An Australian scientist recently discovered an eye-catching fly species and he named it after RuPaul ― and the “Drag Race” host, Opaluma RuPaul (the “opaluma” part coming from the Latin words for “opal” and “thorn”).
“Soldier flies are valuable in the ecosystem,” Bryan Lessard, an entomologist with Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation said. “The larvae recycle nutrients from dead plants and animals, while adults are pollinators of some Australian plants.” “Naming a species is the first step to understanding and protecting them because otherwise, they’re invisible to science.” “It has a costume of shiny metallic rainbow colours, and it has legs for days,” he said.
‘Rainbow colors & legs for days’: Australian fly species named after RuPaul @BrytheFlyGuy https://t.co/PeP026BLTh pic.twitter.com/nMfRwrDRRl
— RuPaul (@RuPaul) September 15, 2021
