A “demon-horned” bee discovered in Australia
Scientists in Western Australia have discovered and described a new species of wild bee — Megachile lucifer. The insect was found in the Bremer Range area, where the critically endangered plant Marianthus aquilonaris also grows. The study highlights that the rare pollinator and the rare plant are closely linked, Kazinform News Agency reports.
Female Megachile lucifer bees possess a unique anatomical feature — a pair of horn-like projections on the face. Researchers describe them as “a large pair of outward and upwardly facing, convex horns on each side of the clypeus.” Such “weapon-like” morphology is extremely uncommon among female insects and, according to the authors, may be associated with nest building or competition among females for nesting sites and resources.
Megachile lucifer has been recorded only in one region of Western Australia, the Bremer Range, and appears only during a short period of activity.
Scientists note that “the species was collected only during mass-flowering of another host, Eucalyptus livida,” meaning the bee appears exclusively during the mass blooming of Eucalyptus livida. Autumn expeditions conducted in later years did not detect the species again.
The bee also pollinates the extremely rare Marianthus aquilonaris, which grows only in a very limited area. Researchers emphasize that the fates of these two species are tightly intertwined.
The publication notes: “The limited known distribution, and short activity season of this species, along with being associated with a Critically Endangered plant species in a region subjected to mining, suggested it may be a species of conservation concern.”
As a result, the species’ limited range, brief active season, and exposure to industrial development make Megachile lucifer potentially vulnerable.
The authors remind readers that Australia is facing a “pollination crisis” — dozens of endemic bees remain undescribed, and their ecological importance is underestimated. This new discovery demonstrates how little is still known about the relationships between rare insects and the endangered plants they sustain.
Earlier, it was reported that Australian scientists have developed natural plastic films from food waste sugars that could replace petroleum-based packaging, offering compostable alternatives for food and agricultural uses.