After waiting for so long to win an Oscar, Leonardo DiCaprio has somehow managed to earn an even greater honour: he's had a previously undiscovered species of beetle named after him.

The Grouvellinus leonardodicaprioi, which measures about 3mm by 1.5mm, was discovered at the base of a waterfall in Borneo.

Staff at the Maliau Basin Studies Centre chose its name, according to the Taxon Foundation, which trains 'citizen scientists' to help experts find and identify new species.

But why? Well, the name recognises the 20th anniversary of the environmentally focused Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation, which has given out more than $80 million to groups representing indigenous rights, conservation efforts and other green causes.

“Tiny and black, this new beetle may not win any Oscars for charisma, but in biodiversity conservation, every creature counts,” said entomologist Dr Iva Njunjić, who founded Taxon Foundation and has seemingly been in the jungle for so long that she's unaware the Academy don't give out prizes for abstract concepts.

The honour marks a renewed sense of detente between DiCaprio and the animal kingdom, following his punch-up with a bear in The Revenant.

This isn't the first time a species has been named after DiCaprio either: in 2017, a spider discovered in the Dominican Republic was named Spintharus leonardodicaprioi.