Tetragonula iridipennis

Tetragonula iridipennis
A hive of Tetragonula iridipennis
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Apidae
Genus: Tetragonula
Species:
T. iridipennis
Binomial name
Tetragonula iridipennis
Smith, 1854
It is found in India, Sri Lanka, and Indonesia
Synonyms
  • Trigona iridipennis Smith, 1854
  • Trigona (Tetragonula) iridipennis Smith, 1854
  • Trigona (Heterotrigona) iridipennis Smith, 1854[1]
  • Melipona iridipennis Auctt.

The Indian stingless bee or dammar bee, Tetragonula iridipennis, is a species of bee belonging to the family Apidae, subfamily Apinae. It was first described by Frederick Smith in 1854 who found the species in what is now the island of Sri Lanka.[2] Many older references erroneously placed this species in Melipona, an unrelated genus from the New World,[3] and until recently it was placed in Trigona, therefore still often mistakenly referred to as Trigona iridipennis. For centuries, colonies of T. iridipennis have been kept in objects such as clay pots so that their highly prized medicinal honey can be utilized.[2]

  1. ^ "Tetragonula iridipennis - -- Discover Life".
  2. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference :0 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Rahman, Khan A. S. Singh. 1940. Beekeeping in India. Indian Farming 1: 10-17