It has jaws as large as a stag beetle, and is four times as large as that of a regular honeybee. The females will be approximately four centimeters long and have a wingspan of six inches.
In 38 years, scientists have feared that the bee has been cut off. But during an expedition in January was found a single specimen, a female, on the indonesian island of Moluccas.
the Researchers found the bee inside a large termitnäste inside the trunk of a tree, about two to three metres from the ground.
the Females can be about four centimeters long, four times larger than a common honeybee. Photo: Clay Bolt/Global Wildlife Conservation/AFP
“It was absolutely staggering to see the ”flying bulldog” which we were not even sure existed anymore,” says photographer Clay Bolt to The Guardian who was the first person who got a picture of the extremely rare insect.
– To actually get to see how beautiful and great the nature is in reality, to hear the sound of its enormous wings as it flew past my head, it was just amazing, ” continues Bolt.
of the british explorers Russel Wallace. It is and has been a real doldis, researchers have simply not known as much about Wallace-the bee. In addition to the females build the nest of the resin inside the termitnästen.
the Bee’s natural habitat is threatened by a massive deforestation of the rain forest for the benefit of agriculture in Indonesia. Its size and the fact that it is so incredibly rare, making it an easy prey for the collectors.
According to The Guardian, there are currently no laws that protect the unusual Wallace-bee.