Scientist Who Discovered Species of Butterfly Names it After Iryna Zarutska to Ensure She is Never Forgotten
A newly discovered butterfly species has been named after Iryna Zarutska, the 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee who was brutally stabbed to death in North Carolina on a Charlotte light rail train in August.
Zarutska, who fled war-torn Ukraine seeking safety in America, was savagely attacked from behind and stabbed in the neck by a repeat criminal, Decarlos Brown Jr., 31, while riding the train.
Surveillance video captured the gruesome attack, during which bystanders showed no concern for Zarutska as she bled to death.
To honor her memory, lepidopterist Harry Pavulaan, a 70-year-old scientist who discovered the new butterfly species in the southeastern U.S., named it “Celastrina iryna” or “Iryna’s Azure.”
Pavulaan, moved to tears by Zarutska’s story, published a taxonomic report on the butterfly, which features light blue wings and flies mainly in April in South Carolina.
“The species name is a tribute to Iryna Zarutska, the 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee who was senselessly murdered on August 22, 2025, on a Charlotte, N.C. transit car. Common name: Iryna’s Azure. The name is derived from the Greek goddess of peace, and is associated with tranquility, harmony and serenity,” Pavulaan wrote in his report.
Pavulaan sent copies of his research and photos of the butterflies to Zarutska’s family, hoping to provide a small measure of comfort.
Brown has been charged with first-degree murder, and he will be eligible for the death penalty.
Homeless and reportedly suffering from schizophrenia, Brown has a rap sheet dating back to 2007 with at least 14 arrests in North Carolina alone. His prior convictions include assault, illegal firearms possession, felony robbery, and larceny. He should have been locked up long before this tragedy.
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2025/10/scientist-who-discovered-species-butterfly-names-it-after/