Butterflies named after Lord of the Rings villain Sauron – See photos

Scientists have named two species of butterfly after one of the most famous villains in fiction, namely Lord of Darkness or Lord of the Rings, also known as Sauron.

The Eye of Sauron is a well-known symbol from The Lord of the Rings and was depicted on screen as a fiery orange eye looking out over the landscape of Middle Earth.

So when two different groups of butterflies with bright orange hindwings and dark, eye-like spots needed to be named, the researchers wasted no time and immediately honored his work JRR Tolkienof the author of “The Lord of the Rings”, giving his name.

The names given were the Saurona triangula and Saurona aurigerawith small differences between them.

“Giving these butterflies an unusual name helps draw attention to this underappreciated group“, says Dr Blanca Huertas, Senior Curator of Butterflies at the Natural History Museum, London. “We prove that even among a group of items that look similar, you can find something different».

What do you call a butterfly?

While Saurona triangula and Saurona aurigera are the first butterflies to be named after him Sauronthey are not the only ones named after the character. A beetle, a frog and even a dinosaur have been named after the villain, bearing features reminiscent of his eponymous eye.

Although naming animals after a fictional character may seem false, it can be an important way to draw attention to them. For example, three Australian beetles are named after legendary Pokémon in a bid to attract funding to conserve species destroyed by the 2019/20 fires.

“There are also many other groups of butterflies and insects that need attention to be better understood and protected».