Diversity of Stingless Bees in Ecuador, Pot-Pollen Standards, and Meliponiculture Fostering a Living Museum Meliponini of the World

Abstract

Despite their megabiodiversity, the stingless bees from Ecuador have been studied in relatively few projects. An advancement in Ecuadorian meliponiculture is possible despite the reluctant support of the Ministry of Agriculture and the Institute of Normalization in Ecuador. Diverse approaches to pursue the protection of ancestral knowledge – as that in the Good Living Plan Sumak Kawsay – are discussed: (1) diversity of Ecuadorian stingless bees, (2) valorization of Ecuadorian pot-honeys and pot-pollen, (3) impact of climate change in Meliponini biodiversity, and (4) the role of stingless beekeepers in heritage and conservation. We reviewed the literature on topics for the diversity of species and pot-pollen composition. Ecuador is megadiverse in stingless bees; a total of 132 species distributed in 23 genera were found in 24 provinces. We report 54 species collected during a pot-honey research project in 1 year (2014–2015), 26 of them for the first time in Ecuador. Stingless bees are key species of ecological and economic importance for their role as pollinators of native, wild, and cultivated plants – candidates to predict climate change impact. A living museum to embrace Meliponini of the world is presented as a project to support these efforts at a global scale in the tropics where stingless bees and their keepers live. The Route of Living Museums of Meliponini Bees in the World complies with the definition of eco-museum and enhances appreciation for stingless bees.