It's a beehive of a species that has no stinger.
No one knows why these bees build a spiral nest.
Carbonaria is a type of bee known to have no stinger. And now, also because of the peculiar spiral shape of their nests. The photo was taken by Tim Heard, an Australian entomologist who studies these very special constructions. As the specialist explains, bees lay the eggs of those who will give birth to the larvae in a kind of spiral towers, which join hundreds of chambers that serve as "cradles" for the pupae to develop, forming a sort of endless staircase.
Each layer of this spiral is made up of small circular sheaths called breeding cells. When the workers have finished one, they immediately begin to build another, always following the spiral shape. But why do they do it?
The truth is that science is still unable to explain it. Tim Heard has discovered that this peculiar structure makes better use of space and allows air to circulate throughout the tower. But there is still no data to know if this spiral pattern is something that has arisen randomly, or if it is a knowledge that has been passed down from generation to generation.