出典:Wiktionary
出典:Wikipedia
出典:『Wikipedia』 (2011/03/30 00:49 UTC 版)
Stingless bees, sometimes called stingless honey bees or simply meliponines, are a large group of bees, comprising the tribe Meliponini (or subtribe Meliponina according other authors). They belong in the family Apidae, and are closely related to common honey bees, carpenter bees, orchid bees and bumblebees. The common name is slightly misleading, as a great many other bee species, especially in the family Andrenidae, are also incapable of stinging, as are all male bees. Meliponines have stingers, but they are highly reduced and cannot be used for defense.