Tetragona species, Biting Stingless Bee, specimen collected by German Perilla in Peru

Stingless bees are just that, they cannot sting, their sting mechanism was reduced to non-functionality many tens of millions of years ago. Tropical… this large group of social, stingless species and genera, of which the Biting Stingless Bees are only one,, exist around the equator and inhabit all the tropical countries of the world, with the exception of some of the oceanic islands. Associated, but not restricted to, forests they often dominate the local bee community. Similar to Honey Bees, these bees are social with queens and workers, though behavioral and morphological differences between these two social, honey producing groups are numerous and extensive. While Honey Bees are better known, the stingless bees have evolved into many more species, including the only group of bees that are meat eaters, feeding on carrion rather than nectar and also the only group that gets its protein from antibacterial enzymes in vertebrate tears.

The Biting Stingless Bees are so named after their habitat of flying into the face of an intruding animal (humans included) and aggressively biting eyelids, inside the nose, on the lips or in the ears. They hang on while vibrating their wings and are extremely irritating. They produce moderate amounts of honey that is runnier and somewhat tarter in flavor than Honey Bee honey – but it is quite tasty and much sought after, if you can stand getting bees up your nose during the process.

Further in Summer than the Birds

Pathetic from the Grass

A minor Nation celebrates

Its unobtrusive Mass.

No Ordinance be seen

So gradual the Grace

A pensive Custom it becomes

Enlarging Loneliness.

Antiquest felt at Noon

When August burning low

Arise this spectral Canticle

Repose to typify

Remit as yet no Grace

No Furrow on the Glow

Yet a Druidic Difference

Enhances Nature now

-- Emily Dickinson. Original public domain image from Flickr

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