The new bee species, all in the genus Hylaeus, were found in Fiji, French Polynesia, and Micronesia. These masked bees, as they are called due to their striking yellow or white highlights on black bodies, appear to rely exclusively on the forest canopy for their survival. This behavior is rarely identified in bees, suggesting that there is still much to learn about these essential pollinators.
The discovery of these new bee species was made possible by a change in sampling techniques. Instead of focusing on bees living closer to the ground, researchers started looking up, targeting the forest canopy. This shift in approach led to the discovery of these eight new species, which had been overlooked due to sampling bias.