A young Ukrainian refugee murdered in North Carolina has been immortalised through the discovery of a new butterfly species. The insect, officially named Iryna's Azure (Celastrina irynae), was dedicated by American lepidopterist Harry Pavulaan to Iryna Zarutska, 23, whose death on a Charlotte light-rail train in August 2025 shocked the United States.
Zarutska fled Ukraine with her family in 2022, escaping the Russian invasion. She was rebuilding her life in Charlotte, studying English, and working part-time at a pizzeria when she was tragically stabbed while commuting home. The suspect, Decarlos Brown Jr., 34, was swiftly arrested and now faces multiple charges, including first-degree murder.
