''Trigona'' is one of the largest genera of
stingless bee
Stingless bees, sometimes called stingless honey bees or simply meliponines, are a large group of bees (about 550 described species), comprising the tribe Meliponini (or subtribe Meliponina according to other authors). They belong in the family A ...
s, comprising about 32 species,
exclusively occurring in the
New World
The term ''New World'' is often used to mean the majority of Earth's Western Hemisphere, specifically the Americas."America." ''The Oxford Companion to the English Language'' (). McArthur, Tom, ed., 1992. New York: Oxford University Press, p. 3 ...
, and formerly including many more subgenera than the present assemblage; many of these former subgenera have been elevated to generic status.
[Michener, C.D. (2000). The Bees of the World. Johns Hopkins University Press]
Range
''Trigona'' species occur throughout the
Neotropical
The Neotropical realm is one of the eight biogeographic realms constituting Earth's land surface. Physically, it includes the tropical terrestrial ecoregions of the Americas and the entire South American temperate zone.
Definition
In bioge ...
region, including South and Central America, the Mexican lowlands, and the Caribbean islands. They can occur in forests, savannas, and man made environments. ''Trigona'' bees are active all year round, although they are less active in cool environments.
![Trigona caixa nordestina](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/30/Trigona_caixa_nordestina.jpg)
Nesting
''Trigona'' nests are constructed from wax they produce and plant resins they collect. They usually nest in tree cavities and underground.
Vulture bees
Vulture bee
Vulture bees, also known as carrion bees, are a small group of three closely related South American stingless bee species in the genus ''Trigona'' which feed on rotting meat. Vulture bees produce a honey-like substance which is not derived from ...
s comprise three ''Trigona'' species, and are the only bees known to be scavengers. These bees collect and feed on dead animal flesh.
Communication
Some species of ''Trigona'' bees use saliva to lay scent trails guiding nest mates to a food source. Some species of ''Trigona'' use eavesdropping which help them detect food sources being exploited by competitors.
Selected species
* '' Trigona branneri''—Mato Grosso (Brazil)[
]
* '' Trigona chanchamayoensis''—Mato Grosso (Brazil)[
* '' Trigona cilipes''—Americas
* '']Trigona corvina
''Trigona corvina'' ( Cockerell, 1913) is a species of stingless bee that lives primarily in Central and South America. In Panama, they are sometimes known as zagañas. They live in protective nests high in the trees, but they can be extremely a ...
'' - Central and South America
* ''Trigona crassipes
''Trigona'' is one of the largest genera of stingless bees, comprising about 32 species, exclusively occurring in the New World, and formerly including many more subgenera than the present assemblage; many of these former subgenera have been ele ...
'' (Fabricius, 1793)
* ''Trigona ferricauda
''Trigona'' is one of the largest genera of stingless bees, comprising about 32 species, exclusively occurring in the New World, and formerly including many more subgenera than the present assemblage; many of these former subgenera have been ele ...
''—Americas
* ''Trigona fulviventris
''Trigona fulviventris'', known by the common names ''culo-de-vaca'', ''culo-de-señora'', ''mu'ul-kab'', ''culo-de-buey'', and ''culo-de-vieja'', is a species of stingless bee found in Mexico and neotropical regions of Central and South America. ...
''—Mexico to Colombia
* ''Trigona fuscipennis
''Trigona fuscipennis'' is a stingless bee species that originates in Mexico but is also found in Central and South America. They are an advanced eusocial group of bees and play a key role as pollinators in wet rainforests. The species has many co ...
''—Mexico to Brasil.[
]
* ''Trigona hyalinata
''Trigona'' is one of the largest genera of stingless bees, comprising about 32 species, exclusively occurring in the New World, and formerly including many more subgenera than the present assemblage; many of these former subgenera have been ele ...
''—Mato Grosso (Brazil)[
* '']Trigona hypogea
''Trigona hypogea'' is a species of stingless bee from the Neotropics; it is unusual in that it is one of only three known species of bee that exclusively uses carrion as a protein source, rather than pollen,Roubik, D.W. (1982)"Obligate Necropha ...
'' (Silvestri, 1902)
* ''Trigona necrophaga
''Trigona'' is one of the largest genera of stingless bees, comprising about 32 species, exclusively occurring in the New World, and formerly including many more subgenera than the present assemblage; many of these former subgenera have been ele ...
'' (Camargo & Roubik, 1991)
* ''Trigona nigerrima
''Trigona'' is one of the largest genera of stingless bees, comprising about 32 species, exclusively occurring in the New World, and formerly including many more subgenera than the present assemblage; many of these former subgenera have been ele ...
''—Americas (Mexico, Costa Rica)
* ''Trigona nigra
''Trigona'' is one of the largest genera of stingless bees, comprising about 32 species, exclusively occurring in the New World, and formerly including many more subgenera than the present assemblage; many of these former subgenera have been ele ...
''—Mexico
* ''Trigona pallens
''Trigona pallens'', known as abelha-olho-de-vidro ("glass-eye bee") in Brazil,Costa, Luciano (2019). Guia Fotográfico de Identificação de Abelhas Sem Ferrão para resgate em áreas de supressão florestal'. Belém: Instituto Tecnológico Vale ...
''—Americas
* ''Trigona recursa
''Trigona'' is one of the largest genera of stingless bees, comprising about 32 species, exclusively occurring in the New World, and formerly including many more subgenera than the present assemblage; many of these former subgenera have been ele ...
''—Mato Grosso (Brazil)[
* '']Trigona silvestriana
''Trigona'' is one of the largest genera of stingless bees, comprising about 32 species, exclusively occurring in the New World, and formerly including many more subgenera than the present assemblage; many of these former subgenera have been ele ...
''—Americas (Costa Rica)
* ''Trigona spinipes
''Trigona spinipes'' is a species of stingless bee. It occurs in Brazil, where it is called ''arapuá'', ''aripuá'', ''irapuá'', ''japurá'' or ''abelha-cachorro'' ("dog-bee"). The species name means "spiny feet" in Latin. ''Trigona spinipes' ...
''—''arapuá'' (Brazil)[
]
References
External links
*http://www2.biology.sc.chula.ac.th/web%20of%20NHJCU%20PDF/7-1,%2071-74.pdf
{{DEFAULTSORT:Trigona (Genus)
Bee genera
Taxa named by Louis Jurine