[1] The polygynous nesting cycles lead to certain specific types of behavior including queen-queen aggression.

B. pauloensis has been found to occupy a range of geographic areas and climates throughout South America.

B. pauloensis have a long tongue that facilitates the process of retrieving nectar from flowers with deep corollas.

Nests have been found in an array of different locations, including warm, tropical areas and cold, high altitude environments.

Such a diverse geographic distribution illustrates how B. pauloensis has the ability to adapt to a wide range of conditions and pollen sources.

[9] Research indicates that climate dictates whether a particular nest will oscillate between polygynous and monogynous cycles.

The number of nest entrances varies and seems to be unrelated to any specific property of the colony, such as size.

[1] The colony cycle begins when a solitary gyne (a foundress) constructs an egg cell in a slightly underground cavity.

The cycle technically completes when the queen dies, the reproductive gynes leave the nest, or both.

[1] The social dominance hierarchy for B. pauloensis is in large part due to the polygyny colony cycling.

[2] These interactions are mainly a result of queens establishing and maintaining specific territories within the brood clump.

Relative levels of queen aggression and dominance correlate with a number of physical indicators including, ovary size, age.

[2] A foundress starts a colony by constructing an egg cell in a cavity usually below the ground (aerial nests exist, but they are rare).

This foundress (also known as the solitary gyne) must assume complete responsibility before the first workers are spawned;[3] she looks after the brood, and forages for the necessary nectar and pollen that are deposited into the feeding pockets that she attaches to larval clusters.

[1] Subordinate queens have sometimes been observed to assume the same role of house workers if they do not obtain the necessary brood clump territory to allow for reproductive success.

[1] These temperature fluctuations alter the daily flight activity patterns of B. pauloensis and other related species.

In such environments, foraging is limited to the group of species that have the ability to properly regular body temperature.

Such nest thermoregulation is a result of heat produced by specific muscular contractions by house workers.

These muscular contractions are almost identical to those that foragers use to maintain core body temperature when in the colder, outside environment.