Researchers have discovered a new species of spider in the Central Western Ghats of Karnataka, and have dubbed the arachnid with a name out of the hugely popular Harry Potter series.  

Thanks to its unusual appearance, the species has been named Eriovixia gryffindori after the Sorting Hat in the JK Rowling novels. In the series, the Sorting Hat – which sorts students into the four Houses – originally belonged to Godric Gryffindor, one of the founders of Hogwarts.

The findings, recently published in the Indian Journal of Arachnology, describe the spider as "a small, cryptic, nocturnal araneid which takes refuge in, and mimics dried foliage, during daylight hours."

The authors of the paper, Javed Ahmed , Rajashree Khalap, Sumukha JN, wrote, "This uniquely shaped spider derives its name from the fabulous, sentient magical artifact, the sorting hat, owned by the (fictitious) medieval wizard Godric Gryffindor, one of the four founders of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and stemming from the powerful imagination of Ms. J. K. Rowling, wordsmith extraordinaire, as presented in her beloved series of books, featuring everyone’s favorite boy-wizard, Harry Potter."

Images source: Screenshot/A NEW SPECIES OF DRY FOLIAGE MIMICKING Eriovixia ARCHER, 1951 FROM CENTRAL WESTERN GHATS, INDIA (ARANEAE: ARANEIDAE)

"An ode from the authors, for magic lost, and found, in an effort to draw attention to the fascinating, but oft overlooked world of invertebrates, and their secret lives," the researchers added. 

In the last two years, the team has discovered six new spider species, including the Eriovixia gryffindori.