Hitler’s Beetle was discovered in 1932 by Slovenian naturalist Vladimir Kodrič, who sent a specimen to Austrian beetle collector Oskar Scheibel for verification. Scheibel confirmed it was a new species and initially agreed to name it Anophthalmus Kodriči, honoring its discoverer. But as a passionate Nazi, Scheibel had a change of heart. In 1937, he formally submitted the name Anophthalmus hitleri in a German scientific journal, dedicating it to Adolf Hitler “as an expression of my devotion.” According to some sources, Hitler was pleased by this gesture and sent a personal letter of thanks to Scheibel.

Twenty years ago, Andrej Kapla, a researcher from the Slovenian National Institute of Biology, made a disturbing discovery in the cave where Anophthalmus hitleri was first found: poachers had destroyed the fragile ecosystem, and the ground was littered with beetle traps. It turns out that Hitler’s Beetle is in high demand among far-right extremists, who buy specimens as macabre Nazi memorabilia.

Preserved insects have been pillaged from museums in Germany, and specimens reportedly sell for considerable sums. In response, the Slovenian government introduced a law in 2004 to protect underground creatures like Anophthalmus hitleri, and the original cave was closed to the public.