A newfound spider by researchers from University of Tehram in Iran was named after Aragog, the creature from Harry Potter Universe.
The specie is called ‘Lycosa aragogi’, which has a one-inch-long body (excluding the legs), its upper body has black and white stripes and it also has black mark on the appendages by its mouth, giving the spider a charismatic look.
The ‘Lycosa aragogi’ and the spider that inspired the Aragog created for the movies are from the same genus. The researcher Alireza Zamani from University of Tehram told on a interview with ‘Live Sience’ that the similarities and the 20th anniversary of the series motivated the tribute.
This is not the first time that an arachnid is named after a Harry Potter’s character. A specie found in India on 2016, recieve the name ‘Eriovixia gryffindori’ in reference to Godric Griffyndor. This idea of joining pop culture and science is not only a proof of there are potterheads in the most diverse professions, but also a way to get the attention and arouse interest in the young ones.
