The determination of caste is different in the two tribes of the subfamily Meliponinae. In the tribe Trigonini the most important factor is the quantity of food received by a larva during its development.
Queens develop in larger cells that are generally, but not always, built around the borders of the brood. In this case, the larvae that will become queens receive more food than the workers, and there is no evidence of qualitative differences of the food received by the two castes. On the other hand, in the genus Melipona (Meliponini) the queen cells are of the same size as those of workers and males. In this genus, the determination of caste is influenced by both nutritional and genetic factors. The individuals that have genetic potential to become a queen will do so only if they receive an adequate quantity of food.
It other queens develop in a colony that already has a mated queen and also isn't in the swarming period, these queens will either be killed or abandon the colony.
In jataí (Tetragonisca angustula), mirim (Plebeia spp.), mirim-preguiça (Friesella schrottkyi), moça branca (Frieseomelitta varia) e mulatinha-do-chão (Schwarziana quadripunctata) there are special cells for the imprisonment of the queen, and these are chambers built with cerumen where virgin queens are kept and fed for some time.
In Melipona and some species of Trigonini, such as Scaptotrigona postica, there are no special cells for the imprisonment of virgin queens.
In stingless bees, as in the other Hymenoptera, the males are born from non-fertilized eggs, thus being haploid. When the colonies attain a large population the males are produced in great numbers as well as queens. In many species, the majority of the males are produced via oviposition of workers.