Meet Lucifier, a New Bee With Devil Horns
A screenshot of the bee from a BBC report on the discovery. (YouTube/BBC)
Australian researchers have discovered a new species of bee distinguished by a striking feature—small horn-like protrusions on its face that earned it the name Lucifer. Officially classified as Megachile (Hackeriapis) lucifer, the bee was identified by Dr. Kit Prendergast of Curtin University’s School of Molecular and Life Sciences during a survey of critically endangered wildflowers in Western Australia, according to AFP.
“The female had these incredible little horns on her face,” said Dr. Prendergast, who was coincidentally watching the Netflix series Lucifer around the time of the discovery, per the BBC.
But the name isn’t meant to evoke evil. As Prendergast notes, “Lucifer” comes from Latin meaning “light bringer.” She hopes the find will shine a light on the urgent need for bee conservation in areas threatened by mining, habitat loss, and climate change. “We may be missing undescribed species, including those that play crucial roles in supporting threatened plants and ecosystems,” she said.
The exact purpose of the female bee’s horns remains a mystery. Researchers speculate they could help the insects dig into flowers or defend their nests, NBC News reports. Males, interestingly, lack the facial horns altogether.
This marks the first discovery of a new species within this particular group of bees in more than two decades. The team’s findings were published in the Journal of Hymenoptera Research.
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