Kelulut (Trigona sp.)

It didn't feel like morning came so quickly. Even though everyone still wants to linger in their bed, immersed in sweet dreams. But the sound of a rooster crowing like an alarm woke everyone up. "It's time for you to get up and get ready for work!"

Everyone has to work for life, including pollinators. I noticed that the Muntingia (Ceri) flowers blooming in the yard had attracted pollinators to come. There was kelulut among them.

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Kelulut is the local term in Indonesia for stingless honeybees (Trigona sp.). They are very small, but because they have dark bodies, their presence is quite a contrast to the white Muntingia flowers.

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Muntingia flowers have many stamens that contain delicious sweet nectar. All pollinators enjoy the nectar party while the flowers have not fallen.

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There was also a black kelulut. Slightly larger than the first one. Maybe it is another species of stingless bee, or maybe a physical difference between male and female kelulut.

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Some local people here cultivate kelulut bees. The local farmers made several wooden crates as nests around their homes. Kelulut honey bees have economic value and are very good for a healthy lifestyle.

Meanwhile, wild kelulut colonies build nests in bamboo holes or wooden holes in house buildings. Nothing disturbs their existence. Yes, because kelulut is a stingless bee. They are friendly towards humans and livestock.


All these photos are my original work, taken with a Xiaomi POCO NFC smartphone and an assembled external macro lens.



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