The Shellowship of the Ring: Two new snail species named after Tolkien characters

Described in the open-access journal Zoosystematics and Evolution, Idiopyrgus eowynae and Idiopyrgus meriadoci were named in honour of Éowyn and Meriadoc Brandybuck from J.R.R. Tolkien’s iconic series.

In their research paper, the authors explain the name Idiopyrgus eowynae, stating, “Éowyn exemplifies courage, resilience, and resistance against darkness, both internal and external, standing against Gríma Wormtongue and the Witch-king of Angmar.”

Regarding Idiopyrgus meriadoci, they write, “Besides standing with Éowyn against the Witch-king in the Battle of the Pelennor Fields, Merry is also an example of the fight for nature conservation in Middle-earth, pushing the Ents into action and ultimately ending Saruman’s threat to Fangorn Forest.”

The discovered species are troglobitic and were found in a single limestone cave in the Serra do Ramalho karst area of Bahia state, northeastern Brazil. The gastropods belong to the family Tomichiidae, a group previously known for inhabiting surface freshwater environments but now shown to have adapted to subterranean ecosystems.

Both snails have unique periostracal hairs — thorn-like structures — on their shells, a feature uncommon among Brazilian freshwater snails. Their cave-specific adaptations include reduced pigmentation, fragile shells, and small size.

The Gruna do Pedro Cassiano cave, where the snails were discovered, is a fragile ecosystem threatened by water extraction, deforestation, and climate change. Due to the species’ limited habitat and environmental threats to their subterranean ecosystem, the authors recommend their classification as vulnerable. The findings highlight the importance of protecting Brazil’s subterranean biodiversity and raise concerns about the impact of human activities on these delicate ecosystems.

On his choice of Tolkien-inspired names for the new species, lead author Dr Rodrigo B. Salvador of the Finnish Museum of Natural History said, “I tend to use lots of pop culture references in my species names — from books, comics, Dungeons & Dragons, and video games. If we think about it, there is a long-standing tradition in taxonomy of using names from mythology and literature to name species.

“Granted, in the old days, those names mostly came from Greek and Roman myths and Shakespeare. Today, we have newer mythologies and literature classics, so in a way, we’re just continuing that tradition.”