A scientist in Western Australia has discovered a new native Australian bee species.
The native bee scientist who made the discovery, Dr Kit Prendergast, chose the name Megachile Lucifer for the bee in reference to its tiny, devil-like black horns.
Dr Prendergast found the new bee whilst conducting pollination surveys of an endangered wildflower known as Marianthus aquilonarius that grows exclusively in the Bremer Range region of WA.
Dr Prendergast said the discovery “highlighted the importance of understanding native bee populations before humans or ecological processes like climate change threaten their habitats”.
Image: Image: Kit S. Prendergast, Joshua W. Campbell – Journal of Hymenoptera Research
Produced By: Maeve Groom
Featured In Story: Dr Kit Prendergast – Native Bee Scientist at Curtin University
First aired on The Wire, Friday 14 November 2025