Increasing thermal stress with flight distance in stingless bees (Melipona subnitida) in the Brazilian tropical dry forest: Implications for constraint on foraging range.

The thoracic temperature (T) of foraging bees usually exceeds ambient air temperatures (T) by several degrees. In hot tropical climate zones, therefore, individuals may reach body temperatures close to their critical thermal maxima, which might constrain their activity. In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that thermal stress increases with flight distance in nectar foragers of M.