Insect gets its name from Netflix series
A species of small horned bee called ‘Lucifer’ has been discovered in a remote part of Australia. The bee was found in the Goldfields region of Western Australia, about 300 miles east of Perth, the Telegraph reports.
Only the females have the distinctive horns protruding from their heads. These may be used for protection or as a way to collect nectar and pollen, said Dr. Kit Prendergast of Curtin University, who discovered the insect.
The decision to name the bee ‘Lucifer’ was inspired by Dr. Prendergast’s love of the Netflix series of the same name.
Its full scientific name is Megachili (Hackeriapis) Lucifer. In Christian theology, Lucifer is a fallen angel cast out of heaven, and is often associated with Satan.
The bee was discovered almost by accident while researchers were studying a rare wildflower that grows in a restricted area on the Bremer Mountains in the Goldfields region.
“These horns are very distinctive and devilish. I wanted to give it a devilish name, so I chose Lucifer,” Dr Prendergast told news website PerthNow. “Lucifer means ‘light bearer’ in Latin – I want to shed light on the problems associated with the lack of conservation of native bees and how many species remain undescribed.
Announcing the discovery in the Journal of Hymenoptera Research, the scientists called for the area where the bee and the wildflowers occur to be placed under official protection so that it cannot be cleared for mining or agriculture. Protecting the bee would mean protecting the entire ecosystem on which it depends.
“We don’t even know the names of the native bees that have evolved in Australia, they haven’t been described, we don’t know their distribution, where they nest. It’s very important to describe this species, given that it visits a critically endangered plant. Mining is a serious threat to wildlife in many parts of resource-rich Australia. Many mining companies still don’t survey native bees, so we may be missing out on undescribed species, including those that play a key role in maintaining endangered plants and ecosystems.”
Illustrative Photo by Pixabay: https://www.pexels.com/photo/brown-and-black-bee-on-yellow-flower-nectar-460961/
We acknowledge The European Times for the information.
