Biodiversity: What’s in a Name? How (and Why!) We Name the Living Things Around Us

In the world of bees, something very cool happened recently - and it created quite a buzz in the media worldwide!

A brand-new native bee species was discovered by Dr Kit Prendergast from the Curtin School of Molecular and Life Sciences.  If you haven't come across Dr Kit before, she’s an extraordinary bee educator, researcher, and all-round science communicator.  And just in case I haven’t told you this already: Australia is home to over 2,000 species of native bees.

Yes - two thousand!  No - they’re not all yellow, black, stripy, and obsessed with making honey

Our native bees come in all the colours of the rainbow - blues, greens, reds, metallic sheens - tiny ones the size of a grain of rice, and chunky ones that sound like tiny motorbikes. They’ve co-evolved with our native plants, meaning each species has its own ecological story.  To protect them, we need research, curiosity… and discoveries like Dr Kit’s.

Australia is home to over 2,000 species of native bees and they are not all yellow, black, stripy and obsessed with honey making!

A Bee Named… Lucifer?!

Here’s where it gets even cooler....

The newly discovered bee is named Megachile (Hackeriapis) lucifer.

No, it’s not evil - just fabulously named.

The name was inspired by the female bee’s unusual upward-facing, convex, horn-like structures on her face.  She also happens to be the pollinator of a critically endangered plant called Bremer marianthus (Marianthus aquilonaris), making her discovery even more important.

And here’s a fun fact: Whoever formally describes a new species in a scientific journal gets to choose its name.

Yep - naming rights! But don’t worry, it’s not a free-for-all. There are rules. (More on that in a sec.)

Why We Name Species at All: The Human Need for Order

Humans absolutely love organising things. From Tupperware to paint brushes to socks and undies… and yes, all the living organisms on Earth.

When scientists classify living things, they’re not just being fussy. Classification helps us:

• understand relationships between species

• predict things like growth habits, behaviour, pests, and diseases

• compare new discoveries to what we already know

• protect ecosystems by recognising what depends on what
  

Taxonomy - the science of naming and classifying life - is basically the world’s biggest library system, but for everything from whales to wasps to weird underground fungi.

Why Latin? A Universal Language for Nature

Across the globe, thousands of languages exist and billions of people interact with nature every day. That’s a lot of ways to say “bee.”

Common names are helpful, but they’re not consistent.  One species might have six or seven different names depending on the region - or the language.  A great example is the Australian White Ibis - colloquially known as the "bin chicken" for it’s tendency to raid rubbish bins in urban environments.

Latin solves that problem.

Nobody speaks Latin as their first language anymore, which means:

• meanings don’t drift over time

• scientists can use the same name anywhere in the world

• the system stays stable for centuries
  

If you say Megachile (Hackeriapis) lucifer, a scientist in Sweden, Mexico, or Japan knows exactly which bee you mean.

Taxonomy 101: The System Behind the Names

The naming system we still use today began in the mid-1700s with Carl Linnaeus, a Swedish botanist.

He formalised:

1. Binomial Nomenclature

Every species has two names: Genus + species, like Homo sapiens or Apis mellifera.

The name of the genus is always Capitalized and italicised.

2. The Hierarchical System

From broadest group to smallest:

Kingdom → Phylum → Class → Order → Family → Genus → Species

To remember this, use the chant: “King Philip Came Over For Good Soup.”

The Weird, the Witty, and the Wonderful: Strange Scientific Names

Taxonomists have a sense of humour - often a very good one!

Here are some quirky scientific names given to newly discovered species:

Agra schwarzeneggeri

A beetle with bulging, muscular back legs. Named after Arnold Schwarzenegger. Obviously.

Caloplaca obamae

A bright orange lichen from California, named after Barack Obama.

Spongiforma squarepantsii

A square, spongy mushroom named after… yes, SpongeBob SquarePants.

Nannaria swiftae

A millipede named after Taylor Swift for bringing “joy” to the scientist who described it.

Euglossa bazinga

An orchid bee named after Sheldon Cooper’s catchphrase from The Big Bang Theory: “Bazinga!”

Biodiversity meets pop culture - it’s pretty cool!

The Magic of Not Knowing (Yet)

Taxonomy might sound daunting at first glance, but it’s actually a wonderful, ongoing story about how diverse and colourful our world is.  And the most exciting part?

There are still so many species left to discover.

Every year, researchers and citizen scientists uncover new plants, fungi, insects, and marine creatures - some hiding in plain sight, others tucked away in remote pockets of the world.

And sometimes, like Megachile (Hackeriapis) lucifer, they are found by passionate scientists like Dr Kit Prendergast, working to protect the ecosystems we depend on.

