Quantification and distribution of a Tetragonula carbonaria swarm (Hymenoptera: Apidae)

Manual mark-by-mark image analysis was used to quantify the number of individuals present in a Tetragonula carbonaria swarm. A total of 7328 bees were identified in the swarm. The distribution of individuals within the swarm followed a Gaussian distribution, with the distances to the nearest neighbour strongly positively skewed. The clustering of bees in the centre of the swarm is likely a mechanism for reducing predation risk. In the case of male mating swarms, large aggregations may increase the mating success of the species. © 2020 Korean Society of Applied Entomology