Melipona beecheii

Description

Melipona beecheii is a species of eusocial, stingless bees of the order Hymenoptera and the genus Melipona. It is native to Central America from the Yucatán Peninsula in the north to Costa Rica in the south. M. beecheii was cultivated in the Yucatán Peninsula starting in the pre-Columbian era by the ancient Maya civilization. The Mayan name for M. beecheii is "xunan kab," which translates roughly to "regal lady bee." M. beecheii once served as the subject of various Mayan religious ceremonies.