Abstract
Melipona bicolor schencki is currently considered a threatened stingless bee in southern Brazil, and studies about its ecology may provide new insights to enable its conservation. This study evaluated the seasonal variability in the sex/caste proportion, numbers of combs and brood cells, and spatial distribution of the individuals present in emerging combs in five polygynous colonies of M. bicolor schencki for 1 year. Throughout the year, the colonies showed similar variations. Individual combs exhibited a higher number of brood cells in spring and summer, although there was no variation in the number of combs over the four seasons. Workers (79.7 %), queens (15.6 %), and drones (4.7 %) were produced in all months sampled. Analysis of spatial distribution indicated no clear predominance of a specific sex or caste in a specific comb area, contrary to other species of Melipona.
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