| Trigona hypogea | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Apidae |
| Tribe: | Meliponini |
| Genus: | Trigona |
| Species: | T. hypogea |
| Binomial name | |
| Trigona hypogea Silvestri, 1902 | |
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, [1] earning it the nickname "vulture bee".
The earliest research into vulture bees was undertaken prior to the realization, in 1991, that there were three vulture bee species rather than one, [1] and focused on Trigona necrophaga in Panama (e.g. [2] ). It was not until 1996 that a detailed study of genuine Trigona hypogea in Brazil was finally published. [3]
In Trigona hypogea, when a forager returns to the nest, the regurgitated material derived from animal carcasses is deposited in special pots and later mixed with sugary plant products; they do not gather nectar or produce honey, but they gather sugary secretions from fruit and non-floral sources (e.g., extrafloral nectaries), and at least initially regurgitate these into separate pots within the colony. [3] After being mixed, the pots remain uncapped for about a day, and are then closed and allowed to mature for about two weeks. During this time the carrion-derived materials degrade into simple compounds used by the bees. The stored substance is initially paste-like, but it becomes a viscous fluid, and eventually becomes sweet and honey-like, homogeneous and yellowish. [3] Earlier analyses of T. hypogea nests had incorrectly assumed that the pale sweet liquid found in the colonies was florally-derived honey. [1]