Entomologist looks to Harry Potter for wasp name

Photo: tomsaunders.co.nz/about

Tom Saunders, a professor at the University of Auckland in New Zealand, made headlines this fall when he named a newly discovered, non-stinging wasp Lusius malfoyi. The taxonomy was inspired by Lucius Malfoy, a villain in the Harry Potter series.

“People see wasps as villains, as the ‘bad guys,’” the doctoral candidate told CNN. “But the truth is that the vast majority of wasp species are either neutral or beneficial, from a human standpoint. Just as Lucius Malfoy is pardoned after separating from Voldemort’s allies, I’m asking people to pardon wasps in order to restore their reputation as interesting, important creatures.”