"m. scutellaris" nests in cavities of tree trunks in the atlantic rainforest and is widely distributed in the northeast of brazil, where it is commonly kept by regional and traditional beekeepers for honey, pollen and wax. to construct their nests, "m. scutellaris" use cerumen, a mixture of wax and floral resins. ceruman is used in different ratios in storage pots, brood cells, entrance openings and tubes, and pillars. the nests are surrounded and protected by a structure called batumen, a wall-like plate made of brittle ceruman, mud, and sometimes pieces of flowers and leaves. when excessive mud is added, the mixture is called "geopropolis."