"As if deadly snakes, spiders and sharks were not enough, Australia now has a new creepy critter: a Lucifer bee with devil-like horns. The species dubbed Megachile (Hackeriapis) lucifer was found in the state of Western Australia, Curtin University announced on Tuesday. Kit Prendergast at the university's School of Molecular and Life Sciences discovered the bee while surveying a critically endangered wildflower in 2019 and was immediately drawn to the insect's unique appearance."
"Prendergast hopes the discovery will raise awareness about the number of undiscovered species that could still be out there, especially in areas threatened by mining. Many mining companies still don't survey for native bees, so we may be missing undescribed species, including those that play crucial roles in supporting threatened plants and ecosystems, she said. Without knowing which native bees exist and what plants they depend on, we risk losing both before we even realise they're there."
Researchers discovered a new bee species, Megachile (Hackeriapis) lucifer, in Western Australia during a 2019 survey of a critically endangered wildflower. The female displays small horn-like facial projections that inspired the devilish name. This is the first new member of the bee subgroup described in more than 20 years and signals substantial undiscovered biodiversity. Many mining companies do not survey for native bees, risking omission of undescribed species that support threatened plants and ecosystems. Without knowledge of native bee species and their plant dependencies, both pollinators and plants may be lost before they are identified, while habitat loss and climate change push wild pollinators toward extinction.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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