New Butterfly Species Named for Iryna Zarutska

Researchers have formally described a previously unrecognized southeastern U.S. butterfly as Celastrina iryna, commonly called “Iryna’s Azure,” in a paper published in The Taxonomic Report of the International Lepidoptera Survey. Lepidopterist Harry Pavulaan, who collected specimens in South Carolina in 2018 and examined material first noted in 1985, said he named the species to honor 23‑year‑old Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska after her August killing on a Charlotte light‑rail train. The small, light‑blue butterfly has been recorded across the southeastern coastal plain, including South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Mississippi and North Carolina, and males are notable for clear dorsal wing scales. Researchers say the taxon may represent hybrid introgression within the Celastrina group rather than a simple single-species lineage. Pavulaan said he has been in contact with Zarutska’s family, who welcomed the tribute; meanwhile the accused, Decarlos Brown, has been arrested and charged, and North Carolina lawmakers have passed a bill bearing Zarutska’s name amid wider discussion of transit safety.