Butterfly species named after North Carolina stabbing victim Iryna Zarutska
A new butterfly species has been named “Iryna’s Azure” in honor of Iryna Zarutska, a 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee who was fatally stabbed on a train in Charlotte, North Carolina, in August 2025. Zarutska had fled Ukraine following Russia’s invasion and was working at a pizzeria when the tragic incident occurred. The naming was done by entomologist Harry Pavulaan as a tribute to her innocence and warmth, hoping to preserve her memory. The butterfly,known for its violet-blue tint and association with peace and serenity,primarily appears in April. Zarutska’s death sparked renewed discussions about crime,repeat offenders,and bail policies in North Carolina,with political ramifications as a Republican super PAC targeted a local politician over the issue. The suspect, Decarlos Brown Jr., who has a long criminal record, was federally indicted and could face the death penalty. Meanwhile, a fundraiser for Zarutska’s family has raised important support, while fundraisers for Brown’s legal defense have been removed from GoFundMe.
Butterfly species named after North Carolina stabbing victim Iryna Zarutska
A butterfly species has been named Iryna’s Azure in memory of Iryna Zarutska, a Ukrainian refugee who was killed on board a train in North Carolina in August.
Zarutska, 23, fled Ukraine in 2022 after Russia’s invasion, and had been working at a pizzeria when she was killed in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Aug. 22. Her killing renewed attention on repeat offenders and lenient pretrial bail, as the suspect in this attack, Decarlos Brown Jr., faced more than a dozen charges dating back to 2014.
Following Zarutska’s death, entomologist and the Taxonomic Report President Harry Pavulaan chose to name a butterfly species Iryna’s Azure to commemorate her.
“I felt it would be a timeless tribute to a person with such innocence, reportedly so much love and happiness in her heart for her new life in America. Seeing her murder on video, and passengers just ignoring her and walking away, broke my heart like nothing ever has. She deserves to be remembered,” Pavulaan said to the Washington Examiner.
“The lesson in all this is that people, especially young women traveling alone, need to develop better situational awareness around themselves,” Pavulaan said.
The butterfly species is known to primarily fly in April, and some display a “distinct violet-blue tint.” The name of the species is derived from the Greek goddess of peace, and is “associated with tranquility, harmony and serenity,” according to the species report, published in the International Lepidoptera Survey.
Pavulaan said the response to naming the butterfly species has been “overwhelmingly positive,” telling Newsweek he received “a heartfelt letter” from Zarutska’s mother, Anna.
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In the wake of Zarutska’s death, a leading Republican super PAC is targeting former Gov. Roy Cooper (D-NC), who is running for Senate next year, with an ad linking him with her suspected killer. The ad described Brown as one of the “violent criminals arrested and released, repeatedly, under Roy Cooper’s watch.”
A federal grand jury indicted Brown, 34, on federal charges Wednesday, and he could be sentenced to the death penalty.
On Sept. 7, GoFundMe confirmed to the Washington Examiner it has taken down fundraisers for Brown, saying it doesn’t allow money to be raised for “the legal defense of anyone formally charged with an alleged violent crime.” Meanwhile, a fundraiser for Zarutska’s family has raised over $474,000.
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