Please join us on for our March meeting. Our guest speaker will be Ryan Newis, speaking on Resin use by Australian stingless bees. 

All are welcome to attend in person at Bulimba Community Centre, 1 Barramul St, Bulimba, Brisbane. Free for members, $5 for non-members. ANBA members can attend by Zoom, a link to join will be sent by email about 3 days prior to the event.

Abstract: Resin collected from plants is a key resource for Australian stingless bees. They use it in conjunction with self-produced wax to build nest structures, and also for its ability to provide chemical and biological defence. A diversity of resin sources has found to be more effective in repelling pest insects and protecting against pathogens. Despite the importance of this key resource, it has received less attention and hence research when compared to pollen and nectar. My research has focused on investigating the species of plants stingless bees collect resin from and how this differs between urban and forest landscapes. It was found that there is an overlap of species foraged from between both landscapes that stingless bees inhabit, with Corymbia torelliana being the dominantly foraged resin source in each. My research also investigated the impact that hive splitting has on foraging behaviour, in particular resin. Resin foraging was observed to be maintained or increased following hive splitting, likely due to its role in hive repair and defence. Given the key roles plant resins fulfill in stingless bee ecology, an increased focus on resin in stingless bee research and management is essential to have a more complete understanding of our native social bee species.

Ryan is a current PhD candidate at Griffith University. His work focuses on stingless bee ecology, specifically their use of plant resins. It is his hope that an increased understanding of this vital resource can lead to better management and conservation of one of our key pollinators in both natural and agricultural landscapes.