Plebeina armata

For other uses, see sweat bee.

Plebeina armata
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Apidae
Genus: Plebeina
Moure, 1961
Species:
P. armata
Binomial name
Plebeina armata
(Magretti, 1895)[1]
Synonyms
  • Trigona armata Magretti, 1895
  • Trigona (Plebeina) hildebrandti (Friese, 1900)
  • Melipona (Trigona) denoiti Vachal, 1903
  • Trigona denoiti katangensis Cockerell, 1934
  • Trigona clypeata Friese, 1909
  • Trigona zebra Strand, 1911

Plebeina armata, the mopane bee or mopane fly, is a very small gnat-like stingless bee species native to Africa, and the only member of its genus. It lives in savannah of Senegal, Nigeria, Cameroun, D.R. Congo (Shaba), Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Angola,Mozambique, Botswana, South Africa and Namibia.[2]

It congregates about the moist tissue of the eyes, nose and mouth to find water in the dry environment where it lives, and is therefore sometimes called a "sweat bee". It is active only during the day and retreats at night. It also has the ability to produce a dark and strong honey.

  1. ^ Magretti, P. (1895). "Imenotteri". Annali del Museo civico di storia naturale di Genova. 2. 35: 154–156.
  2. ^ Plebeina armata on www.atlashymenoptera.net (French)