Say hello to the Beyonce Fly

Researcher names insect with golden rear end after U.S. pop singer.

Fri, Jan 13 2012 at 4:15 PM

Photo: Bryan Lessard

The accolades just keep coming for Beyoncé Knowles.

The Grammy Award-winning pop star, who recently gave birth to her first child last weekend, has now joined the pantheon of celebrities with insects named in their honor. Researcher Bryan Lessard says the Scaptia (Plinthina) beyonceae fly, found in north Queensland, Australia, is the "all-time diva of flies" because of its unusual golden-colored behind.

"It was the unique dense golden hairs on the fly's abdomen that led me to name this fly in honour of the performer Beyoncé as well as giving me the chance to demonstrate the fun side of taxonomy — the naming of species," he said.

The fly, actually a blood-sucking horse fly, is considered a pest in Australia but also plays an important role in the pollination of a wide variety of plants. It was first identified in 1981, the same year Beyoncé was born.

The pop singer isn't the only celeb to recently spark inspiration for new insect names. Last week, a very hairy crab found 8,000 feet below the Southern Ocean was named after "BayWatch" star David Hasselhoff; while a hot spring beetle discovered in Idaho found itself named after actor and environmental activist Robert Redford.

"It is Redford's continuing work to safeguard the wild legacy of the Rocky Mountains that makes this name a fitting tribute," the scientists wrote of the new species Hydroscapha redfordi.

No word yet on what Beyoncé thinks of her new insect, but as my editor noted, this whole thing gives new meaning to the term "fly girl." Zing!

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