Officially known as Megachile lucifer, this black-and-white bee has two protuberances at the front of its head that may be used to access flowers, though their exact purpose remains a mystery.
Kit S. Prendergast and Joshua W. CampbellThe female of the new species, Megachile lucifer, has horn-like protuberances on its head.
A new species of bee equipped with devilish horns has been discovered in Western Australia — and it’s now known as the “Lucifer bee.”
Officially known as Megachile lucifer, this bee was first spotted by accident when one scientist was conducting a survey of a critically endangered wildflower in 2019. This is the first new species in its bee group to be discovered in 20 years; indeed, finds like this don’t happen very often. Overall, there is much left to learn about the many native bee species in the region.
Furthermore, the discovery of the “Lucifer” bee has highlighted the importance of learning about the role that native bees serve in their habitats, which are often threatened by human activity. Of Australia’s 2,000 native bee species, little is known about more than 300 of them.
How A Pair Of “Horns” Inspired The Lucifer Bee’s Devilish Name
Kit S. Prendergast and Joshua W. CampbellEach horn on the bee’s head is about 0.9 millimeters long.
While conducting surveys of the critically endangered Marianthus aquilonarius flower in the Goldfields region, researcher Kit Prendergast came across the Megachile (Hackeriapis) lucifer bee in 2019, according to a newly-published study in the Journal of Hymenoptera Research. Its name was inspired by the distinctive “horns” protruding from the front of the female’s head.
“The female had these incredible little horns on her face,” Prendergast said in a statement from Curtin University. “When writing up the new species description I was watching the Netflix show Lucifer at the time, and the name just fit perfectly.”
The horns, which sit at the center of the bee’s head, between its eyes, are each about 0.9 millimeters long. It’s unclear what exact function they serve, but researchers theorize they could be used for more easily accessing flowers, defending their nests, or looking for resources.
What is clear is that this is a species that’s never been documented before. Researchers used DNA barcoding to confirm that neither the male nor female of the M. lucifer species were on any DNA databases. Additionally, none of the specimens that the research team collected matched any they could find in museum collections.
“It’s the first new member of this bee group to be described in more than 20 years, which really shows how much life we still have to discover – including in areas that are at risk of mining, such as the Goldfields,” Prendergast explained.
Much Remains To Be Uncovered About Australia’s Native Bee Species
Kit S. Prendergast and Joshua W. CampbellThe Lucifer bee was found while surveying this endangered species of plant, the Marianthus aquilonaris.
The Goldfields in Western Australia have a long history of gold mining. The Lucifer bee, which was found to be native to this region, could be at risk of habitat disturbance thanks to continued mining operations, as well as other threats like climate change.
“Many mining companies still don’t survey for native bees, so we may be missing undescribed species, including those that play crucial roles in supporting threatened plants and ecosystems,” said Prendergast.
CSIRO, Australia’s national science agency, found that of Australia’s 2,000 native bee species, little is known about more than 300 of them. It is thus unknown exactly how these species, lacking descriptions and scientific names, impact their ecosystems. Consequently, Prendergast stressed the importance of understanding the roles that native bees play before their habitats are disturbed.
“Without knowing which native bees exist and what plants they depend on,” Prendergast said, “we risk losing both before we even realize they’re there.”
After reading about the new Lucifer bee species, discover the story of the incredibly well-preserved 3,000-year-old mummified bees found in Portugal. Then, learn about the four radioactive wasp nests found in South Carolina.
