Worldwide, there are more than 400 species of stingless bees (Meliponini). They inhabit the tropical and southern subtropical areas throughout the world (see: distribution map). In contrast to honey bees (Apis mellifera), stingless bees show a great diet breadth and display a variety of different foraging strategies. This fact renders this bee group an important economic factor for crop pollination in the tropics. However, stingless bees are poorly studied in comparison to their famous relatives, the honey bees.

The thorough investigation of mechanisms underlying the food collection process in stingless bees is the major aim of a collaboration between the University of São Paulo (Ribeirão Preto) and the University of Vienna which has been established in 1996, coordintated by Friedrich G. Barth (Vienna) and Ronaldo Zucchi (Ribeirão Preto). This research collaboration represents the first extensive and continuous study about foraging and recruitment strategies of stingless bees since the seminal work by Lindauer and Kerr (1958, 1960). Within a few years, the Ribeirão Preto - Vienna collaboration resulted in a series of new, unexpected as well as fascinating insights into the recruitment-communication mechanisms of stingless bees.

b-lab is an attempt to open this research to the public. It also gives the opportunity to present those people who have dedicated a lot of their time to study the life of stingless bees.

Latest News-Updates:

I finally foud time to update the publication list!!!
In Memoriam: João M. F. de Camargo (20.06.1941 – 07.09.2009)
"Food Exploitation by Social Insects: Ecological, Behavioral, and Theoretical Approaches" published on 07/05/2009
b-lab weatherstation at the Department of Biology - FFCLRP, University of São Paulo went online on 01/03/2009
In Memoriam: Martin Lindauer (19.12.1918 - 13.11.2008)
Moure's "Catalogue of Bees in the Neotropical Regions" accessible online