Thermal biology of Australian native stingless bees (Tetragonula spp.)

Abstract

Eusocial stingless bees (Tribe Meliponini) are widely distributed in the major tropical and sub-tropical geographic regions either side of the equator, including South and Central America, Africa, India, South East Asia, New Guinea and Australia. Over 500 species have been identified worldwide, of which 11 occur in Australia. These bees are key pollinators in many natural ecosystems and are also increasingly used as managed pollinators of tropical fruit and nut crops. This thesis investigates the thermal biology of two endemic Australian species of East Coast stingless bees in the genus Tetragonula: T. carbonaria and T. hockingsi. Both species are broadly distributed along East Australian latitudinal climate gradients. They have predominantly allopatric ranges, occupying different climates and latitudes, though with several areas of overlapping range in Queensland.