Who knows what incredible bee or beetle or fungi - you’ll hear about next?

Want to Learn More About Biodiversity & Citizen Science? Incursions & Workshops

If you love this kind of stuff as much as I do, I run workshops and incursions all about:

• Bees

• Biodiversity

• Pollination

• Citizen Science

Whether you're a school, community group, or curious nature lover - come and explore the unexpected stories of the natural world with me.

Buzzing Into Biodiversity Month: Why Citizen Science Matters

September is the official start of Spring here in the Southern Hemisphere. The air feels warmer, Australia's national floral emblem, the Golden Wattle bursts into bloom, and the hum of insects starts to return.  For beekeepers like me, Spring marks the shift from survival to expansion mode for my honey bees (Apis mellifera).  My hives are buzzing on sunny days, queens are starting to lay, and nectar flows are on their way.  It’s a busy time of year!

But let’s not forget - bees aren’t the only pollinators waking up.  Butterflies, flies, beetles, wasps, and even bats start to get busy at this time of year.  And while I’m super excited to hear the hum of my honey bees, I’m equally excited to see the revival of all creatures - right down to the big, hairy huntsman spiders that like to surprise us in our tiny home on the farm.

Buzzing into Spring - it's a busy time for the bees and beekeepers like me!

Bee for Biodiversity

Most people know that bees are champion pollinators.  When a bee flits from flower to flower, it spreads pollen that helps plants produce seeds and fruit tissue. By carrying out this all important taxi service, bees are a vector of pollination - allowing plants that are fixed in one spot to spread their genes and make more of themselves. That means more food, more shelter, and more habitats for countless living things. Bees = Biodiversity.

Bees are keystone species - they play a critical role in holding an ecosystem together.  Without them, biodiversity would collapse.  With them, life flourishes.  It’s not just about food for humans (though we can thank them for apples, almonds, pumpkins, and many, many more).  It’s about creating the rich, interconnected food web that sustains all living things.

The bees have been busy pollinating my apple trees!

September = Biodiversity Month

September isn’t just Spring - it’s also Biodiversity Month, a time to celebrate and reflect on the incredible variety of life around us.

Australia is one of the world’s 17 “megadiverse” countries. Together, these countries make up less than 10% of the Earth’s area but host over 70% of global biodiversity.  What’s even more special is that so many of our plants and animals are found nowhere else on Earth.  From cute kolas to some of the world’s deadliest snakes - they have called only Australia home for millions of years!

That’s both an incredible gift and a serious responsibility. Biodiversity gives us clean air, fresh water, food, medicine, and inspiration.  But it also needs us - our care, protection, and action. Biodiversity Month is the perfect reminder to strengthen our connection to nature and to choose actions that help create a thriving future for the species we share this planet with.

The Power of Citizen Science

A few years ago, I had the pleasure of writing the Parks Victoria Citizen Science Tool Kit. Working with Park Rangers and Scientists who dedicate they careers to looking after nature, I helped create a resource to guide everyday people in using tools like iNaturalist to record and protect biodiversity.

And here’s the thing: you don’t need to be a scientist to do science. Citizen Science is about people like you and me observing, recording, and sharing information about the natural world.  Every photo of a butterfly, every bird or frog call recorded, every insect identified contributes valuable data that helps scientists and land managers protect ecosystems.

Since writing the toolkit, I’ve organised bioblitz events, run workshops for teachers and students, and spent countless hours on our conservation farm recording the rich biodiversity.  Each observation feels like adding one more piece to the big picture of how our ecosystems work - and how we can protect them.

The world’s most popular citizen science app right now is iNaturalist 

How You Can Get Involved

This September, why not make a pledge to do something for biodiversity? You could:

• 🌱 Join a BioBlitz in your area.

• 📸 Use iNaturalist or other apps to record species you spot.

• 🎧 Listen to a podcast or watch a documentary about biodiversity.

• 🦋 Plant pollinator-friendly species in your backyard.

• 🐝 Share your love of nature with friends, family, or your students by starting a conversation

  
  

The more we know, the more we care. And the more we care, the more likely we are to protect.

Join Me at the Caulfield Park BioBlitz!

To celebrate Biodiversity Month, I’m thrilled to be hosting a Caulfield Park BioBlitz - a hands-on event where we’ll discover and record the incredible variety of life in one of Melbourne’s most loved green spaces.

📅 Date: Saturday 20th September

⏰ Time: 10:00 am – 12:30 pm 

📍 Venue: Caulfield Park Pavilion, 280 Balaclava Rd, Caulfield North VIC 

🔗 Register here: Caulfield Park BioBlitz

Bring your curiosity, your love of nature, and download the iNaturalist App. 

