Hygienic behavior in the stingless bee Scaptotrigona bipunctata (Lepeletier, 1836) (Insecta: Hymenoptera: Apidae: Meliponini)

Selection for hygienic behavior in honey bee (Apis mellifera Linnaeus, Citation1758 –Hymenoptera, Apidae, Apini) colonies can be used as a tool to obtain bees with behavioral resistance to diseases. However, information on the hygienic behavior of stingless bees (Hymenoptera, Apidae, Meliponini) is scarce. This study aimed to examine the level of hygienic behavior in colonies (n = 14) of the stingless bee Scaptotrigona bipunctata (Lepeletier, Citation1836) across different seasons of the year and assess the association between expression of hygienic behavior and colony characteristics. The group analysis identified two levels of hygienic behavior (p < 0.05), categorized as high hygienic behavior (HHB) and low hygienic behavior (LHB). The hygienic response to frozen brood combs varied across the seasons, with the average recorded in spring at 24 h (42.00%) and in autumn at 48 h (78.11%). Some colonies were more hygienic than others, and additionally, the more hygienic colonies also had more honey pots during the winter. This study presents unprecedented findings for the stingless bee S. bipunctata. A high level of hygienic behavior at 48 h after the introduction of dead brood may be useful, in conjunction with other colony characteristics, as a selection indicator to improve honey production.