New Butterfly Species Honors iryna Zarutska, Charlotte Stabbing Victim
Charlotte, N.C. – A newly identified butterfly species has been named Iryna’s Azure in memory of Iryna Zarutska, the 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee murdered in Charlotte, North Carolina, on August 22, 2023. The butterfly, which primarily flies in April in South Carolina, features light-blue wings, sometimes with a violet-blue tint.
The naming was announced by Harry Pavulaan, president and director of the International Lepidoptera Survey, who published a report detailing the species in September.Tho first spotted in South Carolina in 1985, the butterfly remained unnamed until Pavulaan examined specimens collected during a 2018 trip. Inspired by videos documenting zarutska’s death, Pavulaan expedited the publication and dedicated the butterfly’s name to her.
“The species name is a tribute to Iryna Zarutska,” pavulaan wrote in the paper’s etymology section, “the 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee who was senselessly murdered on August 22, 2023, 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.”
zarutska’s death sparked legislative action in North Carolina. “Iryna’s Law,” House Bill 307, was passed by the north Carolina Legislature and signed into law by Governor Josh Stein in October. The bill aims to reform the state’s criminal justice system by modifying pretrial release conditions, notably for those charged with violent offenses.
Decarlos Brown Jr. has been charged with Zarutska’s murder and causing death on a mass transportation system. He is currently held without bond at the Mecklenburg County Jail and faces a maximum penalty of life in prison or the death sentence. Police records indicate Brown has a history of assault and weapons charges, and also a documented history of mental illness.
The Violence Policy Center reports that over 2,400 women were killed by men in the U.S.in 2022.
