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Who’s who in the zoo: native stingless bees

native stingless bees
A native stingless bee hive situated within a Eucalyptus tree takes pride of place next to the freshwater turtle exhibit at Alexandra Park Zoo

Did you know the Alexandra Park Zoo is home to a hive of native Australian stingless bees?

The beehive was rescued from being cleared and kindly donated to the zoo by Wide Bay Stingless Bees.

The species is called Austroplebeia australis, a special group of bees endemic to Australia and New Guinea.

They are black with a row of four cream marks on their thorax (the area just behind their head).

Native stingless bees are experiencing loss of habitats, feeding and breeding sites so the Alexandra Park Zoo is doing its part to help conserve the local native species, especially one that plays such an important role in pollinating the natural environment.

There are about 5000 individual bees living in the hive, including one queen, some drones (male bees) and thousands of female worker bees.

The native stingless bee hive is situated within a native Eucalyptus tree and takes pride of place next to the freshwater turtle exhibit.

Find out more about Alexandra Park Zoo here.

More stories: Who’s Who in the Zoo: freshwater turtle

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