In 1859, renowned scientist Alfred Russel Wallace discovered a huge bee, now recognized as the world’s largest, in the North Moluccas, an Indonesian archipelago.

Wallace’s giant bee, as it’s known, has a wingspan of more than 1.5 inches and large jaws for gouging holes into the termite mounds. Despite its size, the insect went missing for more than a century. It wasn’t until January 2019 that it was caught on film. Photographer Clay Bolt, a member of the expedition that found it, told National Geographic that the creature also appeared quite relaxed and non-aggressive. “Pretty chill,” he said.

Yet other news stories on the bee's discovery prompted a flurry of fearful commentary from readers. “Kill it with fire,” some wrote