page_title: Melipona quadrifasciata
section_title: Relation to humans
hierarchical_section_title: Melipona quadrifasciata / Relation to humans
caption_attribution_description: English: Swarm of mandaçaia bees in an artificial hive installed in the backyard of a residence in Saltinho Mafra - SC - BrazilPortuguês: Enxame de abelhas mandaçaia em uma colméia artificial instalada no quintal de uma residência em Saltinho Mafra - SC - Brasil
context_page_description: Melipona quadrifasciata is a species of eusocial, stingless bee of the order Hymenoptera. It is native to the southeastern coastal states of Brazil where it is more commonly known as Mandaçaia, which means "beautiful guard," as there is always a bee at the narrow entrance of the nest. M. quadrifasciata constructs mud hives in the hollows of trees to create thin passages that only allow one bee to pass at a time. Because they are stingless bees, M. quadrifasciata is often used as pollinators in greenhouses, outperforming honey bees in efficiency and leading to overall larger yields of fruits that were heavier, larger, and contained more seeds.
context_section_description: Melipona quadrifasciata is commonly used in agriculture in South America, but wild bees are feeling the effects of deforestation and pesticides.
caption: Melipona quadrifasciata hive
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