Immature stages of selected meliponine bees (Apoidea, Apidae). (American Museum novitates, no. 3924)

Abstract

This paper describes the eggs and last larval instars of certain species of bees belonging to the tribe Meliponini, one of the four related tribes that comprise the corbiculate bees in the subfamily Apinae. The four taxa analyzed include some whose immature stages have previously been described. Our purpose is to identify what is known about the anatomy of immature stages and suggest what needs to be studied to better understand the developmental anatomy of eggs and mature larvae in this group of highly eusocial bees.