Overview
- Megachile (Hackeriapis) lucifer is officially described in the Journal of Hymenoptera Research after morphological work and DNA barcoding.
- Only females have the tiny upward-pointing facial horns, measured at just under 1 millimeter, while males lack them and their function remains unknown.
- Specimens were first collected in 2019 during surveys of Marianthus aquilonaris in the Bremer Range between Norseman and Hyden, with visits recorded to the wildflower and a nearby mallee tree.
- Genetic analysis confirmed the male and female are the same species and unmatched in databases or museum collections, marking the first new Hackeriapis member in more than 20 years.
- Researchers note possible conservation concern due to limited known distribution, a short activity season, and development pressures in the Goldfields, and they urge native-bee monitoring in mining assessments.