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You can buy the rights to name this new moth species on eBay

You can buy the rights to name this new moth species on eBay

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Although this isn't an official Verge Review of Animals, I feel compelled to say that moths are terrible creatures — malevolent little furry ninjas with no purpose in life other than to eat your clothes and fly in your face. But if for some reason you've ever felt any affection for them, here's a pretty good way to show it off. The Western National Parks Association is using eBay to auction off the rights to name a new moth species, discovered eight years ago by Eric H. Metzler at White Sands National Monument in New Mexico.

Metzler will work with the winning bidder to create a scientific, Latinized name that will live on in perpetuity. The species in question is of the Givira genus in the Cossidae family, and has an average wingspan of about 1 inch. A specimen will be kept at the Smithsonian Institute for the winner to visit.

The current highest bid is $1,575

Metzler, who has discovered around 40 new species of moth, is letting the WNPA auction off the naming rights as a form of thanks for funding some of his research. "I am not a rich man, and I don't have a lot of money to give to charity, but this is the way I could give them money in the form of service. I could use my brains to help them," he tells the Associated Press.

Tempted as I am to attempt to secure the rights to call this species Mothsareterrifyingus byforda, the current highest bid is set at $1,575 with five days remaining.