Saurona Genus

May 8, 2023

The Natural History Museum in London has named a newly discovered genus of butterflies Saurona. The name was chosen because the black rings on the butterfly’s orange wings reminded the experts of the all-seeing eye in JRR Tolkien’s books. Dr Blanca Heurtas, curator of the butterflies at the museum, picked the name for the genus, which is expected to draw attention to the species and generate more research.

Genus description

Two species of butterfly, Saurona triangula and Saurona aurigera, have been added to the newly named Saurona genus. These two species are the inaugural members of the group, but the team expects many more species to join them. For ten years, scientists from various parts of the world examined the butterfly subtribe Euptychiina, and they scrutinized over 400 butterfly species. The experts used advances in DNA to identify the differences between them at a genetic level, as well as by their appearance.

Another butterfly genus named

Apart from Saurona, the team has also found another butterfly genus, which Dr Huertas has named Argenteria, meaning silver mine, on account of the silver scales on its wings.

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