The world’s largest bee was firstly discovered in 1859 by the scientist Alfred Russel Wallace. This year has been re-found. The enormous bee (firstly called Megachile pluto) was found in 1981 once again after the first discovery. The entomologist, Adam Masser, found it in Indonesia’s islands. After this discovery, he collected a specimen and wrote about this revelation in 1984.
However, after over 35 years, it was found again, photographed and filmed. It was found by a team including nature photographer Clay Bolt in Indonesia. The world’s largest bee feeds on nectar and pollen like any other bee and it can grow up to an inch and a half. It also has a wingspan of 2,5 inches and really big mandibles. It uses its mandibles in order to rub gluey resin off of trees to build burrows inside termite nests. Inside these termite nests, the females raise their young.
In the meantime, specimens of the world’s largest bee have been sold on eBay. They cost thousands of dollars. This provoked high concerns among people that this situation will contribute to its extinction. Currently, it is legal for this bee to be sold online as the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species is not protecting it. The world’s largest bee is only considered to be a vulnerable species. Nicolas Vreecken is an entomologist and ecologist at the University in Brussels. He is one among the many supporters of putting the world’s largest bee on the endangered species list. He asks for the rareness of this species to be taken into consideration.