Eriovixia Gryffindori: New spider named after JK Rowling's Harry Potter character by Indian researchers

Image credit: Javed Ahmed/Twitter

New Delhi: The ever-increasing fame of Harry Potter movie seems to have taken a new turn. As per reports,a team of Indian researchers has named a new spider species after the Hogwarts sorting hat in JK Rowling's Harry Potter novels - thanks to its peculiar shape.

The spider named after the fictitious wizard, Godric Gryffindor - in Rowling's Harry Potter series of books and movies - was discovered by researchers in Mumbai in the Central Western Ghats of Karnataka.

The Eriovixia Gryffindori spider measures just seven millimetres and has a hairy shell and spiny.

Researchers said the new creature, resembles the shape of a magical hat, uses camouflage to hide from its predators, while it sleeps during the day.

"As a youngster, I was very fond of reading Harry Potter books. So, when I encountered this tiny spider, I thought of the magical hat," aved Ahmed, one of the researchers behind the finding, told the Times of India.

Researchers published their findings in the Indian Journal of Arachnolog on Saturday.