Nesting habitat and comb geometry of stingless bee Tetragonula bengalensis Cameron in west Bengal

A detailed survey was carried out at Purulia and Bankura districts of West Bengal to study the nesting habitat and comb geometry of stingless bee Tetragonula bengalensis Cameron. A total of 55 colonies were found to nest in different habitats, out of which 31 colonies were studied. Among them eleven colonies were found in tree nesting habitat and 20 in wall nesting. A colony nested in wall cavity at Bankura district was found to build their nest in that of swarmed wasp. The tree and wall nested colonies were observed having the mean height of 179.57, 173.25 and 99.71, 79.15 cm in the two respective districts. The mean dimensions of cavity and entrance tube nested in tree cavities of both the districts were 60.57 × 22.29 cm; 4.21 × 2.90 mm, and 35 × 17.75 cm; 3.75 × 3.5 mm; whereas for wall nested colonies it was 21.21 × 30.00 cm, 3.90 × 3.71 mm; and 20.87 × 28.69 cm, 3.98 × 3.60 mm, respectively. The brood cells, honey and pollen pots were brown to dark brown, oval and, arranged in clusters. The mean dimensions of brood cells, pollen and honey pots in tree nested combs were 2.26 × 1.66, 7.42 × 5.18, 7.60 × 4.77 and 2.26 × 2.00, 7.44 × 5.16, 7.80 × 4.99 mm; while for wall nested combs it was 2.28 × 1.57, 7.44 × 4.99, 7.57 × 4.71 and 2.13 × 1.77, 7.30 × 4.85, 7.77 × 4.65 mm in length and width, respectively.