Saurona
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Nymphalidae
Subfamily: Satyrinae
Tribe: Satyrini
Subtribe: Euptychiina
Genus: Saurona
Huertas & Willmott, 2023
Type species
Euptychia aurigera var triangula

Saurona is a genus of butterfly belonging to the family Nymphalidae found in the Neotropics. This genus was proposed as a new genus in 2023.

Species

Saurona currently has two species classified within it[1][2] but there are thought to be many more undescribed species.[3][4]

  • Saurona aurigera (Weymer, 1911)
  • Saurina triangula (Aurivillius, 1929)

Etymology

Saurona is named after the fictional Sauron, the villain from Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien. Tolkien described Sauron's all-seeing eye as follows: “The Eye was rimmed with fire, but was itself glazed, yellow as a cat’s, watchful and intent, and the black slit of its pupil opened on a pit, a window into nothing.” These butterflies have distinctive eyespots of bright orange and black.[5]

References

  1. 1 2 Espeland, Marianne; Nakahara, Shinichi; Zacca, Thamara; Barbosa, Eduardo P.; Huertas, Blanca; et al. (2023). "Combining target enrichment and Sanger sequencing data to clarify the systematics of the diverse Neotropical butterfly subtribe Euptychiina (Nymphalidae, Satyrinae)". Systematic Entomology: 1–73. doi:10.1111/syen.12590. ISSN 1365-3113. S2CID 258075865.
  2. ↑ Wahlberg, Niklas. "Euptychiina". nymphalidae.net. Retrieved 5 June 2023.
  3. ↑ Corp, Rob (7 May 2023). "Butterfly species named after Lord of the Rings villain Sauron". BBC. Retrieved 7 May 2023.
  4. ↑ Ashworth, James (7 May 2023). New group of butterflies named after Lord of the Rings villain Sauron (Report). Natural History Museum. Retrieved 7 May 2023.
  5. ↑ McKie, Robin (7 May 2023). "'Rimmed with fire': rare butterfly genus named after Sauron in Lord of the Rings". The Guardian. Retrieved 7 May 2023.
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