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''Tetragonisca angustula'' is a small eusocial stingless bee found in Central and South America.〔 It is known by a variety of names in different regions (e.g.'' jataí, yatei, jaty, virginitas, angelitas ingleses, españolita, mariola, chipisas, virgencitas,'' and ''mariolitas''). There are two subspecies of ''T. angustula'', ''T. angustula angustula'' and ''T. angustula fiebrigi'', which occupy different areas and have slightly varied coloration.〔 ''T. angustula'' is a very small bee and builds unobtrusive nests, allowing it to thrive in urban areas. It also produces large amounts of honey, and is thus frequently kept in wooden hives by beekeepers. ''T. angustula'' hives are often overlooked, and since the bee lacks a stinger, it is not seen as a threat to humans. Many of their behaviors are concerned with colonizing a new nest and producing offspring, demonstrated by their swarming and nursing behaviors, however a special caste of ''T. angustula'' are soldiers who are slightly larger than the workers. The soldiers in a ''T. angustula'' nest are very good at protecting the hive against intruders which makes up for not having a stinger.〔 Some of these soldiers hover in mid air outside the nest, which is seen in the picture to the right. ==Taxonomy and phylogeny== ''T. angustula'' is a member of the order Hymenoptera, which is one of the four largest insect orders.〔(【引用サイトリンク】url=http://eol.org/pages/648/overview )〕 It is in the family Apidae, which is make up of bees, and the subfamily is the Apinae, which is pollen basket bees. Along with other species in the tribe Meliponini, ''T. angustula'' is a eusocial stingless bee. There are approximately 500 known species in this tribe, a majority of which are located in the Neotropics. ''T. angustula'' has two described two subspecies, ''T. angustula fiebrigi'' and ''T. angustula angustula'' which have different coloration on their mesepisternum and occupy slightly different regions. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Tetragonisca angustula」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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