Knowra Stingless bee Stingless bee A bee in the tribe Meliponini, native mainly to tropical regions, with a reduced sting that cannot function in defense. Most species live in colonies with a queen and workers.
Eusociality : A social system in which a colony has cooperative brood care, overlapping generations, and reproductive divisions of labor. Stingless bee colonies divide reproduction and work among queens and workers.
Stingless bee honey : Honey produced by stingless bees, often more fluid and acidic than honey from honey bees. People harvest this distinctive product, whose properties vary among species and regions.
Apidae : A diverse bee family that includes honey bees, bumble bees, orchid bees, and stingless bees. Meliponini is one of the major tribes within this bee family.
Tetragonisca angustula : A small, widespread Neotropical stingless bee known for nesting in varied cavities and producing prized honey. This well-known species illustrates the diversity of stingless bee nesting and honey production.
Meliponini nest architecture : The varied structures stingless bees build from wax, resin, mud, and other materials to house brood and food stores. Nest form shapes brood care, storage, and colony defense across Meliponini.
Meliponiculture : The keeping and management of stingless bee colonies, often for honey, wax, and pollination. This specialized beekeeping supports harvest and colony care without relying on honey bees.
Apinae : A subfamily of bees that includes stingless bees, honey bees, bumble bees, and several other groups. Stingless bees belong to this broader lineage within Apidae.
Melipona beecheii : A large stingless bee native to Central America and the Yucatán Peninsula, traditionally kept for honey. Its long history of management makes it a prominent example of meliponiculture.
Trophallaxis : The exchange of liquid food between individuals through direct mouth-to-mouth transfer. Workers distribute collected nectar and other liquids through exchanges within the colony.
Crop pollination : The transfer of pollen among flowers of cultivated plants that enables or improves fruit and seed production. Some stingless bee species pollinate crops and can be managed for that service.
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