Curtin Researchers Identify Horned 'Lucifer' Bee, First of Its Group in 20 Years

Overview

• Curtin University announced Megachile (Hackeriapis) lucifer, a newly identified native bee from Western Australia, on November 11, 2025.
• The specimen was found in 2019 by researcher Kit Prendergast while studying a critically endangered wildflower in the Bremer Range, about 470 km east of Perth.
• Females bear small horn-like facial projections, and the species name reflects the researcher’s nod to the Netflix character as well as the bee’s striking appearance.
• The study notes this is the first new member of the Megachile (Hackeriapis) group described in more than two decades, with findings published in the Journal of Hymenoptera Research.
• The team urges formal protection of the discovery site and stronger native bee surveys in environmental assessments, citing pollinators’ role in ecosystems and threats from habitat loss and climate change.