2017-03-202017-03-202001-03KERR, Warwick Estevam; PETRERE JÚNIOR, Miguel; DINIZ FILHO, José Alexandre Felizola. Informações biológicas e estimativa do tamanho ideal da colmeia para a abelha tiúba do Maranhão (Melipona compressipes fasciculata Smith - Hymenoptera, Apidae). Revista Brasileira de Zoologia, Curitiba, v. 18, n.1, p. 45-52, mar. 2001.0101-8175http://repositorio.bc.ufg.br/handle/ri/11546Four places in Latin-America have Melipona Illiger, 1806 beekeeping: México, with M beecheii Bennet, 1831; Northeast Brasil, wilh M scutel1aris Latreille, 1811; Maranhão State (Brazil) wilh M compressipes fasciculata Smith, 1854; Venezuela, in her coast, with Mfavosa (Fabricius, 1798). Natural colonies of M compressipesfasciculata occupied tree holes ranging from 6,5 to 241. The average honey production of 60 colonies in hives with capacity of 50.2 I, 41.0, 30.2, 16.5 and 6.2 were respectively 8.4, 6.5, 5.5, 3.3 and 2.0 Kg. Due to lack of bee flowers wilhin lhe city limits, hives wilh a volume of271 (30x30x30 em) were used successfully in our future experiments wilh M compressipes fasciculata instead of lhe ideal size of 40 to 50 liters, since lhe intense use of biological material did not allow lhe colonies to reach large sizes.porAcesso AbertoHymenopteraApidaeMelipona compressipes fasciculataArtigo10.1590/S0101-81752001000100003