by Danielle Lloyd-Prichard, Steven Lucas, Tim Roberts and Simon
Haberle
 |
| Internal nest structure of a Tetragonula carbonaria hive |
Tetragonula
carbonaria are
the most common species of stingless bees in Australia. They are generalist
flower visitors and play an important role in the pollination of native
vegetation and agricultural crops. Tetragonula
carbonaria can forage up to 500m from their hives, collecting pollen, resin
and nectar from the surrounding plants. Overseas studies have shown that the
pollen content in native stingless bee honey is an effective predictor of
vegetation in a geographical area around the hive, and can be used to identify
rare species of plants.
