Why Australian Scientists Are Naming This Fly After A Drag Queen

A newly discovered shimmering rainbow fly in Australia will now be called the opaluma rupaul. Given the fly and several other recently discovered species of beetles live in areas that have been hit by bushfires, the strategy of naming endangered species after a celebrity is one based on scientist Bryan Lessard’s hope “that pop culture names will help attract attention for vulnerable species.”

It’s not a bad idea, and one that is already undoubtedly working. I mean, this is probably the first time I’ve written about obscure insect species ... not to mention probably the first time you’re reading about them. So shine on opaluma rupaul. Now we all care just a little more about your survival than we did before. And we’ve learned the marketing lesson once again that names really do matter.