Pollen and Propolis Collecting by Male Stingless Bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae)

Abstract

During the dry season, males of several species of stingless bees (Meliponini) in Thailand aggregate at or near nest entrances. Mating with virgin queens occurs there, and with the male on her metasoma, such a queen commonly walks into the nest and on the nest floor. The males frequently carry pollen or propolis on the hind tibiae, which are hairy but lack corbiculae. Hind tibiae of males of such species are similar in size and shape to those of workers, a condition that might be termed isopodal, while those of males of other species are quite different from those of workers, a condition possibly termed anisopodal.