Scaptia beyonceae has a striking golden tip to its abdomen, formed by a dense patch of golden

hairs, providing the inspiration for its name.

[4]
Part of the Plinthina subgenus, S. beyonceae was
first collected in 1981, along with two other previously unknown subgenus specimens; the fly was
officially described in 2011 by CSIRO research scientist Bryan Lessard.
[5]
According to Lessard,
although usually considered by humans to bepests, many types of horse fly serve an important
role in the pollination of plants. The flies drink nectar from several types of grevilleas, tea
trees and eucalypts.
[3]

Other than the 1981 specimen, the fly has only been collected on two other occasions. All three
collected specimens are female.
[6]

Naming[edit]
The naming of animal species is required to comply with guidelines established by
the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN).
[7]
The ICZN's guidelines allow
for species to receive names that honour people, including celebrities.
[8]
Other species named
after famous people include Hyla stingi, a frog named after the singer Sting;Pachygnatha zappa,
a spider named after singer-songwriter Frank Zappa; and three beetle species from
the Agathidium genus (A. bushi, A. cheneyi and A. rumsfeldi) named after American
politicians George W. Bush, Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld respectively.
[7]