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Glite Dictionary
melipona

melipona

1 9.9
A small bee with no sting that pollinates tropical plants
  • noun
  • /məˈlɪpənə/
  • Specialized
: melipona
  • melipona bee

Examples

  • It is easy to raid the food storage cells of the tiny koocun (Melipona), with its almost imperceptible sting.

    Academic text (1993)

  • The Melipona is a crucial pollinator for many tropical plants.

  • Farmers appreciate the benefits of having Melipona bees in their orchards.

  • The unique honey produced by the Melipona bee is treasured for its flavor.

Surface Forms

melipona singular
meliponas plural

Etymology

Melipona comes from old Greek parts meli- meaning 'honey' and -pona meaning 'worker', so a helpful way to remember it is as a 'honey worker'. This fits the word today because a melipona is a tropical, stingless bee that makes honey and does the important work of pollinating plants.