A scientific note on the presence of functional tibia for pollen transportation in the robber bee Lestrimelitta limao Smith (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Meliponini)

Abstract

Stingless bees belonging to the Lestrimelitta genus shows a unique foraging ecology for the group. Instead of collecting food from flowers, these bees steal their food from other stingless bees' hives. Associated with this ecological feature there are morphological characteristics such as the modification of the tibia and loss of corbicula. The highly modified hind tibia is considered not functional for all species of this genus. However, observations of the pillaging attacks under controlled environment allowed us to verify workers carrying pollen using the hind tibia. This scientific note is the first record of pollen transportation on the legs by stingless bees from Lestrimelitta genus. This observation contradicts the current assumption that robber bees' tibia have missed their total function as a result of the cleptoparasitic behavior.