''Poecilognathus relativitae'', originally known as ''Phthiria relativitae'', is a species of

fly Flies are insects of the order Diptera, the name being derived from the Greek δι- ''di-'' "two", and πτερόν ''pteron'' "wing". Insects of this order use only a single pair of wings to fly, the hindwings having evolved into advanced ...

of the family

Bombyliidae The Bombyliidae are a family of flies, commonly known as bee flies. Some are colloquially known as bomber flies. Adults generally feed on nectar and pollen, some being important pollinators. Larvae are mostly parasitoids of other insects. Over ...

, subfamily

Phthiriinae Phthiriinae is a subfamily of bee flies in the family Bombyliidae. There are about 11 genera and more than 120 described species in Phthiriinae. Genera These 11 genera belong to the subfamily Phthiriinae: * '' Acreophthiria'' Evenhuis, 1986 * ...

, that is found in

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

. It was discovered by

Neal Evenhuis Neal Luit Evenhuis (born Kornelus Luit Evenhuis on 16 April 1952) is an American entomologist. He works at the Bishop Museum in Hawaii. Evenhuis has described over 500 species of insects since 1976, and is known both for his research and peculiar ...

, who named it as a

pun A pun, also known as a paronomasia in the context of linguistics, is a form of word play that exploits multiple meanings of a term, or of similar-sounding words, for an intended humorous or rhetorical effect. These ambiguities can arise from t ...

on the "

theory of relativity The theory of relativity usually encompasses two interrelated physics theories by Albert Einstein: special relativity and general relativity, proposed and published in 1905 and 1915, respectively. Special relativity applies to all physical ph ...

". Subsequent analysis revealed that the insect is not of the genus ''

Phthiria ''Phthiria'' is a genus of bee flies in the family Bombyliidae. There are over 60 described species in the genus, found in Eurasia, Africa, and South America. Related species from North America have been moved to other genera. Species Species ...

'', and it was renamed.Stupid Science Word of the Month
at ''

Discover Discover may refer to: Art, entertainment, and media * ''Discover'' (album), a Cactus Jack album * ''Discover'' (magazine), an American science magazine * "Discover", a song by Chris Brown from his 2015 album ''Royalty'' Businesses and bran ...

''; August 2007 issue; published online July 26, 2007; retrieved July 22, 2013

References

Bombyliidae Diptera of North America Insects described in 1985 {{Bombyliidae-stub