Australian Scientists Discover New ‘Lucifer’ Bee with Devilish Horns

Australia, already famous for its deadly snakes, spiders, and sharks, now has another creepy critter to add to the list: a “lucifer” bee with devil-like horns.

The new species, named Megachile (Hackeriapis) lucifer, was discovered in Western Australia, as announced by Curtin University on Tuesday.

The bee was first spotted in 2019 by Kit Prendergast from the university’s School of Molecular and Life Sciences, while surveying a critically endangered wildflower. She was immediately struck by the insect’s unusual appearance.

“The female had these incredible little horns on her face,” Prendergast explained.

A fan of the Netflix series Lucifer, Prendergast found the name fitting for the bee’s distinctively devilish look.

“It’s the first new member of this bee group to be described in over 20 years, which really shows how much life is still out there waiting to be discovered,” she said.

Prendergast hopes the discovery will highlight the vast number of undiscovered species that may still exist, particularly in areas under threat from mining.

“Many mining companies still don’t survey for native bees, so we might be missing species that have yet to be described, including those that play essential roles in supporting threatened plants and ecosystems,” she said.

“Without knowing which native bees exist and which plants they rely on, we risk losing both before we even realise they’re there.”

Wild pollinators, especially bees, are crucial to almost all flowering plants. However, habitat destruction and climate change are pushing many vital species to the brink of extinction.