It’s been 38 years since scientists last spotted the insect known as Wallace’s Giant Bee, a rare species found only in a group of Indonesian islands called the North Moluccas. With a wingspan of 2.5 inches and a body the size of a human thumb, it’s considered the world’s largest bee, and was feared extinct.

Those fears can now be somewhat laid to rest. In January, an international team of conservationists found a Megachile pluto, as the species is called, in the wild. The team captured the first-ever photos and videos of a live specimen, renewing hope for survival of the species, which is threatened by deforestation.

“It’s just ridiculously large and so exciting,” said Simon Robson, a biologist at the University of Sydney in Australia and a member of the expedition.

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The discovery did not come easily. Despite the bee’s size, its rarity, remote location and nesting habits make it difficult to find.