General Business

Introducing the Bill Gates Fly

Eristalis gatesi

By Marius Oiaga, Technology News Editor

14th of July 2008, 15:57 GMT

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Nobody is disputing the fact that Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates has left the company he co-founded in order to become a busy philanthropic bee. But, at the same time, Gates has more in common with insects than this simple simile designed to illustrate his commitment as a full-time Chairman of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Throughout the years, the Bill Gates brand has grown to become synonymous with Microsoft, and just as universal as the Windows operating system. So much so, in fact, that there is even a Flower Fly which was christened

after the Microsoft co-founder.

"Like geographic features (cities, mountains, rivers, etc.), species are sometimes named after prominent people. This species was named after Bill Gates in recognition of his great contributions to the science of Dipterology. Bill's fly is only found in the high montane cloud forests of Costa Rica," reads a text fragment explaining the association between Bill Gates' name and an insect in Costa Rica.

Not many details are available about Eristalis gatesi, or the Bill Gates Flower Fly, as this is more an item of novelty because of the label than anything else. However, on the Diptera website, courtesy of the Systematic Entomology Laboratory, the Department of Systematic Biology, Gates' Flower Fly is accompanied by Paul Allen's Flower Fly, Eristalis alleni. In this manner, both Microsoft co-founders can pride themselves with insects bearing their names.

"Sorry, we are still working on getting the other details about Bill's [and Paul's] flies up on line. A full published account may be found in the April 1997 issue of the Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington (Thompson, 1997, Revision of the Eristalis Flower Flies (Diptera: Syrphidae) of the Americas south of the United States. PESW vol. 99: 209-237)," it is added on the Diptera website.

TAGS:

Bill Gates | Eristalis gatesi | Paul Allen | Eristalis alleni

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