Story highlights Iranian scientists ID new wolf spider species

Name a tribute to Harry Potter critter

(CNN) A new species of wolf spider has been officially named after Aragog, the enormous, sentient arachnid character in the Harry Potter books and movies.

Researchers from the University of Tehran discovered the spider during a search for butterflies in a mountainous area in southeastern Iran. After careful review, the team determined that the spider was in fact an unknown species of wolf spider from the scientific family classification Lycosidae.

The researchers recognized similar physical characteristics between the spider, which they named Lycosa aragogi, and the character Aragog, Hagrid's adored arachnid friend first introduced in the second novel of the series, "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets."

They are about 1 inch long and 2 inches wide -- much smaller than the fictional Aragog -- but have similar exoskeletons with eight inset eyes and a furry exterior.

According to Alireza Zamani, a researcher at the University of Tehran and a member of the discovery team, Lycosa Aragogi have undeniable similarities to Aragog, which was modeled after the wolf spider. The movie version came out in 2002.

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