In a new instance of Tolkien’s masterpiece Lord of the Rings’s finding fans in corners of the world, and this time, it is a group of scientists. According to a report from May 7, scientists of Natural History Museum named a group of butterflies after the iconic villain of the Lord of the Rings series, Sauron.
A group of butterflies were recently named after the Lord of the Rings villain Sauron: Saurona triangula and Saurona aurigera. Context here being their description: They are characterised by their “bright orange hindwings with dark eyespots” on them. One can see where the scientists can draw the similarity with the Eye of Sauron in this picture of the butterfly.
About naming the butterflies after the Lord of the Rings villain, Dr. Blanca Huertas, Senior Curator of Butterflies at the Natural History Museum said,
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.
As it turns out, scientists had earlier named a dung beetle, a frog, and even a dinosaur after the LOTR villain Sauron, referencing the Eye. And Sauron isn’t the only character from Tolkien’s works to have made his way into our world. Gandalf has a group of fossil mammals, a species of crab, moth, and beetle named after him. Snails, wasps, and a fish have been named after Gollum.
Reiterating Dr. Huertas’ point, naming animals after fictional characters helps draw public attention to them. This can help in raising awareness about them while helping with their conservation. Earlier, Australian beetles too were named after legendary Pokémon right after the wildfires of 2019-20.
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