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The Lord of the Rings Inspires Naming of Newly Found Butterfly
The butterfly family has just expanded. Scientists have added a brand new genus to it. It has been named Sauron — after the ruler of Mordor from J.R.R. Tolkien’s novel.
Surrounded by fire, yellow like a cat’s, alert and focused, with a black slit in the middle. Such was the Eye of Sauron, guarding Tolkien’s Mordor. A similar pattern was discovered on the wings of small butterflies. Scientists have named them Sauron’s.
Butterflies belonging to the genus Sauron have orange wings. They are decorated with bright spots with black borders. These spots look like eyes. They make the small and delicate insects appear more dangerous to their natural enemies than they actually are.
For now, scientists have discovered two new species belonging to Sauron. They have been named Sauron triangula and Sauron aurigera. Researchers speculate that there may be many more. However, their search is a race against time.
Endangered butterfly species
“Butterflies are under enormous…
