Abstract
Nestmate recognition was studied in the Southeast Asian stingless beeTrigona (Tetragonula) minangkabau, a species in which worker oviposition has not been observed in queenright or queenless colonies. When conspecific non-nestmate foragers from queenright and queenless colonies were introduced to the observed colony, they were all rejected by guards. Foragers of a different species (Trigona (Tetragonisca) angustula) were also completely rejected. However, conspecific non-nestmate callows were accepted as often as were nestmate callows, although guards recognized the difference. Accepted non-nestmate callows exchanged food with guards equally as much as nestmate callows did.
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Suka, T., Inoue, T. Nestmate recognition of the stingless beeTrigona (Tetragonula) minangkabau (Apidae: Meliponinae). J. Ethol. 11, 141–147 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02350047
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02350047