Meet Joe Butterfly

by Wendee Holtcamp

New species are usually named by the scientists who discover them. But University of Florida biologists George Austin and Andrew Warren had a better idea: auction off the naming rights to a newly discovered owl butterfly and use the money for conservation research. An anonymous bidder paid $40,800 to name the translucent orange beauty Opsiphanes blythekitzmillerae, a tribute to Margery Minerva Blythe Kitzmiller of Ohio on behalf of her five grandchildren. Since Linnaean names are often tongue twisters, it will be commonly known as the Minerva owl butterfly.



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