Here’s where scientists discovered the horned ‘Lucifer’ bee

Discovery of the Horned "Lucifer" Bee

A team of scientists identified a new bee species, nicknamed “Lucifer” due to the distinctive horns on the females that resemble devil-like horns.

Origin of the Name

Kit Prendergast, lead author of the study published in the Journal of Hymenoptera on Nov. 10, explained that the name was inspired while watching the Netflix show Lucifer: “The name just fit perfectly. I am also a huge fan of the Netflix character Lucifer so it was a no-brainer.”

Discovery Details

The species, named Megachile lucifer, was found in 2019 during a survey of a critically endangered wildflower in Western Australia’s Goldfields region.

Characteristics of Female Bees

Females have “highly distinctive” upward-pointing horns, about 0.9 millimeters long.
The horns likely help in accessing flowers, defending hives, and competing for resources.

Male Bees and Unknowns

Male Megachile lucifer bees lack horns. The impact of this difference on their role or function within colonies remains uncertain.

Significance of the Discovery

This finding represents the first new bee species described in over 20 years, as it did not match any known species recorded in existing databases.

Summary: Scientists discovered a unique bee species with horned females named Megachile lucifer, marking a rare new bee find after two decades without new species descriptions.

New York Post — 2025-11-12