Scientist Names New Group Of Butterflies After ‘Lord Of The Rings’

If you’re familiar with J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, you’re probably familiar with the Eye of Sauron.

The well-known symbol from the popular film series depicts a fiery orange eye peering over Middle Earth. It’s chilling and iconic all at once.

Photo: Pexels/JESHOOTS.com

It seems a scientist with the Natural History Museum in London is a fan of Lord of the Rings and Sauron alike as she recently named a new group of butterflies after the Dark Lord antagonist.

Given the butterflies boast bright orange hindwings and dark eyespots, it seems like a fitting name to say the least.

Photo: Pexels/Pixabay.com

The Saurona species was named by Dr. Blanca Huertas, the Senior Curator of Butterflies at the Natural History Museum.

A study on the new butterfly species was published in the journal Systematic Entomology and describes two members of the genus: Saurona triangula and Saurona aurigera.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons/Maurobio License: CC BY-SA 4.0

According to the Natural History Museum, Dr. Huertas said of her name choice, “Giving these butterflies an unusual name helps to draw attention to this underappreciated group. It shows that, even among a group of very similar-looking species, you can find beauty among the dullness.”

You can learn more about the butterflies in the study here.

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