Fly named after Beyonce
January 13th, 2012 - 8:12 pm ICT by IANS
London, Jan 13 (IANS) Australian researchers have named a rare fly after singer Beyonce in honour of its golden behind, a media report said.
The Scaptia (Plinthina) beyonceae fly — found in Queensland and widely considered a pest — has been named in recognition of the unusual gold patch.
The fly was first collected in 1981 — the year of the singer’s birth, the Daily Telegraph reported.
Bryan Lessard from Australia’s science agency CSIRO said the insect’s behind made it the “all-time diva of flies”.
“It was the unique dense golden hairs on the fly’s abdomen that led me to name this fly in honour of the performer Beyonce as well as giving me the chance to demonstrate the fun side of taxonomy — the naming of species,” he was quoted as saying.
The name complies with the rules set by the International Commission of Zoological Nomenclature, which allows species to receive names honouring people.
Other species named in honour of celebrities include a frog, Hyla stingi, named after singer Sting and a spider, Pachygnatha zappa, named after Frank Zappa.
A paper describing the fly has been published in the Australian Journal of Entomology.
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