Tetragonula mellipes

The workers (3.6-4.3mm) are pale brown with sides of the thorax (Mesopleuron and metapleuron) densely and evenly covered with fine, short hair. Male drone body colour is very similar to the workers.^[2] T. mellipes is distinctly smaller than the sympatric T. hockingsi in most characters. However, it is similar to the apparently allopatric T. carbonaria, except it has shorter wings.^[2] Furthermore, when alive, the eyes are paler in colour compared to the darker eyes of T. carbonaria and T. hockingsi.

The nests of T. mellipes are irregular and small.^[3] T. mellipes can be found nesting in small cavities inside trees and stone walls. It has a semi-comb arrangement of brood. The brood is also smaller, typically being less than half a litre compared with the average 2 litres of its relatives.^[4] Most T. mellipes nests have external entrance tunnels and some nests may have more than one entrance (up to four).^[2]