Overview
- Scientists at the Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology published a taxonomic description in Palaeoworld that names the fossil wasp Gwesped piastrii.
- The described specimen is a roughly 2.3 mm female preserved in Burmese amber that dates to the middle Cretaceous, about 98 million years ago.
- Authors assigned the species to the extinct subfamily Lancepyrinae and distinguished it by a higher flagellomere count and distinctive forewing venation.
- The paper says the amber's papaya-orange colour reminded the lead author of McLaren's livery and it explicitly cites Piastri's racing record as part of the naming rationale; the epithet is treated as a noun in the genitive case.
- Sports and general media have reported the naming and linked it to Piastri's recent Canadian Grand Prix weekend, and Piastri had not issued a public comment at the time of reporting.