Australian scientists have discovered a new type of horned bee species, aptly named the Megachile Lucifer for its demon-like characteristics, inhabiting the remote Bremer Ranges in the country’s Goldfields region.
While the bee’s horns may have been enough to inspire the name alone, the lead scientist admitted she was inspired by the popular show Lucifer, which she had been watching on Netflix.
"The female had these incredible little horns on her face," said Dr Kit Prendergast 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. I am also a huge fan of the Netflix character Lucifer so it was a no-brainer."
The females in the native bee species have “highly distinctive, prominent horns” which are believed to act as a defense system as well as to aid their nectar-gathering missions, the scientists responsible for the discovery said.
“DNA barcoding confirmed the male and female were the same species and that it didn’t match any known bees in DNA databases, nor did the specimens I had collected morphologically match any in museum collections,” Prendergast continued. “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.”
Environmental threats to the Lucifer bee
The accidental discovery came as the researchers carried out surveys of the highly endangered Marianthus aquilonarius flower.
While the bees' population size is not yet known, the scientist warned that habitat disturbances and climate change may put them at risk.
“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,” Prendergast warned. “Without knowing which native bees exist and what plants they depend on, we risk losing both before we even realise they’re there.”