Illegalities in the online trade of stingless bees in Brazil

Abstract

Abstract Stingless bees are commercialised in Brazil through the internet. Such trade has mixed populations and introduced species, allows the potential dissemination of hitchhiker symbionts and diseases, and mostly does not follow national legislation policies. At least 33 species of stingless bees have been exploited by e‐commerce; eight others were not confirmed. All transactions found are in the surface web and most sellers do not fulfil legal requirements. Such results suggest that there is little need of anonymity for sellers, a fact that strengthens conclusions on the recurrently reported lack of successful law enforcement against illegal wildlife trade in the country. Critical geographical zones in Brazil, where sellers of stingless beehives are concentrated, are primarily in the Atlantic Forest. Urgent policy measures and scientific evaluations are necessary for both conservation of bees and risk control of pathogens. The most promising strategy to avoid the threats regarding movement of bees is the education of stingless bee keepers.