An. Soc. Entomol. Brasil 26(1): 153-162 (1997) Divisão de Trabalho em Melipona compressipes fasciculata Smith (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Meliponinae)RESUMO -A divisão de trabalho em Melipona compressipes fasciculata Smith foi analisada e comparada com outras abelhas eusociais -Meliponini e Trigonini. Os resultados mostraram que existe uma sequência de atividades similar a outros meliponíneos já estudados, a saber: "grooming", trabalho com cerume, construção de células, limpeza da colônia, participação no processo de aprovisionamento e oviposição (POP), desidratação de néctar, ventilação, vedação de frestas, recepção de néctar, guarda e forrageamento.PALAVRAS-CHAVE: Insecta, Meliponini, abelhas sem ferrão, divisão de trabalho, abelhas eusociais.ABSTRACT -Labor division in the stingless bee Melipona compressipes fasciculata Smith was analyzed and compared with that of other eusocial beesMeliponini and Trigonini. The results showed a sequence of activities which was similar to that of other stingless bees already studied, such as: grooming; cerumen work; cell construction; cleaning; the colony; provisioning and oviposition process; ventilation; enclosure gap; nectar reception; and foraging.KEY WORDS: Insecta, Meliponini, stingless bees, division of labor, eusocial bees.The existence of physical and temporal castes is one of the most complex and important factors in the social structure of insect colonies (Oster & Wilson 1978). The physical castes include a queen, a small number of males, and the numerically predominant worker caste. The temporal caste consists of temporal labor division in which there is an ontogenetic sequence of activities performed during the workers' lifetime.In the earliest studies on labor division of honeybees, it was reported that worker activities presented a temporal basis (Butler 1609 apud Winston & Fergusson 1986, Donhoff 1855 apud Winston & Fergusson 1986. Further research analyzed the flexibility in temporal labor division and the underlying glandular basis for tasks performance (Rösch 1925 apud Winston & Fergusson 1986, Ribbands 1952, Lindauer 1953, Sekiguchi & Sakagami 1966. Recent investigation has involved the colony-level factors which try to determine the reasons why bees perform duties at different times (Free 1961, Kolmes 1985,Winston & Fergusson 1985. Giannini 154The typical labor division in eusocial bees proceeds in the following sequence: callow, nursing, household, and foraging (Sakagami 1982). However, there is considerable flexibility concerning the age-related trend of activities so that the tasks sequence can be adjusted in relation to the colony external or internal requirements.Some of the research on labor division in Meliponinae shows the sequence of tasks performed during the workers' lifetime (Bassindale 1955, Kerr & Santos Neto 1956, Hebling et al. 1964, Darchen 1969 This is a contribution to add more information on the activity of individual workers in relation to the temporal tasks sequence of Melipona compressipes fasciculata Smith, comparing the results ...