VISAKHAPATNAM: Tetragonula iridipennis and Tetragonula pagdeni are the two species of stingless bees identified in five districts of Andhra Pradesh in a study that recorded 22 nesting sites across different habitats.
The study, titled ‘Diversity of Stingless Bees from Andhra Pradesh’, was conducted during 2024-2025 in Parvathipuram Manyam, Alluri Sitharama Raju (ASR), Eluru, Nandyal and Palnadu districts. Researchers recorded 22 nesting sites across different habitats, including building walls, tree trunks, soil and crevices in old structures, highlighting their nesting preferences and ecological importance as pollinators.
The findings were published in the Indian Journal of Entomology by a team of researchers, including Srikanth, Mallikharjuna Rao, Koteswara Rao and Ratna Kumari.
Of the two species, Tetragonula iridipennis was recorded in Alluri Sitharama Raju, Parvatipuram Manyam, Eluru and two locations in Nandyal. Tetragonula pagdeni was found at Thimmapuram in Nandyal and Chenchu Colony in Palnadu.
Building walls emerged as the most preferred nesting sites across the surveyed locations. The researchers found colonies in the walls of undisturbed buildings in ASR district and crevices in old structures in Parvathipuram Manyam. In Eluru, the colonies were found in soil, while in Nandyal and Palnadu, they were observed on trees and the stone walls of old buildings.
Of the two species identified, Tetragonula iridipennis was recorded in ASR, Parvathipuram Manyam, Eluru and two locations in Nandyal. Tetragonula pagdeni was identified at Thimmapuram in Nandyal and Chenchu Colony in Palnadu. The researchers collected bee specimens from the identified nesting sites and sent them for taxonomic identification to experts, including S Viraktamath, Emeritus Scientist in the Department of Agricultural Entomology at the University of Agricultural Sciences, Bengaluru, and the Zoological Survey of India.
Stingless bees, locally known in Andhra Pradesh as ‘Musari eega’, are social insects that live in colonies and build nests in cavities in walls, tree trunks and soil. Depending on their nesting locations, they are also known locally as ‘Musari tene’ for wall nests, ‘Burra tene’ for tree nests and ‘Putta tene’ for soil nests.
Despite their reduced sting, these bees play an important role in pollination across natural and agricultural ecosystems. They visit a wide range of flowering plants and help support plant reproduction and crop production.
The researchers noted that the findings were consistent with earlier studies in Karnataka, where stingless bee colonies had been recorded in stone walls, soil, tree trunks and crevices in buildings. The study highlights the adaptability of stingless bees to different habitats and the importance of documenting their diversity.