Scientists Discover New Underground Stingless Bee Species in Nagaland

A tiny stingless bee that builds its colonies almost a metre beneath the soil has been identified as a new species from Nagaland, adding another unusual pollinator to the biodiversity record of Northeast India.

Named Tetragonula nagalandensis, the species was described by researchers from the University of Agricultural Sciences, Bengaluru, Nagaland University and Central Agricultural University, Imphal. Their study was published online in the journal Oriental Insects on August 24, 2026.

The species was found around Medziphema in Nagaland, where researchers located colonies buried roughly 80 centimetres below the ground.

That subterranean nesting habit is one of the most striking aspects of the discovery.

A Colony Hidden Deep in the Soil

Unlike the familiar honeybee colonies found in tree cavities or man-made hives, Tetragonula nagalandensis builds its nest inside moist soil rich in humus and decaying organic material.

Researchers found nests at depths of approximately 76–79 centimetres. A narrow entrance at the surface led into a long tube extending towards the underground nest cavity.

Inside, brood cells were arranged in compact clusters, surrounded by the materials used by stingless bees to protect and organise their colony.

The scientific description notes that the species’ brood-cell arrangement is one of the characteristics associated with its distinctive nesting biology.

Researchers examining one colony estimated that it contained around 350–400 millilitres of honey, stored in pots surrounding the brood area.

A Bee Only a Few Millimetres Long

The newly described insect is extremely small.

The male holotype measures about 5 millimetres in body length, while females average approximately 4.19 millimetres.

At first glance, the bee resembles another stingless species, Tetragonula kyrdemkulaiensis.

The researchers were able to separate the two through detailed examination of their size, abdominal structures and, particularly, the anatomy of the males.

Male morphology is especially useful in stingless-bee taxonomy because females of closely related Tetragonula species can appear remarkably similar.

The researchers found distinctive structures in the male genitalia that, together with other morphological characteristics and nesting behaviour, supported recognition of the Nagaland specimens as a separate species.

Named After Nagaland

The species name nagalandensis reflects the state in which it was discovered.

Specimens from Medziphema had actually been collected over several years. Female specimens dated back to 2017 and 2018, with additional material gathered in 2024. Detailed comparison of those specimens eventually established that they represented a species previously unknown to science.

The type specimens have been deposited in the insect repository of the Department of Entomology at the University of Agricultural Sciences, Bengaluru, ensuring that future researchers can examine the material used for the formal species description.

Nagaland Emerging as a Stingless-Bee Diversity Centre

The discovery adds to growing evidence that Nagaland supports a rich and still incompletely documented diversity of stingless bees.

Earlier surveys across the state recorded several Tetragonula and related species from habitats ranging from low elevations to more than 3,000 metres above sea level. One survey examined more than 1,500 specimens collected from forests and nests across different districts.

Research Matters reports that the description of T. nagalandensis takes the number of recognised stingless-bee species in India to 19.

There is evidence that the diversity is still being uncovered. Another 2026 study from Nagaland described Tetragonula yikhumensis, a separate subterranean stingless bee from Wokha district.

The discoveries suggest that underground nesting may be more diverse among Northeast India’s stingless bees than previously recognised.

Small Bees With an Important Ecological Role

Stingless bees belong to the tribe Meliponini, a group of social bees found mainly in tropical and subtropical regions.

As their name suggests, their stingers are greatly reduced and cannot function in the same way as those of ordinary honeybees. The colonies nevertheless defend themselves through other behaviours.

They are important pollinators of wild plants and crops, while some communities also value their honey.

Because many species are small, difficult to distinguish and occupy concealed nesting sites, their diversity can easily be underestimated.

The discovery of Tetragonula nagalandensis illustrates that problem particularly well. A colony only a few millimetres in size was living almost 80 centimetres beneath the soil, effectively hidden from view until researchers followed its narrow entrance underground.

Its formal description adds another species to India’s growing record of stingless-bee diversity — and another indication of how much of the insect life of the Northeast remains to be documented.

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Reference

Shashidhar Viraktamath, Avinash Chauhan, Rojeet Thangjam and Malar Bui — Oriental Insects, published online August 24, 2026
A new species of Tetragonula (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Meliponini) from Nagaland, India, with description of the male of Tetragonula srikantanathi and notes on nesting biology.

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