The striking new bee was found during surveys of a rare wildflower that grows only in the Bremer Range region in Western Australia.
Lead author of the study Dr Kit Prendergast from Curtin University in Perth explained: “I discovered the species while surveying a rare plant in the Goldfields and noticed this bee visiting both the endangered wildflower and a nearby mallee tree.
“The female had these incredible little horns on her face,” Dr Prendergast noticed.
Experts think the horns may be used as a defence mechanism, to gather pollen or nectar, or to help collect materials such as resin for nests.
DNA analysis confirmed that the new horned insect didn’t match any previously known bees species.
Researchers said that the discovery came as a real surprise to the team.
Dr Prendergast added: “It’s the first new member of this bee group to be described in more than 20 years, which really shows how much life we still have to discover.”
The bee has been named ‘Megachile Lucifer’, inspired by its tiny devil-like horns. Lucifer – which means “light bringer” in Latin – is also a reference to shining light on the need for better conservation of native bee species and greater understanding of how endangered plants are pollinated.