M. scutellaris nests in cavities of tree trunks in the Atlantic rainforest and is widely distributed in the Northeast of Brazil, where it is commonly kept by regional and traditional beekeepers for honey, pollen and wax.
To construct their nests, M. scutellaris use cerumen, a mixture of wax and floral resins.
Ceruman is used in different ratios in storage pots, brood cells, entrance openings and tubes, and pillars.
The nests are surrounded and protected by a structure called batumen, a wall-like plate made of brittle ceruman, mud, and sometimes pieces of flowers and leaves.
When excessive mud is added, the mixture is called "geopropolis."

The species is now extremely rare in nature because of the deforestation of the Atlantic Rainforest for sugar cane plantations.
Other bee species, such as Tetragonisca angustula, are also greatly affected by this deforestation.
Destructive exploration of wild colonies to obtain the valuable honey, which is traditionally used as medicine, has further reduced natural colonies dramatically.
M. scutellaris nests in cavities of tree trunks in the Atlantic rainforest and is widely distributed in the Northeast of Brazil, where it is commonly kept by regional and traditional beekeepers for honey, pollen and wax. To construct their nests, M. scutellaris use cerumen, a mixture of wax and floral resins. Ceruman is used in different ratios in storage pots, brood cells, entrance openings and tubes, and pillars. The nests are surrounded and protected by a structure called batumen, a wall-like plate made of brittle ceruman, mud, and sometimes pieces of flowers and leaves. When excessive mud is added, the mixture is called "geopropolis."
The species is now extremely rare in nature because of the deforestation of the Atlantic Rainforest for sugar cane plantations. Other bee species, such as Tetragonisca angustula, are also greatly affected by this deforestation. Destructive exploration of wild colonies to obtain the valuable honey, which is traditionally used as medicine, has further reduced natural colonies dramatically.
Melipona scutellaris