Laura Figueroa and Team Studying Costa Rica's Rare 'Vulture Bees'
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A research project co-led by Laura Figueroa, an assistant professor in the College of Natural Sciences's Department of Environmental Conservation, is shedding new light on the remarkable feeding habits of Costa Rica's rare "vulture bees," stingless bees that consume carrion (dead and decaying flesh) in addition to visiting flowers. Working with Carolina Esquivel Dobles of the Universidad Nacional de Costa Rica and an international team, Figueroa documented 13 species of carrion-feeding bees in the forests of Sarapiquí, including one of only three "obligate necrophagous" bee species known worldwide.
The findings, which were covered by the Costa Rican, English-language publication The Tico Times, reveal that many of these bees combine pollen, nectar, and decaying animal tissue in surprisingly flexible diets, while remaining closely tied to intact forest habitats—underscoring the importance of conserving tropical ecosystems.
The research not only expands scientists' understanding of bee evolution and behavior, but also highlights the extraordinary biodiversity hidden within Costa Rica's forests.
Learn more about this research and Figueroa's previous work on these bees.