A new species of wasp discovered in New Zealand has got an interesting name- Lucius Malfoy, a name of a villainous character of Harry Potter series. Tom Saunders, a researcher from the University of Auckland who read the first Harry Potter book at the age of ten has a reason behind it.

In an interview  with CNN, Saunders said, "People see wasps as villains, as the 'bad guys.' But the truth is that the vast majority of wasp species are either neutral or beneficial, from a human standpoint. Just as Lucius Malfoy is pardoned after separating from Voldemort's allies, I'm asking people to pardon wasps in order to restore their reputation as interesting, important creatures."

Saunders is of the opinion that the species of parasitoid wasps outnumber the count of fishes, reptiles, amphibians, birds and mammals combined. They are effectively used to control pests in New Zealand as well as in many countries around the world.

By naming the insect Lucius Malfoy, he wishes to draw attention to this useful insect which New Zealand may be slowly losing. According to National Geographic, a majority of the 30,000 species of wasps known to man are non-stinging solitary creatures that do more good than harm by controlling pest populations. The wasp discovered by Saunders is a native parasitoid wasp that does not sting or live in colonies.