Tetragonisca angustula

Appearance

T. angustula'' is a very small bee and builds unobtrusive nests, allowing it to thrive in urban areas. It also produces large amounts of honey, and is thus frequently kept in wooden hives by beekeepers. ''T. angustula'' hives are often overlooked, and since the bee lacks a stinger, it is not seen as a threat to humans.

''T. angustula'' is an exceptionally small bee, about 4–5 mm. Along with all other bees in the tribe Meliponini, it is stingless and has a reduced wing venation and penicilla . The subspecies ''T. angustula fiebrigi'' has a light yellow mesepisternum, while ''T. angustula angustula'' has black. Guard bees, which make up about 1–6% of each hive, weigh more than foragers by about 30% and have smaller heads, as well as longer hind legs. Remarkable for the stingless bee clade, ''T. angustula'' has a pronounced size dimorphism between the queen and worker castes.

Distribution

''T. angustula'' has a large habitat distribution across Central and South America. The species has been found as far north as Mexico and south as far as Argentina. It has been labeled "one of the most widespread bee species in the neotropics." The subspecies ''T. angustula fiebrigi'' is found more in the southern hemisphere, occupying parts of Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and other southern countries. The subspecies ''T. angustula angustula'' has a larger presence in Brazil and is found more in the northern hemisphere, occupying Panama, Venezuela, Costa Rica, Nicaragua etc.

''T. angustula'' distribution overlaps with many other stingless bee species, with an especially large correlation with ''Paratrigona subnuda'' distribution across Mesoaerica. In the Atlantic rainforest, deforestation for sugar cane plantations is extensive and contributes to the rarity of ''T. angustula'' in that area, as well as the stingless bee ''Melipona scutellaris.''

Nests for ''T. angustula'' are found in many different settings. Their nests are the predominant bee nests in recovering forest habitats, but are also present in structured forests, depleted forests, and urban settings. Like other stingless bees, ''T. angustula'' finds pre-existing cavities, such as holes in tree trunks, cavities in walls, or even abandoned ant or termite nests, for their new nest sites.

Behavior

''T. angustula'' bees do not have an easily observable form of communication. While they must cooperate in the hive to perform various tasks as a group, many tasks are performed individually. Olfactory cues have been tested in relation to both nestmate recognition and in foraging location, but no strong links could be made. Chemical cues do play a role in foraging activities, with individuals choosing to pollinate plants that have been previously visited by other foragers, but this is an indirect form of communication.

Habitat

''T. angustula'' has a large habitat distribution across Central and South America. The species has been found as far north as Mexico and south as far as Argentina. It has been labeled "one of the most widespread bee species in the neotropics." The subspecies ''T. angustula fiebrigi'' is found more in the southern hemisphere, occupying parts of Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and other southern countries. The subspecies ''T. angustula angustula'' has a larger presence in Brazil and is found more in the northern hemisphere, occupying Panama, Venezuela, Costa Rica, Nicaragua etc.

''T. angustula'' distribution overlaps with many other stingless bee species, with an especially large correlation with ''Paratrigona subnuda'' distribution across Mesoaerica. In the Atlantic rainforest, deforestation for sugar cane plantations is extensive and contributes to the rarity of ''T. angustula'' in that area, as well as the stingless bee ''Melipona scutellaris.''

Nests for ''T. angustula'' are found in many different settings. Their nests are the predominant bee nests in recovering forest habitats, but are also present in structured forests, depleted forests, and urban settings. Like other stingless bees, ''T. angustula'' finds pre-existing cavities, such as holes in tree trunks, cavities in walls, or even abandoned ant or termite nests, for their new nest sites.Forests are being destroyed all over the world, including the Atlantic Rainforest in Brazil. The Atlantic Rainforest has very high levels of biodiversity but human fragmentation of the forest is leading to huge loss. Due to the interconnectedness of the environment the loss of one plant or insect could cause many others to go extinct. As seen above, ''T. angustula'' bees are quite important for pollinating many plants and providing good quality honey. Steps are taken to understand the diet of these bees and their nest sites in order to keep them from dying out in an area. Conservation of the forest is a priority of many scientists and preservationists, and the survival of stingless bees plays a factor in the importance of keeping these forests.

Food

''T. angustula'' bees visit a large number of plants to find food. Stingless bees in general are very important in pollinating 30 to 80% of the plants in their biomes, and ''T. angustula'' is one of the most widespread stingless bees in South America. In one study in Brazil, ''T. angustula'' bees were seen at 61 different plants, 45 of them being visited by almost exclusively this species of bee. The most important food source for ''T. angustula'' is believed to be ''Schinus terebinthifolius'' in the Anacardiaceae. Plants from the Asteraceae and Meliaceae were also visited in large numbers. Pollen types from different plants vary in their size and surface texture, which makes ''T. angustula'' honey distinct compared to honey with different pollen grains.

Defense

The wax tube entrance to each ''T. angustula'' hive provides a great advantage in respect to protection against invaders. Between two and 45 soldiers are stationed at this entrance at all times. There are two types of ''T. angustula'' soldiers. One type will stand on the tube and detect bees of the same species that do not belong in the hive. The second type will hover near the entrance of the tube and defend against flying intruders that are not ''T. angustula''.