Abstract
Stingless bees are distributed in tropical and subtropical regions. There are over 16,000 species of stingless bees around the world, among which, 42 species are from Asia (Kerr & Maule, 1964). Sixteen species of stingless bees have been identified in Vietnam (Sakagami, 1975; Sakagami, 1978; Engel, 2000; Chinh et al., 2005; Rasmussen, 2008). In this study, the biological characteristics of Tetrigonilla collina, as a representative for Southeast Asian stingless bees, were observed and recorded. The worker cell dimensions were 5.30 ± 0.34mm in length by 4.28 ± 0.37mm in width with a volume of 45.02 ± 5.74mL (food volume: 19.05 ± 3.5mL; ratio: 42.27%). The new cells were mostly built in the morning (from 2:00 to 10:00 am) and the queen laid eggs (2.52 ± 0.81 sec per egg) and capped the cells in the afternoon (from 12:00 to 17:00 pm). The average worker-cell building period was 12.03 ± 3.78 hours. Mainly, six of first ten bees that inserted made food discharges in a cell. The food discharge occurred in a very short time, which was 1.58 ± 0.6 minutes. The new cell numbers of the colony were reduced at the end of the experimental period.
Highlights
There are about 20,000 different bee species worldwide, varying in size, form, and lifestyle (Velthuis, 1997)
According to Velthuis (1997), stingless bees were once distributed on all continents around the world, which was the result of continental drift
Worker’s brood cells T. collina was found underground and their nest formed a cluster style of brood cells. This type of brood worker cell accounts for the high construction for natural building behaviors
Summary
There are about 20,000 different bee species worldwide, varying in size, form, and lifestyle (Velthuis, 1997). Stingless bees and honeybees together are on the highest level of bee social evolution. It is known that stingless bees are one of the oldest among the superfamily of the Apoidea. According to Velthuis (1997), stingless bees were once distributed on all continents around the world, which was the result of continental drift. Stingless bees can be found in tropical and subtropical regions.
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