Melipona beecheii

Melipona beecheii is a species of eusocial stingless bee. It is native to Central America from the Yucatán Peninsula in the north to Costa Rica in the south. M. beecheii was cultivated in the Yucatán Peninsula starting in the pre-Columbian era by the ancient Maya civilization. The Mayan name for M. beecheii is xunan kab, which translates roughly to "regal lady bee". M. beecheii serves as the subject of various Mayan religious ceremonies. M. beecheii is a member of the family Apidae of eusocial bees within the order Hymenoptera. The subfamily Meliponini is commonly referred to as "stingless bees". The genus Melipona contains nearly 50 other species. M. beecheii has a golden-yellowish and brown striped body with translucent wings. M. beecheii has small, white hairs covering the head, thorax, and abdomen. Queens, workers, and drones are all roughly the same size. Moreover, all members of the hive regardless of their future role develop in identical, mass-provisioned, sealed cells. This allows for self-determination of roles, the root of caste conflict within M. beecheii. M. beecheii is a tropical eusocial bee that has been observed in a variety of geographic locations with tropical climates. M. beecheii can be found in Central America, especially in the southern Yucatán Peninsula of Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica. This bee has been observed primarily in tropical forests, both humid and arid. M. beecheii builds its nests inside hollow cavities of trees, and as a result, has been seriously affected by deforestation. Moreover, use of insecticides in the forest is increasing and interest in the ancient Mayan practice of beekeeping is decreasing. Beekeepers who work with M. beecheii in the Mayan zone in Quintana Roo state, Mexico, have reported a 93% decrease in hives over the past 25 years. In M. beecheii, all females, even those designated to be workers, have the ability to develop as queens. As a result of this potential to self-determine, immature females may try to develop as queens to gain greater reproductive opportunities.