A CASE OF MULTIPLE MATING IN STINGLESS BEES (MELIPONINAE)

In several stingless bee species many males aggregate in the vicinity of a nest when a virgin queen is present in the colony and is preparin g for the nuptial flight. We report such male assemblage for Tetragoni sca angustula. The departure of a virgin queen from the colony and the subsequent mating could be video-recorded, because the queen and the males that had mounted her fell to the ground. Since at least two male s had lost their genitalia, multiple mating seems to have occurred. Th is is in contrast with the prevailing view found in literature concern ing the mating biology of stingless bees.