Drummer from Sheffield rockers Def Leppard 'honoured' to have spider named after him

Rick Allen, who hails from Dronfield, just outside Sheffield, was one of four heavy metal legends to get a species of the creepy crawlies named in their honour.

Extraordinarius rickalleni is the full title of his new eight-legged namesake, with the other species named after Iron Maiden’s Bruce Dickinson, Scorpions star Klaus Meine and the late Brazilian singer Andre Matos.

The monikers were chosen by the Brazilian biologist Christina Rheims, who discovered the species, according to a report by Public Radio International.

The scientist, who works at Sao Paulo’s biological research center, Instituto Butantan, has reportedly named more than 200 new spider species.

Responding to the news, Mr Allen said: “I am honored! Thank you, Christina Rheims! You rock!”

Describing why she had chosen to name one of the species after the Def Leppard drummer, Ms Rheims was quoted as saying: “I’ve always wanted to honor Rick Allen because I think he's an example.

“You have a drummer that loses an arm, and he continues his career and he learns how to play with only one arm. So he's one of the Extraordinarius as well."

The new spider species are between one and two centimetres long, nocturnal and pose no danger to humans.