In a poignant tribute to one of the youngest victims of the October 7 Hamas-led massacre, the Academy of the Hebrew Language has officially renamed a species of butterfly in honor of four-year-old Ariel Bibas. The butterfly, previously known in Hebrew as Kitmit Yerushalayim (Orange Yerushalayim), will now be called Kitmit Ariel (Orange Ariel), commemorating the child who, along with his mother and baby brother, was murdered after being taken hostage.

The Academy announced the name change on Friday, noting that the new designation carries deep symbolic meaning. The name “Ariel” is one of the 70 poetic names for Yerushalayim, thus maintaining a connection to the original name while creating a lasting memorial.

“May this be some consolation in your grief, and may his memory be a remembrance for all those who perished and fell in this great disaster,” the Academy wrote in a letter addressed to Ariel’s father, Yarden Bibas. Yarden, who was also abducted, was released from captivity in February.

The decision to rename the Melitaea ornata (eastern knapweed fritillary) was made unanimously by the Academy following consent from Yarden Bibas.

The family, instantly recognizable from Ariel and nine-month-old Kfir’s vivid red-orange hair, became an emotional focal point of the campaign to bring Israeli hostages home. The color orange grew to symbolize the Bibas family’s struggle and the broader national effort for the safe return of all abductees.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)