QUEENSLAND, Australia - Australian scientists who discovered a dazzlingly colorful rainbow fly in south east Queensland have named the insect after popular drag star, RuPaul. 

According to the National History Museum, researchers were inspired to name the Opaluma rupaul's after the entertainer on account of the insect's brilliant iridescent coloring and long legs.

Dr. Bryan Lessard is credited with naming the insect and he explained his choice in an interview with The Guardian. 

Lessard said, "I was watching a lot of RuPaul's Drag Race while examining the species and I know it would challenge RuPaul on the runway serving fierce looks. It has a costume of shiny metallic rainbow colours, and it has legs for days. I think once Ru sees the fly she'll realise it's quite fierce and hopefully appreciate the name."

Lessard and his colleagues have made it a goal to name a variety of new species after pop culture icons.

Three new species of beetle have been named after a trio of legendary Pokémon - Articuno, Moltres and Zapdos - while another is named another Japanese TV franchise, Digimon.

The experts hope that by doing so they'll draw public, political and media attention to the species, many of which have been affected by devastating Australian bushfires in the past couple of years.