King Philip

By Eleanor Pritchard

 

Answer: GLADIATOR

 

The phrases given are all scientific names of animals in Linnaean binomial nomenclature, but they’ve been translated from Latin (or Greek) into English:

 

betrothed waterfowl (10, 1) = Aix sponsa (Wood Duck)
irritate with back (5,6) = Erethizon dorsatum (Porcupine)
naked nose blue head (9,1) = Gymnorhinus cyanocephalus (Pinyon jay)
elegant recent rod-like (2,10)  = Caenorhabditis elegans (Roundworm)

snake chief among birds (11,9) = Archilochus colubris (Ruby-throated-hummingbird)
chief squid duke (10,1) = Architeuthis dux (Giant Squid)
half-ass hollow tooth (5,6) = Odocoileus hemionus (Mule Deer)

black-bellied dew lover (5,7) = Drosophila melanogaster (Fruit Fly)

savory beautiful swimmer (3,6) = Callinectes sapidus (Blue Crab)
noisy goat-milker (6,14) =
Caprimulgus vociferous (Whip-poor-will)
beautiful-winged virgin (1,4) = Calopteryx virgo (Beautiful demoiselle)
 
washing pre-dog (4,9) = Procyon lotor (Raccoon)
two wombs eared (9,4) = Didelphis aurita (Big-eared Opossum)
water-dwelling blind rat (3,7) =
Scalopus aquaticus (Eastern Mole)
Mocińo's long mantle (6,4) = Pharomachrus  mocino (Resplendent Quetzal)
migratory wanderer (4,3) =
Ectopistes migratorius (Passenger Pigeon)

vampire squid from hell (2,10) = Vampyroteuthis infernalis (Deep Sea Squid)

                      

 

At the beginning of the puzzle it says to put them in order. In this case, “order” refers to the taxonomic order; animals are classified into the following categories (from general to specific)- Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus and Species. Each organism needs to be put into the appropriate order. The numbers after each phrase indicate which two letters to pull out of that order:

 

ANSERIFORMES (10,1) - MA
RODENTIA (5,6) - NT
PASSERIFORMES (9,1) - OP
RHABDITIDA (2,10) - HA
APODIFORMES (11,9) -SM
TEUTHOIDEA (10,1) - AT
ARTIODACTYLA (5,6) - OD

DIPTERA (5,7) – EA

 

DECAPODA (3,6) - CO
CAPRIMULGIFORMES (6,14) - MM
ODONATA (1,4) - ON

CARNIVORA (4,9) - NA
DIDELPHIMORPHIA (9,4)- ME 

INSECTIVORA (3,7) - SI
TROGONIFORMES (6,4) - NG
COLUMBIFORMES (4,3) - UL
VAMPYROMORPHIDA (2,10) – AR

 

Pulling the appropriate letters out of the orders, you get the phrase: MANTOPHASMATODEA COMMON NAME SINGULAR.

 

  Mantophasmatodea was the new insect order discovered in 2002. They were given the common name “Gladiators” because their exoskeletons resemble the armor worn by Roman gladiators. Taking the singular, you get the answer to the puzzle:  GLADIATOR