Tetragonula iridipennis
| Tetragonula iridipennis | |
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| A hive of Tetrogonula iridipennis | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Euarthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Apidae |
| Genus: | Tetragonula |
| Species: | T. iridipennis |
| Binomial name | |
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Tetragonula iridipennis (Smith, 1854) |
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| It is found in India, Sri Lanks, and Indonesia | |
| Synonyms | |
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The Indian stingless bee or dammar bee, Tetragonula iridipennis, is a species of bee belonging to the family Apidae, subfamily Apinae. It was first described by Frederick Smith in 1854 who found the species in what is now the island of Sri Lanka. Many older references erroneously placed this species in Melipona, an unrelated genus from the New World, and until recently it was placed in Trigona, therefore still often mistakenly referred to as Trigona iridipennis. For centuries, colonies of T. iridipennis have been kept in objects such as clay pots so that their highly prized medicinal honey can be utilized.
Tetragonula iridipennis belongs to the complex genus of stingless bees Tetragonula which contains more than 30 described species from the Indian subcontinent. Until recently, all species in the group were treated as belonging to the single genus "Trigona". Tetragonula iridipennis belongs to the smaller Iridipennis species group which includes four primary species: Tetragonula iridipennis, Tetragonula praeterita, Tetragonula ruficornis, and Tetragonula bengalensis. These four species were proposed in the 19th century and were poorly characterized. They have since not been directly compared via molecular studies; therefore there is uncertainty about whether they are in fact separate species.
Like other bees in its sub-species group, T. iridipennis can be identified by its dark mesoscutum or middle thorax region with four distinct hair bands separated by broad glabrous interspaces. It can be further distinguished from other species in its sub group by its chestnut-brown colored mandible which does not have a black apical area and a few dark brown erect setae or hair-like structures on the margin of its scutellum. Other species in the subgroup have yellow mandibles which have black apical areas and have light colored setae on their scutella. Based on studies of workers, T. indipennis has a total body length ranging from 3.5-4.0 mm and an entire body which is black to blackish brown. Size differences as well as male genitalia are key for identifying the species. They are relatively small sized bees and the male penis valve is very robust and tapers only at the apex. Male genitalia are also key to differentiating between male and female bees because the two sexes are very similar in size and color.
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Wikipedia