I’m amazed that this thread got to Page 2 without anyone mentioning Hallucigenia.
Hallucigenia may be the best of them, but some of the other Burgess Shale critters have names just as weird as the animals themselves.
First time I ever came upon the official platycerium superbum (staghorn fern), I read it as super-bum rather than superb-um. Gave me then and still gives the giggles.
Yes, I am a simpleton, why do you ask? 
The Australian Canefield Rat is Rattus Sordidus. It’s a dirty rat…
This list is useful and demonstrates re-categorizing phenomena (lumping and splitting?). Table is in section 2.
Hint: Ultra-sonicus ad infinitum and Nemesis ridiculii.
I’ve always liked the nuttiness of this situation; and the scientific name of the endearingly human-looking Atlantic puffin, Fratercula arctica (“Arctic little brother”). I seem to recall reading (can give no cite, unfortunately), that in the past, at least according to some biologists, the Manx shearwater went for the “triple event” – being called Puffinus puffinus puffinus.
A muscaria is edible if cooked unto death. Promise.
And while not every biology teacher is a prude, nor did I say that all of them were, I had two who had serious problems pronouncing phaloides without looking about to faint. Of course that only led to us students finding the name even more fun.
Quetzalcoatlus northropi - a pterosaur the size of a school bus. :eek: I have a tie with a Q. northropi stitched into the pattern, which I bought at the Smithsonian during my first trip to DC. 
Cryptoprocta ferox, the fossa of Madagascar. It’s anus is difficult to see, it’s kind of, uh, pouchy back there. Hidden anus, fierce. Sure, good description.
Selachimorpha, for shark.
Two from the plant kingdom which I’ve always liked: Haplopappus coronopifolius, a flowering plant in the Asteraceae family; and Echinopsis tubiflora, a kind of cactus.
Ursus horribilis, the horrible bear.
I like Tetrax tetrax, but it got a raw deal on its common name.
Me too!
Me too!
Me too!
I’ve caused many hundreds of trees to be planted by design, finding, transporting, placing, pruning, caring for – just not actually digging the holes – and my very favorite is one particular Dawn Redwood.
Gigantopithecus blacki, the giant prehistoric ape of East Asia, hands down.
In my nerdy wannabe anthropologist way, I keep imagining a character named Gigantopithecus Blackie in some satire or spoof of—of what, I have no idea.
angelica archangelica the Garden Angelica.
The entire reason I opened this Thread was to see how many posts it would take before someone mentioned Strigiphilus garylarsoni.
running coach gets it in the very first reply.
Well done, running coach. Well done.
There’s a joke in here somewhere, that I’m not going to say.
Just had a dream where I asked this question, and I figured I might as well bump this old thread as post a new one. I’m sure there are people here now with favorite scientific names who didn’t get to participate 7 years ago.
My favorite is, for no good reason, Gadus Morhua. It just seems like a very metal name for the good old Atlantic Cod.
We used to call the unwanted freshwater drum (fish) a pogonias cromis when we caught one. That’s actually the name of the saltwater drum but pogonias cromis is fun to say.