(NewsNation) — Scientists studying an endangered wildflower in Western Australia came across a unique animal: a bee with devil-like horns.
Kit Prendergast, the lead author of the study, said the distinctive horns found on the female inspired its name — Megachile lucifer.
“When writing up the new species description, I was watching the Netflix show ‘Lucifer’ at the time,” Prendergast said in a statement. “The name just fit perfectly.”
Researchers said the horns could be used to access flowers, compete for resources and defend nests, though their exact functions are not yet known. The male bees do not have horns.
After conducting a DNA test, researchers discovered the species didn’t match any known bees in existing databases, making it the first new member of this bee group to be studied in more than 20 years.
According to Australia’s national science agency, the country is home to approximately 2,000 native bee species, more than 300 of which have yet to be scientifically named and described.
While it has a hellish appearance, the Megachile lucifer is doing heavenly work for the endangered flower it was found in. The Marianthus aquilonaris, listed as “critically endangered” by the Western Australian Biodiversity Conservation Act, has a rare type of pollen the species is attracted to, which may save the plant from becoming extinct.