Fan spends big to name newly discovered animal after BVB | OneFootball

From a field where you usually don't hear anything about football, an unusual piece of news emerged yesterday, which is related to Borussia Dortmund. The core event actually took place back in 2024. Most recently, however, a decision was made that now allows BVB to be represented in the animal kingdom as well – by name.

In 2024, a new species of butterfly was discovered in the Amazon region of Peru, right in the middle of the rainforest. So far, only four specimens of this new species have ever been sighted. It is, without a doubt, a species never before observed. It measures about three centimeters and is strikingly patterned in black and yellow.

But that alone was not enough to officially associate the new butterfly species with the football club from the Ruhr area, at least not until now. Of course, there was no name yet for this discovery in the animal world. However, since around 10,000 new animal and plant species are discovered each year and thus need a name, there is (also) the possibility for individuals to take on this naming – if they are willing to invest a certain fee.

Photo: IMAGO

The butterfly is black and yellow like BVB

BVB fan and biologist Peter Klausmeier was willing to do so and contacted the organization Biopat, which connects scientists with interested name sponsors. The minimum donation required to Biopat for this is 2,600 euros. Klausmeier, himself a season ticket holder at Borussia Dortmund, added a bit more and paid 2,800. The funds raised in this way go towards research and conservation efforts, as the linked article explains.

The new butterfly species is now called “Vanewrightia borussiadortmund,” with the first term being the already established name of the genus to which the butterfly belongs. Klausmeier had already read about this option before and now took the opportunity, especially since the coloration of the new species makes naming it after Borussia Dortmund seem appropriate. “With a butterfly of this coloring, it was immediately clear to me that it should really only have one name,” Klausmeier is quoted as saying. And so, a butterfly now flutters through the Amazon that is named after BVB, a football club in the heart of Europe.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.