While Newt Scamander was telling audiences about Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, over in India, three scientists were discovering one.
Meet Eriovixia Gryffindori, a dry-foliage mimicking spider that was discovered by scientists Javed Ahmed, Rajashree Khalap, and Sumukha J.N.. Found in the Kahn forest in southwest India, this tiny spider’s brown, pointy body is meant to trick predators into thinking it is a dried-up leaf. However, according to Ahmed and his colleagues, all of which are avid Harry Potter fans, they found that the arachnid’s means of camouflage reminded them of something else entirely-the famous Sorting Hat from the Harry Potter series.
And if you think this spider’s name sounds strangely familiar, you’d be correct. As stated in their report:
“This uniquely shaped spider derives its name from the fabulous, sentient magical artefact, the sorting hat,owned by the (fictitious) medieval wizard Godric Gryffindor, one of the four founders Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and stemming from the powerful imagination of Ms. J.K. Rowling, wordsmith extraordinaire, as presented in her beloved series of books, featuring everyone’s favorite boy-wizard, Harry Potter.”
As for the creator of the beloved Harry Potter-verse, Rowling is all about it, even relaying her thanks and offering congratulations to the scientists on her Twitter account.
By presenting this newly discovered species with such a whimsical and magical name, Ahmed and his colleagues hope to "draw attention to the fascinating, but oft overlooked world of invertebrates, and their secret lives."
For Ahmed, Khalap, and Sumukha's full article on this magical little creature, click here.
Sources:
http://indianarachnology.com/ija/wp-content/upload...
http://www.foxnews.com/science/2016/12/16/spider-from-india-looks-just-like-harry-potter-sorting-hat.html?refresh=true
