Blind beetle named after Hitler became a victim of neo-Nazis
It is well known that a name can cause a lot of problems for its owner. It turns out that this concerns not only people, but also insects. The eyeless beetle Anophthalmus hitleri is on the verge of extinction because of its name. Now there is a debate in scientific circles about renaming this endemic living in the caves of Slovenia.
The beetle Anophthalmus hitleri was named in honor of Adolf Hitler in 1937. The entomologists who came up with the name for this species did not even suspect that this would doom the insects to death. The beetles have become the target of persecution by collectors with neo-Nazi views.
Fans of the Fuhrer want to get a dried insect into their collections at any cost. Hunting for beetles has been going on for several decades and has led to a catastrophic decline in the population. This year, entomologists finally began to discuss the issue of renaming the species. Only this step will give the beetles a chance to survive.
The unfortunate “Hitler beetle” lives exclusively in caves in the mountainous regions of Slovenia. Since the insect's life is spent in complete darkness, evolution has deprived it of its eyes. This is a completely helpless living creature that becomes easy prey for rarity hunters. The price of a beetle on the black market reaches 1,400 euros (142.7 thousand rubles). It is not surprising that profit-hungry businessmen unceremoniously comb the caves in search of valuable specimens.
In 2006, poachers entered 15 caves to look for eyeless beetles. Bug expert Martin Baer is sounding the alarm. He believes that Anophthalmus hitleri is on the verge of extinction. The beetle, living in rather harsh conditions, previously had only two natural enemies - reptiles and rodents. Until a person took over the matter, nothing threatened the species.
Scientists see only one way out of the situation. They are proposing to rename the "Hitler beetle" in the hope that collectors will lose interest in it. In addition, many believe that naming insects after Adolf Hitler is against the rules. In the world of entomology, the choice of names is governed by many documents. One of them is the “Celebrity Species Naming Convention.” Since the bloody dictator is a very dubious “star”, the name does not fit into the canons.
The beetle Anophthalmus hitleri is not the only species with a dubious name. Libya is home to the unsightly “Mussolini butterfly” Hypopta mussolinii, which they are also considering renaming. In Australia there is a genus of plants called Hibbertia, which was named after the 19th century British scientist George Hibbert. But he was not only a world luminary of science, but also a cruel slave trader.