Just the fact that it is called Megachile Lucifer says a lot about his appearance, one might say, ‘cruel’. This is a newly identified species of bee Australia and got this name not only because of its clearly visible horns, but also because the researcher who ‘registered’ it was watching the Netflix series Lucifer at the time. The term Megachile indicates the group to which the species belongs, and megachiles are commonly known as leaf cutter beebecause they cut pieces of leaves to build their nests. This species may be “at risk of conservation” because its survival is closely linked to a flower that is in danger of extinction.
Megachile Lucifer was first identified in 2019 during a study of this particular wildflower (Marianthus aquilonaris) in the Goldfields region of Western Australia. This was reported by a study published on November 10 in Journal of Hymenoptera Research. Females of this species have “very distinctive and prominent horns”, explains the study, and it is precisely this characteristic that is responsible biologist Kit Prendergastlead author, got the inspiration for the name: “The female has amazing little horns on her face. While I was writing the description of the new species, I watched the series Lucifer on Netflixand the name seemed perfect. I’m also a big fan of the Lucifer character, so it was a natural choice.” To truly protect this bee, Prendergast explains, requires further research into the species and its habitat, including its relationship to Marianthus aquilonaris.