Want to Learn More About Biodiversity & Citizen Science? Incursions & Workshops

If you love this kind of stuff as much as I do, I run workshops and incursions all about:

• Bees

• Biodiversity

• Pollination

• Citizen Science

  
  

Whether you're a school, community group, or curious nature lover - come and explore the unexpected stories of the natural world with me.

Plants That Eat Insects?! The Weird and Wonderful World of Carnivorous Plants

When I talk about who eats who in the natural world, the food web always grabs attention - especially with kids! One of my favourite moments during my biodiversity workshops is seeing their eyes widen and curiosity take flight when I reveal the apex predator on our farm: the mighty wedge-tailed eagle. Majestic, powerful, and soaring high above it all.

But the real action? It is happening down at ground level, where the wild world of hunting and munching plays out on a tiny scale. Every living thing needs to eat to survive - some nibble on leaves, others munch and crunch on other creatures and some, like the wedge tailed eagles even work together in groups to bring down larger prey. 

But what about plants? We usually think of them as passive, peaceful, green things.  They soak up sunshine, grow quietly, produce pretty flowers.... they definitely don’t have fangs or a taste for flesh… ...or do they?

The food web on our farm - who eats who of the natural world!

The Weird and Wonderful World of Carnivorous Plants

Yep, some plants eat animals - usually insects, and they’ve developed amazing ways to do it.

These are known as carnivorous plants, and they’ve evolved to grow in nutrient-poor environments. When they can’t get enough food from their roots, they supplement their diet by trapping and digesting unsuspecting bugs. 

Most people immediately think of the Venus flytrap - with its toothy snap and bug-catching speed. But there is a huge biodiversity of insect-munching flora out there…

Pitcher Plants, Borneo, and Rat Tales

Years ago, I traveled to Borneo and trekked up Mt. Kinabalu.  It was a AWESOME trip full of nature. One of my most vivid memories were the pitcher plants I spotted along the way - deep, colorful cups of digestive doom for insects (and maybe more?).  A local guide told me some species could digest small rodents like rats. Truth or legend? I’m not entirely sure. But this is when the world of carnivorous plants captured my imagination!

Charles Darwin’s Favourite Plant?

You may know Darwin for his book "The Origin of Species," but did you know he was also obsessed with carnivorous plants? His favourite? Drosera - better known as sundew. He was so enchanted by these sticky little wonders that he wrote:

"I care more about Drosera than the origin of all the species in the world."

Darwin spent years experimenting on Drosera rotundifolia, proving that these sparkling, delicate-looking plants were actually cunning insect hunters.

Surprise! Sundews on My Farm

Over the years I experimented with keeping carnivorous plants - Venus flytraps, pitcher plants and others have graced my windowsills.  But I recently had a surprise discovery on my farm.

Tucked away among the moss and native grasses was a dazzling cluster of Drosera aberrans, also known as the scented sundew.

Yes - a native carnivorous plant, right under my nose, in the wild!  Soo exciting!

An exciting find - Drosera aberrans on our Farm

So How Do They Work?

The Drosera genus (sundews) is one of the largest groups of carnivorous plants, with around 194 species.

They don’t snap or suck like other carnivorous plants - instead, their leaves are covered in sticky, glistening glands that look like dewdrops in the sun. But beware - these drops aren’t water. They’re mucilage, a glue-like substance that traps insects. Once an insect lands, the leaf slowly curls around it and starts to digest it. Delicate and deadly.

These plants usually live in clusters, forming colonies, which helps them thrive in challenging environments with poor soil nutrition.

But… Do They Eat Their Pollinators?

Now this got me thinking about pollination - how do carnivorous plants get pollinated if they eat insects?

Wouldn’t they be munching on the very insects they need to reproduce?

There are lots of variations, but it turns out that many sundew species have evolved clever adaptations. Some grow their flowers on long stalks, far away from their sticky traps - essentially keeping their pollinators safe from becoming dinner.

The ones I found haven’t flowered yet, but I’ll be keeping a close eye on them this spring to see what unfolds!

Want to Learn More About Nature’s Wild Side? Incursions & Workshops

If you love this kind of stuff as much as I do, I run workshops and incursions all about:

• Bees

• Biodiversity

• Pollination

• Citizen Science

• And the weird, wonderful, and sometimes bloodthirsty world of plants and animals

  
  

Whether you're a school, community group, or curious nature lover - come and explore the unexpected stories of the natural world with me. Because let’s be honest - plants that eat insects?  That’s the kind of thing kids (and adults) never forget.

Friends with Honey - Primary School Bee Incursion