Scientists have named a newly discovered species of butterfly after the villain Sauron from the Lord of the Rings fantasy book series. The reason for this is the striking pattern of black rings on a yellow background on the wings of the animals.
The rings resemble the all-seeing eye of Sauron from JRR Tolkien’s books, or so the reasoning goes.
Saurona triangula and Saurona aurigera
So far, only two species of butterflies known as “Saurona” are known: Saurona triangula and Saurona aurigera. The researchers involved in the discovery of the animals assume that there are other species that have not yet been described. In addition to differences in appearance, they also analyzed the DNA of the animals.
“Giving these butterflies an unusual name draws attention to this underappreciated group,” said Butterfly Conservator Blanca Huertas of the Natural History Museum.
Sauron as a popular namesake
The description of the butterflies, now known as Saurona, is part of a larger international research project that has examined 400 species. In addition to butterflies, there is already a dung beetle, a frog and a dinosaur named after Sauron.
Source: Krone
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