Thachakhanin Jongjitvimol and Wandee Wattanachaiyingcharoen

pp. 993 - 1002

Abstract

Food resource partitioning of three species of stingless bees; Trigona apicalis Smith, 1857, T. collina Smith, 1857 and T. fimbriata Smith, 1857 at Phitsanulok Wildlife Conservation Devolopment and Extension Station were investigated from October 2003 to February 2005. The comparison study among T. apicalis, T.collina and T. fimbriata found different foraging times from food resources. Morphological study to examine the relationship between body size and foraging appendages among these species revealed significant differences
in all characteristics (p<0.05). The results of food resource partitioning correlated with the competition theory. The three species appeared to avoid competition by performing a sign of coexistence in the same habitat possessing limited resources.