Importance of traditional knowledge to understanding Plebeina armata (Apidae, Meliponini) ecology in the savanna woodland in northeast of Burundi

Abstract

Research on African bees remains scarce. For instance, the mechanism underlying ecology for ground-nesting stingless bees in ecosystems remain poorly documented. The main goal of this study was to assess what determines habitat preference for stingless bees playing an important role in plant pollination. The case of Plebeina armata (Magretti, 1895) (Hymenoptera, Apidae, Meliponini) was taken as a model. We collected information from an unsuccessful project of beekeeping of P. armata recently ran in the Ruvubu National Park, the widest protected area in Burundi in northeast of the country. We also conducted semi-structured interviews among people, mainly beekeepers, neighboring the park to document local traditional knowledge of stingless bees. Since our respondents indicated that Plebeina nested in termite mounds, we extensively sampled termite species associated with mounds in the area. We also collected soil samples from mounds with and without the bee. Wilcoxon tests were used to compare soil properties of mounds according to the occurrence of P. armata. The results of our study showed that people neighboring the Ruvubu National Park had deep knowledge on the ecology of stingless bees. Our findings also suggested that the beekeeping of Plebeina would have failed in the area due to the lack of its specific nesting requirements. This bee nested in active Macrotermitinae mounds, probably in search of optimal conditions of humidity, temperature and for security. Mounds with a sol rich in coarse silt seemed not to attract Plebeina; probably, those termitaria may not be strong to serve as a bulwark against thermal fluctuations. Our results raise the question of taking account of the traditional knowledge to any attempt to species domestication. Understanding the ecological adaptation of ground-nesting stingless bees is particularly important for restoration and conservation of their habitats and to any attempt to their beekeeping or meliponiculture in an area.