For centuries, colonies of T. iridipennis have been kept in objects such as clay pots so that their highly prized medicinal honey can be utilized.

[2] Like other bees in its sub-species group, T. iridipennis can be identified by its dark mesoscutum or middle thorax region with four distinct hair bands separated by broad glabrous interspaces.

It can be further distinguished from other species in its sub group by its chestnut-brown colored mandible which does not have a black apical area and a few dark brown erect setae or hair-like structures on the margin of its scutellum.

Other species in the subgroup have yellow mandibles which have black apical areas and have light colored setae on their scutella.

Specifically, studies have been conducted on T. iridipennis colonies located in Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu.

Males have been observed to form large aggregations and to engage in mass flights near nests waiting for the emergence of virgin females.

[citation needed] Predators like spiders, flies, wasps, and lizards are also a constant threat to T. iridipennis colonies because they invade nests to eat their rich honey stores.

It seals pores of the hive with a substance created by mixing its own salivary gland secretions with plant-derived resins.

This substance called propolis also has favorable mechanical properties and is used by T. iridipennis to protect its nest from wind and rain.

[citation needed] While T. iridipennis gathers propolis to reinforce its nest, people have harvested it and discovered it to have a wide spectrum of pharmacological activities.

[10] The pharmacological properties of propolis are dependent on a variety of factors including plants visited by the T. iridipennis hive and the amount of pollution present in their environment.