Stingless Bees are vegetarian wasps meaning they feed on pollen and nectar. Some bees are solitary, they live alone and once they lay an egg, provide nectar and seal the cell they do not return to care for their young or socialise. Social bees have one queen and thousands of workers living and working together as one colony.
Social Bees
Social bees live in a colony with three main castes.
- Queen Bee – She is the one that lay all the eggs.
- Male Drone – The only job the male drone have is to fertilize virgin queens.
- Worker Bee – These are female bees that do all the work within the hive. Tasks include building brood comb, provisioning brood cells, guarding the entrance, removing waste and foraging for food.
Most commonly found Stingless Australian Native social bees are
Tetragonula Hockingsi (previously Trigona Hockingsi) – TH
Tetragonula Hockingsi Brood Structure
Tetragonula Carbonaria (Previously Trigona Carbonaria) – TC
Tetragonula Carbonaria Brood Structure
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Austroplebeia Australis – AA
Other stingless bees in Australia that are not as common are
- Tetragonula Davenporti
- Austroplebeia Cassiae
- Tetragonula Mellipes
- Tetragonula Clypearis
- Tetragonula Sapiens
- Austroplebeia Cincta
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Solitary Bees
Most commonly found solitary bees are
- Blue Banded Bees – Amegilla
- Teddy Bear Bees – Amegilla
- Leafcutter Bees – Megachile
- Resin Bees – Megachile
- Great Carpenter Bee – Xylocopa
