A newly identified honey bee species is part of the genus Apis. Megachile is associated with endangered flowering plant species, such as Marianthus aquilonalis.
Australia is undergoing a pollination crisis, compounded by limited understanding of plant pollinators and taxonomic challenges.
Many endangered plants lack known visitors, threatening efforts to safeguard their populations.
The native bee population in Australia is also at risk due to insufficient monitoring, with numerous regions unexplored and many native species still undescribed.
A new Megachile honey bee species was identified during the survey of Marianthus aquilonarius, which is exclusive to the Bremer Ranges in Western Australia.
Dr. Kit Prendergast, a researcher from the University of Southern Queensland and Curtin University, stated: “We found this species while assessing rare plants in Goldfields and observed that the bees were visiting both endangered wildflowers and adjacent Malayan trees.”
“DNA barcoding confirmed that the male and female belonged to the same species and did not match any known bees in the DNA database, nor did the specimens I collected morphologically correspond to any in museum collections.”
“This is the first new member of this bee group reported in over 20 years, highlighting how much life remains to be discovered, especially in areas threatened by mining like the Goldfields.”
Finding new species of Megachile emphasizes the necessity of understanding Australia’s unique bee habitats before they are irrevocably altered.
“Since the new species was found in proximity to the endangered wildflower, both are likely to be affected by threats such as habitat disturbance and climate change,” Dr. Prendergast said.
“Many mining companies still neglect to survey native honey bees, risking overlooking undiscovered species, including those that are endangered and essential for ecological health.”
“If we remain unaware of the native bees we have and the plants they rely on, we jeopardize both before we even realize they exist.”
This discovery is discussed in the following article: paper published this week in the Hymenoptera Research Journal.
Source: www.sci.news
