Ariel Butterfly
(כיתמית אריאל)
Former Names:
Former Hebrew Name: נימפית ירושלים (Nymphit Yerushalayim)
Hebrew: כיתמית ירושלים (Ketemet Yerushalayim)
Scientific Name (unchanged): Melitaea telona
Common English Name: Jerusalem Fritillary
Overview
The Ariel Butterfly, officially renamed by the Academy of the Hebrew Language in 2025, is a native butterfly of Israel, previously known as Ketemet Yerushalayim (Melitaea telona). The renaming commemorates Ariel Bibas, a five-year-old Israeli boy brutally kidnapped and murdered by Hamas terrorists during the October 7, 2023 massacre.
Ariel was abducted along with his baby brother Kfir, mother Shiri, and father Yarden from Kibbutz Nir Oz. While Yarden was later released in a hostage deal, it was confirmed that Ariel, Kfir, and Shiri were murdered in captivity. Ariel, a gentle child with a love for butterflies, has now been immortalized through the renaming of this native species.
Symbolic Renaming
The renaming of the butterfly to “Ketemet Ariel” (כיתמית אריאל) was decided unanimously by the Academy’s members and conveyed in a letter to Ariel’s father, Yarden Bibas. The letter included this message:
“May this be some small comfort in your grief, and may his memory serve as a memorial to all who perished in this great tragedy.” [citation needed]
Of all the orange butterflies found in Israel, this particular species was chosen because of its vivid hue—reflecting Ariel’s name, which is also one of the ancient names of Jerusalem. The symbolic connection between the boy, the city of Jerusalem, and the butterfly evokes themes of life, memory, and eternal resilience.
Butterfly Description
- Scientific Name: Melitaea telona
- Common English Name: Jerusalem Fritillary
- Hebrew Name (Current): כיתמית אריאל (Ketemet Ariel)
- Distribution: Common throughout Israel, except in the southern Negev
- Flight Season: Spring, across Mediterranean zones from Mount Hermon to the Negev Highlands
- Host Plant: Centaurea (קוציץ)
- Sexual Dimorphism: Females are darker than males, with some exhibiting very dark morphs
Cultural and National Significance
The Ariel Butterfly has become more than a biological species—it is now a symbol of national mourning, remembrance, and the sacred value of life. In a society that sanctifies memory, Israel has transformed a tragic loss into a living legacy. Through this act, the name of a child who was taken too soon now flutters across the hills, meadows, and wildflowers of the land he loved.
Legacy
The Ariel Butterfly is a living memorial. It speaks not only to the tragedy of one child, but to the unbreakable spirit of a people that refuses to let the innocent be forgotten. Through this act, Israel reclaims life from death, memory from oblivion, and beauty from brutality.