Tetragonula carbonaria or the sugarbag bee creates spiral hives! It is a type of stingless bee found in Australia. pic.twitter.com/A2etQVseGW
— Nature Is Weird (@NaturelsWeird) August 18, 2018
Not every bee stings. Of the 20,000 species of bees, there are over 500 of them who have lost that ability. They do, however, protect themselves in other ways, such as showering intruders with wax, plant resin, and mud. Larger predators are usually engulfed by their strength in numbers.
There are fourteen species of stingless bees native in Australia. Among the fourteen species, there stands one who is notable for their attractive beehives.
Tetragonula carbonaria, or the sugarbag bee, tend to be smaller in size compared to other stingless bees. They are predominantly black and their bodies are covered in microscopic hairs. The sugarbag bee builds hives in a distinctive spiral pattern unique to the species. The hives are broad and flat but each spiral rises in height as they turn, giving the hive a flattened conical shape. A fully developed nest may consist as many as twenty spirals.
Carbonaria bee hives have only one entrance, which is heavily protected by guard bees and coated with a mixture of beeswax and resins. Antibacterial properties from the resin clean any pathogens from the bees as they enter the hive. The substance also keeps out predators such as ants and beetles.
It is not known why the sugarbag bee make spiral hives. It may be to make air circulation better, especially since other bee colonies are not well ventilated.
Check out the photos over at the Amusing Planet.
(Image Credit: Nature Is Weird/ Twitter)