Hemiandrus electra was first described in 2013, but had been referred to in previous publications by an informal (tag) name (Hemiandrus 'okiwi'). The species name comes from the Greek name Elektra, one of the Pleiades sisters (in Greek mythology the seven daughters of Pleione and Atlas), meaning amber or shinning. This name is given to this species due to the bight orange colour of the insects, and as sister to H. maia, a reference to their morphological similarity.
