTA, Maine–Maine officials say a new species of wasp has been discovered.
The Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry said University of Maine student Hillary Morin Peterson discovered the species while conducting work for her thesis.
The department announced the discovery yesterday.
The Brunswick resident named the wasp Ormocerus dirigoius in tribute to Maine’s motto, “Dirigo.”
It means “I lead” in Latin.
Peterson discovered a small, non-stinging species of wasp while doing research about the invasive winter moths that live in Maine.
Her work was in collaboration with the Maine Forest Service.
Peterson now is a graduate student at Pennsylvania State University, studying entomology.
Her discovery of the new species is documented in a paper that appeared last month in the Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington.
