Mechanisms that facilitate the coexistence of stingless bees in a hyper competitive, human-modified tropical habitat

All experiments will take place in March 2023 on the campus of the University of São Paulo in Ribeirão Preto, Brazil. We plan to perform 3 independent experiments to explore (i) how bees adapt to anthropogenic change, (ii) how
they respond to natural enemies and (iii) how they coordinate colony activities to exploit their environment. Exploring different avenues requires a small research team (3-4 researchers) and is important to get a better idea of the most promising next steps. We will work closely with Prof. Fabio Nascimento and his team, by discussing research questions, collecting data together and writing publications. We have done this successfully in the past and have several shared publications. The trip will also allow us to discuss future research projects and plan grant applications.