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Summary

Trigona fuscipennis is a stingless bee species that originates in Mexico but is also found in Central and South America. They are an advanced eusocial group of bees and play a key role as pollinators in wet rainforests. The species has many common names, including mapaitero, sanharó, abelha-brava, xnuk, k'uris-kab, enreda, corta-cabelo, currunchos, zagaño, and enredapelos.

Taxonomy and phylogeny

Trigona fuscipennis is under the order of Hymenoptera, along with ants, bees, and wasps. It is also part of the Apidae family which encompasses bumble bees, euglossines, honey bees, and stingless bees, and falls in the genus Trigona, which is specific for stingless bees. The genus Trigona is the largest and most diverse group of stingless bees, with over 80 nominal species and about 28 undescribed species. Bees within this genus are notable for their complex communication styles and diverse nest architecture.

Identification

Trigona fuscipennis workers are completely black with one narrow red band just before the apex of the mandibles. They have a short and broad metasoma and a body length of about 5 mm. The antennae do not have the erect black bristles found in other bee species. They are easily mistaken for T. corvina though they are smaller, have slightly different mandible color and do not have erect black bristles. The Trigona queen is dark brown.

Distribution and habitat

Trigona fuscipennis are mainly found in tropical environments. They are native to Mexico but are also found in Middle America and South America. Specifically, they are distributed in the Neoarctic Region which includes Mexico (Campeche, Chiapas, Oaxaca, Puebla, Quintana Roo, Tabasco, Veracruz-Llave, Yucatán) and the Neotropical Region which includes Belize, Colombia (Antioquia, Bolivar, Cundinamarca, Magdalena, Valle del Cauca), Costa Rica (Alajuela, Guanacaste, Limón, Puntarenas, San José), Ecuador (Esmeraldas, Guayas), El Salvador (Sonsonate), Guatemala (Alta Verapaz, Chiquimula, Escuintla, Guatemala, Izabal, Suchitepéquez, Zacapa),...