A newly-discovered type of bee has been dubbed “Lucifer” because of a pair of prongs on its face. Inspiration for the name Megachile Lucifer came to lead researcher Dr. Kit Prendergast because she’d been watching the Netflix series Lucifer at the time. The Curtin University scientist had been studying a rare type of flower in Western Australia’s Goldfields region when she spotted “highly distinctive, prominent horns.” Her findings were published in the Journal of Hymenoptera Research. “The female had these incredible little horns on her face,” she said. She noted the horns are only found on female specimens and speculates they may be used for defense. “When writing up the new species description I was watching the Netflix show Lucifer at the time, and the name just fit perfectly,” she said. “I am also a huge fan of the Netflix character Lucifer so it was a no-brainer.” “Lucifer” is a dual-purpose name. In Latin it means “light bringer,” and Prendergast believes more light needs to be shed on bee conservation. “We may be missing undescribed species, including those that play crucial roles in supporting threatened plants and ecosystems,” she said.
