Scientific nomenclature joins two formidable names

This story was originally published on HackerNoon at: https://hackernoon.com/scienti....fic-nomenclature-joi
It is not unpleasant to find an echo of these old fables in the history of animals.
Check more stories related to media at: https://hackernoon.com/c/media. You can also check exclusive content about #science-fiction, #nature, #hackernoon-books, #project-gutenberg, #books, #jean-henri-fabre, #ebooks, #life-and-love-of-the-insect, and more.

This story was written by: @jeanhenrifabre. Learn more about this writer by checking @jeanhenrifabre's about page, and for more stories, please visit hackernoon.com.

To describe the insect that forms the subject of this chapter, scientific nomenclature joins two formidable names: that of the Minotaur, Minos’ bull fed on human flesh in the crypts of the Cretan labyrinth; and that of Typhœus, one of the giants, sons of Terra, who tried to scale the heavens. Thanks to the clue of thread which he received from Minos’ daughter Ariadne, Theseus the Athenian found the Minotaur, slew him and made his escape, safe and sound, after delivering his country for ever from the dreadful tribute destined for the monster’s food. Typhœus, struck by a thunderbolt on his heaped-up mountains, was hurled under Mount Etna. He is there still. His breath is the smoke of the volcano. When he coughs, he spits out streams of lava; when he shifts his position from one shoulder to the other, he puts Sicily aflutter; he shakes her with an earthquake.