We measured the nest density of stingless bees
(Apidae, Meliponini) in undisturbed and logged-over
dipterocarp forests in Sabah, northern Borneo, and evaluated
hypotheses on proximate factors leading to the observed
variation: population control mediated by (1) nest
predation, (2) limitation of nest trees, or (3) food limitation.
Per-area nest density varied twentyfold across 14
forest sites and was significantly affected by locality, but
not by the degree and history of disturbance. Nest density
was generally high in sites located in the Sepilok Forest
fragment (mean 8.4 nests/ha), bordering mangroves
or plantations. In contrast, nest densities in continuous
forests were all low (between 0 and 2.1 nests/ha,
mean 0.5 nests/ha). Yearly nest mortality was low
(13.5–15.0%) over 4 years of observation and did not
vary between forest localities, thus limiting the potential
of nest predation (1) in creating the observed variation in
nest density. The presence of potential nest trees (2),
though positively correlated with nest density, explained
only a minute fraction of the observed variation. Nest
Nest-specific composition of the trail pheromone of the stingless bee
Trigona corvina within populations