Plebeia quadripunctata

Taxobox
name = "Plebeia quadripunctata"
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Arthropoda
classis = Insecta
ordo = Hymenoptera
superfamilia = Apoidea
familia = Apidae
subfamilia = Apinae
tribus = Meliponini
genus = "Plebeia"
subgenus = "(Schwarziana)"
species = "P. quadripunctata"
binomial = "Plebeia quadripunctata"
binomial_authority = (Lepeletier, 1836)

"Plebeia quadripunctata" is a small stingless bee that occurs from central Brazil through Argentina, formerly included in the genus "Trigona". It is the sole member of the subgenus "(Schwarziana)", which has historically been treated by some authors as a separate genus, though the most recent taxonomic revision [Michener, C.D. (2000). The Bees of the World. Johns Hopkins University Press] places it among the "Plebeia" species, albeit an atypical member of the group. It is larger (6.0-7.5 mm) than most members of the genus, and the male genital armature and mode of queen production are quite unusual.

Behavior

In this species, although less than 1% of female worker cells produce dwarf queens, they comprise six out of seven queen bees, and one out of five proceed to head colonies of their own. They are reproductively active but less fecund than large queensWenseleers, T., F.L.W. Ratnieks, M. de F. Ribeiro, D. de A. Alves & V. Imperatriz-Fonseca. (2005) "Working-class royalty: bees beat the caste system." "Biol. Lett." 1(2): 125-8] . No other stingless bees are known to share this phenomenon of dwarf queen production.

References