'Vulture bees' in Costa Rica consume meat instead of pollen, nectar

Bees are known to consume pollen and nectar from flowers, making them known as the "vegetarian version" of wasps which feed on other insects.

One breed in Costa Rica, however, are carnivores which feed on raw meat. Called vulture bees, these insects are stingless and have additional teeth for biting meat.

A research team from the University of California Riverside which studies these bees believe that they evolved as meat-feeders due to the tight competition for nectar supply.

"The vulture bee microbiome is enriched in acid-loving bacteria, which are novel bacteria that their relatives don't have," said Quinn McFrederick, an entomologist at UCR.

These bacteria, which are also found in vultures and hyena, provide protection against disease-causing pathogens from carrion or raw and rotting meat.

Despite its diet, the vulture bee is still capable of producing sweet and edible honey.

Vulture bees are found in tropical rainforests. Bees in South America feed on pollen and nectar, meat only, or a combination of both.

—MGP, GMA News