Tetragonula laeviceps (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Meliponini): Morphology, Morphometric, and Nest Structure

Abstract

Background: Stingless bees is one group of eusocial insects living together in the hive. There are around 46 species of stingless bee in Indonesia with different morphological, morphometric and hive structure characteristics. This study aimed to describe the morphological, morphometric and beehives structure of Tetragonula laeviceps from Yogyakarta. Methods: Survey method is used by taking three sampling points of bamboo, house building and livestock crates in Bantul Regency. Sampling points determined by Purposive sampling method. An XSZ-107 BN binocular microscope analyzed samples of T. laeviceps with Optilab viewer and Image Raster software. Results: The results showed morphological characters of T. laeviceps are dominated shiny-black body, brownish-yellow antennas, klipeus on a head covered by fine silver hair, brownish-yellow mandible with two teeth, mesonotum in thorax covered by brownish to black hair, scutellum extended to propodeum, the ribbon of hair on the dorsal thorax is not very clear, and the hind tibia is rather hairy. Morphometric of T. laeviceps included body length between 3.44 - 3.76 mm, head width 1.55 - 1.70 mm, front wing length with tegula 3.76 - 4.37 mm, length of rear limbs tibia 1.37-1.57 mm, and the number of hamuli as many as 5. The beehive structure consisted of oval-shaped entrance formed funnel and varying internal hive in terms of the number of saplings, pollen cells, and honey cells. Conclusions: T. laeviceps have morphological, morphometric and hive structure characteristics that are different from other species and variated compared to similar species from other regions.