On remote Indonesian island, far from the threats posed by human activity and climate change, scientists rediscovered the world’s largest bee, the so-called “the flying bulldog,” scientifically known as Megachile pluto. That would be the third time in history when researchers documented Megachile pluto.
Last time when the world’s largest bee was seen in the wild was in 1981. As no other sightings have been recorded since then, the scientists considered this species extinct. However, it seems alright, living on a remote Indonesian island.
“It was basically four people who had a long-term interest in this bee just got together and said, ‘let’s spend the money, we’re going to go see if we can find it.’ We met, we found it, we had a fantastic time, it was great! It was one of the best holidays I’ve ever had,” said Simon Robson from the University of Sydney.
Scientists Rediscovered The World’s Largest Bee, Megachile Pluto, On An Indonesian Island
“We were in the forest, and it was late in the afternoon, and we were wandering off for a late lunch, and one of us spotted a termite mound. One of us climbed up the tree, and the hole was lined with resin, and that was very encouraging, and we finally got the torch in there, and we could see the bee in there looking out at us,” Dr. Robson recalled.
“This bee could probably sting you quite happily and then sting you again; it wouldn’t kill it. In fact, if we’d found more, we were very keen to get stung by it to see how painful it was. But because we only found one we didn’t want to annoy it, and we didn’t want to upset it,” Dr. Robson admitted.
The researchers also said that the world’s largest bee is an excellent example of a fantastic product of evolution and spectacular species. They recommended international authorities to make efforts in preserving the life of Megachile pluto.
Vadim is a passionate writer on various topics but especially on stuff related to health, technology, and science. Therefore, for Great Lakes Ledger, Vadim will cover health and Sci&Tech news.