Bryan Lessard is a 24-year-old researcher at Australia's Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization who is working on his PhD studying the who, what and where of horse flies, or scientifically speaking, the taxonomy, systematics and biogeography of the Tabanidae.
While studying un-named species that had been sitting in a fly collection of CSIRO, Lessard's interest was piqued by one particular fly, one with dense golden hairs at the fly's rear end.
It was then that Lessard was reminded of another prominent rear, that of pop star Beyoncé, a singer who boasts about it in a song entitled Bootylicious.
So while the world is full of talented singer/performers just as the world is full of important pollinating horse flies, it is those with special assets that get a distinction. It was this Similarity that Lessard Recognized and ran with, naming the insect Scaptia (Plinthina) beyonceae. Never mind that this fly was first captured in 1981 - the same year the former Destiny's Child singer was born!
Lessard says the fly's spectacular gold color makes 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 honor of the performer Beyonce as well as giving me the chance to demonstrate the fun side of taxonomy - the naming of species."
The rare Scaptia (Plinthina) beyonceae horse fly was collected in 1981 from the Atherton Tablelands. "Most Australian Scaptia species have been described. However, these five new species of a sub-group [Plinthina] have been housed in Australian collections since the group was last studied in the 1960s," Mr Lessard said. It's unknown if the rare species is a bloodsucker like many female horse flies. The description of the fly was earlier published in the Australian Journal of Entomology, but the results were announced two weeks ago. "It's extremely important to name all the undescribed species so we can measure our human impact on the environment and hopefully protect it for future generations to enjoy. Here is a video of Lessard talking about the Resemblance he has Extracted:
Title: Fly with Golden Booty Resembles Beyoncé's Prominent Butt
Resemblance: Beyoncé Giselle Knowles' Prominent Rear End
Extractionist: Bryan Lessard
Matrix: Horse Fly's Rear Abdomen
Location: Atherton tablelands in Queensland, Australia
|
