Overview
- Curtin University announced the formal description of Megachile (Hackeriapis) lucifer, the first new member of its bee subgroup in more than 20 years.
- The species was documented in Western Australia’s Goldfields in the same small area as an endangered wildflower.
- Females bear small horn-like projections on the face, a distinctive feature that drew attention during fieldwork.
- Discoverer Kit Prendergast named the species after the TV series Lucifer to help raise public interest in native pollinators.
- No new protections have been reported, and researchers urge mining companies to record native bees in environmental assessments given climate and habitat risks.