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Nest defence behaviour recorded in response to the attack by the enemies
| Natural enemy | Nature of damage caused by the intruder in the unprotected colony | Nature of nest entrance closure | Type of defence behaviour exhibited by the stingless bees |
|---|---|---|---|
| Resin bee | Resin-robbing activity noticed at the nest entrance as well as inside the colony |
| Guard bees were sighted near the entrance tube during the resin robbing by the Megachile bee. |
| Ant |
| Nest closure not observed | In a few colonies, the ants were seen trapped in the entrance tube whereas, in other few colonies, some individuals were observed in a dead form as further navigation into the colony was arrested by the formation of complex nest architecture made by the bees inside the colony. |
| Spider | Formed webs in the colonies invaded by ants and resin bees with lost resources | Nest closure not observed | The spider was seen entangled and killed inside the entrance tube by a layer of mud mixed resin. |
Events in the newly divided colony of stingless bees
| Sequence of events | Mean ± SD (days) |
|---|---|
| Nest closure | 4.37 ± 0.74 |
| Guard bee activity | 6.13 ±1.24 |
| Foraging activity | 10.63 ±1.06 |