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Australia has uncovered a new insect that’s quite a sight—a “lucifer” bee sporting devilish horns. Dubbed Megachile (Hackeriapis) lucifer, this species was discovered in Western Australia, according to Curtin University’s announcement on Tuesday.
Researcher Kit Prendergast from the university’s School of Molecular and Life Sciences came across the bee in 2019 while studying a critically endangered wildflower. She immediately noticed its striking features, especially the tiny horns on its face.
“The female had these incredible little horns on her face,” she said.
Named after the Netflix series “Lucifer,” Prendergast felt the name was fitting for its devilish look. It’s the first new bee species in this group to be described in over two decades, highlighting how much undiscovered biodiversity still exists.
Prendergast emphasized the importance of this find in raising awareness about unknown species that may still be out there, particularly in regions at risk from mining activities. She noted that many mining companies don’t routinely survey for native bees, potentially missing species that are vital to maintaining threatened plants and ecosystems.
“Without knowing which native bees are out there and what plants they pollinate, we risk losing both before we even knew they existed,” she explained.
Since most flowering plants rely on wild pollinators, especially bees, habitat destruction and climate change are pushing many of these essential species toward extinction.
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