Observations on gynes and drones around nuptial flights in the stingless bees Tetragonisca angustula and Melipona beecheii (Hymenoptera, Apidae, Meliponinae)

The nuptial night of gynes of Tetragonisca angustula and Melipona beecheii was studied. The moment of nuptial flight was found to be related to the am bient temperature, and the duration of the nuptial flight for M. beecheii w as longer in November (rainy season) than in March (dry season). A repeated mating flight was recorded for two gynes of T. angustula. Three of five T. angustula queens and all six M. beecheii queens were mated successfully. B ehavioural data of drones and gynes shortly before and after the nuptial fl ight are presented. Drones of T. angustula participated in a congregation f or up to three days. The importance of pheromones for the attraction of dro nes and gynes is discussed. An hypothesis explaining the observed seasonal occurrence of male congregations near nests of T. angustula is presented.