Where do I find data about vulture bees?

Answer 1

The Vulture bees are a small group of three that are closely related to the American stingless bee. These three species of Vulture bees are the only know bees not to relay on plant products as their food source. Instead, these bees feed on rotting meat, hence the name "vulture" bees. This unusual bee behaviour was not discovered until 1982, which is nearly two centuries after these bees were first classified. The three species are: Trigona Crassipes (1793) Trigona Hypogea (1902) Trigona Nercrophaga (1991) The Vulture bees are attracted to rotting carcasses, and decaying flesh, as opposed to colourful flowers and sweet nectar. Like most adult bees, the vulture bees collects food to that back the nest, but rather than visit flowers like most bee species, Vulture bees gather meat. They are necrophages, (a word that means an organism that eats dead animal carcasses), and use the meat for the protein that these bees need to survive. Vulture bees, much like maggots, usually enter the carcass through the eyes. They will then root around inside gathering the meat suitable for their needs. The vulture bees salivates on the rotting flesh and then sucks it up storing it special stomach compartment until it has flow back to the nest. When it returns home, this meat is transferred to another Vulture bee. This bee's job is to mix the animal flesh with a digestive fluid to break it down into an edible substance. This substance is then placed into pot-like containers within the nest until it is time to feed the immature bees.