Plate 061 · pollen-laden worker at the entrance tube IdentificationSix marks on the plate
- 1Large eyes on a dark head.
- 2Black, hairy thorax on top.
- 3Yellow side of the thorax, key against T. angustula.
- 4Yellowish-brown abdomen with darker bands.
- 5Pollen basket on the hind tibia.
- 6Wax tube at the nest entrance.
Easily confused with Angelita stingless beeTetragonisca angustulaAlmost identical, but with dark thorax sides. In Argentina it lives mainly in Misiones. Western honey beeApis melliferaMuch larger, with a sting, and nests on open combs or in hives. 061 / 100 · INVERTEBRATES · APIDAENOT EVALUATED Yatei stingless bee
Tetragonisca fiebrigi
Yateí
A native stingless bee barely half a centimetre long. It nests in hollows in trees and walls and builds a pale wax tube at the entrance, watched over by guards. It is recorded for Tucumán and is kept for its honey.
- Size
- c. 5 mm
- Sting
- reduced, cannot sting
- Nest
- in existing cavities
- Altitude
- c. 400 – 1,000 m
- Stingless bee
- Pollinator
- Social insect
- Meliponiculture
Altitude rangeLower forest and foothills
Likely range in Tucumán It is recorded for Tucumán, but with no published localities or altitudes. It is expected in lower forest and foothills, where there are hollow trees and plenty of flowers. The range is approximate.
FoodNectar, pollen and resins
- Nectarturned into honey
- Pollencarried in leg baskets
- Plant resinsfor nest cerumen
- A wide range of flowersnative and cultivated
Pollen analyses of its stores show that it visits many different plants depending on the season.
BehaviourA colony defended without a sting
- Perennial colonies. They live in colonies with one queen and thousands of workers that store honey and pollen in wax pots.
- Entrance tube. The entrance is a pale wax tube that can be closed at night.
- Guards. Some workers hover in front of the tube and others wait on it to repel intruders.
Where to look in Tucumán- Reserva Experimental Horco Molle
- Yerba Buena
- Parque Provincial La Florida