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Trigonid Bees
Photo: Courtesy of Damon Ramsey
BSc.(Zool) Biologist Guide
Family Trigonidae
Other Names: Native Bees, Sweat Bees,
Sugarbags, Stingless Bees
- Trigonid are usually small dark insects that many people
presume are some sort of fly.
- Trigonids are bees, and as
such, still collect nectar from flowers.
- They often appear colourful, but closer inspection
reveals this to be pollen collected on the body. These bees are stingless and
only annoy humans when drinking sweat of their bodies, and giving rise to one of
the common names of sweat bees'.
- Trigonids are found in the
rainforests of the southern continents.
- They usually make wax nests in tree
hollows.
- In South-east Asia, their nests are more obvious as they often build
funnel entrances, which are then sealed up every night.
- The Aboriginal people searched for the
nests to obtain honey and referred to them as `sugarbags'.
- The watery honey was
also an important food source for early European colonists.
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Script
and Photo: Courtesy of Damon Ramsey BSc.(Zool) Biologist Guide |
