Temperatures used in this study (± s.d.).

<p>Temperatures used in this study (± s.d.).</p

Typical crop contents of <i>Trigona carbonaria</i> bees after visiting either a cool or warm feeder.

<p>The consistency in crop contents between the two feeders indicates that the bees completely imbibe warm sucrose in the range 38–39°C. Also shown is an anaesthetised bee.</p

Sucrose temperature preferences of <i>Trigona carbonaria</i> across a range of ambient temperatures.

<p>The preference for a feeder that is at ambient temperature compared with a feeder that is 6°C warmer is dependent upon the ambient temperature (mean +/− s.d.). *Preference for the ambient feeder is significantly lower than expected by chance (one sample t-test, P&lt;0.001), but the preferences do not differ significantly different from each other [one way ANOVA, F(2,33)  = 1.527, P = 0.232]. **Preference for the ambient feeder is significantly higher than expected from chance (one sample t-test, t = 2.635, DF = 11, P = 0.023).</p