Nest Entrance Architecture and Defence Mechanism in Stingless Bees (Tetrangonula iridipennis (Smith): Trigonini: Meliponinae in Southern Kerala, India
2015
Divya, K. K. | Amritha, V. S. | Devanesan, S.
Characteristics of nest entrance architecture is useful for the study of defense mechanism in stingless bee colonies and the data regarding the nest entrance and defense mechanism were limited in the case of native stingless bee Tetragonula iridipennis (Smith). The studies were conducted in the beekeeping pockets of midland and upland physiographic regions of southern Kerala, India. Three types of nest entrance designs (round type, slit or elliptical and multiple entrance) were observed in T. iridipennis (Smith) colonies and the predominant design was slit like. Number of guard bees wasmore in midland (7.6) than upland (6.4). In the case of hive entrance width, maximum number of hive entrance tubes in both midland and upland was in the category of 1–2 cm. Stingless bees used bee wax, plant resins, dry leaves and vegetative parts, woodparticles, bee cadavers, sand and soil particles for construction of their nest entrance. Based on the level of aggressiveness the bees were categorized under the level 3, were numerous stingless bees fly out and only a few attack the intruders.
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