The find is the first in its group in over 20 years, scientists have said<\/p>\n
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A new species of bee has been discovered in Western Australia, named \u2018Lucifer\u2019 due to the devil-like horns found on its females.
\nThe discovery of the species, formally named Megachile (Hackeriapis) lucifer, was announced by Curtin University on Tuesday. Lead researcher Kit Prendergast said the name was inspired by the insect\u2019s appearance and the Netflix series \u2018Lucifer\u2019.
\n\u201cThe name just fit perfectly. I\u2019m also a huge fan of the Netflix character Lucifer, so it was a no-brainer,\u201d Prendergast said in a statement. \u201cThe female had these incredible little horns on her face,\u201d she added.
\nPrendergast, from the university\u2019s School of Molecular and Life Sciences, first encountered the bee in 2019 during a survey of a critically endangered wildflower and was struck by its unique features, according to the study published in the Journal of Hymenoptera.
\nGenetic analysis revealed it was the first new species in its group to be studied in more than 20 years, Prendergast said, with DNA barcoding confirming it was a unique find not represented in any major databases or museum collections.<\/p>\n
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The function of the female\u2019s horns is still under investigation but may be related to gathering resources or nest defense, the researchers noted. The males of the species lack the distinctive horns.
\nThe finding highlights the importance of researching native bees in ecosystems threatened by climate change and habitat disturbance, Prendergast said, adding that it \u201creally shows how much life we still have to discover.\u201d
\nShe expressed hope that the discovery would raise awareness of the vast number of species still unknown to science, particularly in regions under threat from climate change and mining.
\n\u201cMany mining companies still don\u2019t survey for native bees, so we may be missing undescribed species, including those that play crucial roles in supporting threatened plants and ecosystems,\u201d she said.
\nThe discovery comes as pollinators, which are essential for nearly all of the world\u2019s flowering plants, face severe threats. Habitat loss and climate change are pushing many vital bee species to the brink of extinction.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The find is the first in its group in over 20 years, scientists have said \u00a0 A new species of bee has been discovered in Western Australia, named \u2018Lucifer\u2019 due…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":22308,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":[],"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","footnotes":""},"categories":[4,6,3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-22307","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-economy","category-environment","category-politics"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t