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New butterfly species named after Iryna Zaruska, Ukrainian refugee killed in North Carolina

Iryna's Azure butterfly, found in South Carolina, honors the Ukrainian refugee killed in Charlotte; a North Carolina law reforming criminal justice was also enacted in her name.

  • A new butterfly species named Iryna's Azure honors Iryna Zarutska, a Ukrainian refugee killed on a light rail in Charlotte, North Carolina, according to Harry Pavulaan, president of the International Lepidoptera Survey.
  • Decarlos Brown Jr. has been charged with first-degree murder for allegedly stabbing Zarutska on August 22, leading to federal charges that may carry the death penalty if he is found guilty.
  • Zarutska fled Ukraine in 2022, where she was remembered by her family as pursuing veterinary studies while working at a local pizzeria.
  • Pavulaan expressed that naming the butterfly is a way to ensure Iryna's memory endures, stating, 'Her name will be immortalized as a butterfly.
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abc News broke the news in United States on Friday, October 24, 2025.
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