| Melipona scutellaris | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Apidae |
| Genus: | Melipona |
| Species: | M. scutellaris
|
| Binomial name | |
| Melipona scutellaris Latreille, 1811
| |
| |
| Range of M. scutellaris[1] | |
Melipona scutellaris is a eusocial stingless bee species of the order Hymenoptera and the genus Melipona. It is considered to be the reared Melipona species with the largest distribution in the North and Northeast regions of Brazil, with records from Rio Grande do Norte down to Bahia.[1] Its common name, Uruçu, comes from the Tupi "eiru su", which in this indigenous language means "big bee". Their honey is highly desirable and the materials they create for nests have been proven to be a promising source of antibiofilm agents and to present selectivity against human cancer cell lines at low concentrations compared to normal cells.[2]
- ^ a b Alves, Rogério MO; et al. (2012). "Areas of natural occurrence of Melipona scutellaris Latreille, 1811 (Hymenoptera: Apidae) in the state of Bahia, Brazil". Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ciências. 84 (3): 679–688. doi:10.1590/s0001-37652012000300010. PMID 22886160.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
:1was invoked but never defined (see the help page).