(Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo) - Several species of stingless bees have specialized guards or soldiers to defend their colonies from attacks by natural enemies. The differentiation of these guardian bees evolved in the last 25 million years and coincided with the appearance of parasitic 'robber' bees, which represent a major threat to many stingless bee species. These discoveries were made by a group of researchers in Brazil in collaboration with colleagues in Germany.
Original Article: Stingless bees have specialized guards to defend their colonies, study reveals