Native Bees Research Articles

Propolis from native Stingless Bees: ultrasound-assisted extraction

BACKGROUND: Propolis has been considered a highly valuable material due to its therapeutic properties. However, in Colombia, the commercialization of propolis is limited not only by low production but also by the little knowledge about its efficient extraction. Therefore, finding an optimal and economical extraction method to obtain propolis is a necessity for beekeepers that would open new possibilities for industrial use and, therefore, for the market. OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to evaluate a conventional and ultrasound-assisted extraction method, seeking to obtain the highest yield and a high amount of content of bioactive compounds in propolis extracts. METHODS: The extraction was carried out for three crude propolis from different types of bees: Tetragonisca angustula or Angelita (ANG), Melipona eburnea, or Melipona (MEL), and Scaptotrigona spp (SCT). The extracts were characterized by color, pH, visual appearance, solid content, antioxidant capacity, total polyphenol content, and bacterial inhibition capacity. RESULTS: The highest extraction performance was obtained when the ultrasound-assisted method was used, especially for the ANG extract, which in addition to presenting inhibition for gram-negative (E. coli) and gram-positive (S. Aureus) bacteria, had the best antioxidant activity with a value of 545 mg GAE / 100 g of sample and total polyphenol content of 1,884 mg GAE / 100 g of sample. CONCLUSIONS: Ultrasound-assisted extraction can be considered a low-cost alternative to increase the extraction performance of crude propolis, together with its total polyphenol content and antioxidant capacity, without altering its physical properties.

Co-flowering plants support diverse pollinator populations and facilitate pollinator visitation to sweet cherry crops

Many food crops depend on animal pollination to set fruit. In light of pollinator declines there is growing recognition of the need for agro-ecosystems that can sustain wild pollinator populations, ensuring fruit production and pollinator conservation into the future. One method of supporting resident wild pollinator populations within agricultural landscapes is to encourage and maintain floral diversity. However, pollinator visitation to crop plants can be affected either positively (facilitation) or negatively (competition) by the presence of co-flowering plants. The strength and direction of the facilitative/competitive relationship is driven by multiple factors, including floral abundance and the degree of overlap in pollinator visitation networks. We sought to determine how plant-pollinator networks, within and surrounding sweet cherry (Prunus avium) orchards, change across key time points during the cherry flowering season, in three growing regions in Australia. We found significant overlap in the suite of flower visitors, with seven taxa (including native bees, flies, hoverflies and introduced honey bees, Apis mellifera) observed visiting cherry and other co-flowering species within the orchard and/or the wider surrounding matrix. We found evidence of pollinator facilitation with significantly more total cherry flower visits with increasing percent cover of co-flowering plants within the wider landscape matrix and increased visitation to cherry by honey bees with increasing co-flowering plant richness within the orchard. During the cherry flowering period there was a significant positive relationship between pollinator richness on cherry and pollinator richness on co-flowering plants within the orchard and the area of native vegetation surrounding orchards. Outside of the crop flowering season, co-flowering plants within the orchard and wider landscape matrix supported the same pollinator taxa that were recorded visiting cherry when the crop was flowering. This shows wild plants help support the pollinators important to crop pollination, outside of the crop flowering season, highlighting the role of co-flowering plants within pollinator-dependent cropping systems.

Canopy cover and seasonality are associated with variation in native bee assemblages across a mixed pine‐juniper woodland

Abstract Pollinator community responses to changing conditions are a concern for ecosystem managers, but it remains poorly understood how shifts in forest structure impact pollinators across small scales. To address this, bee assemblages were sampled in arid woodland habitat in the southwestern United States (Colorado) to evaluate effects of canopy cover and seasonality on bee diversity and composition. >2500 specimens were captured representing 5 families and 30 genera. Bee composition shifted seasonally; early‐season assemblages were predominated by Halictidae (Lasioglossum and Halictus); late‐season assemblages were predominated by Apidae. More bees were captured in canopy gaps early‐season, but differences due to canopy openness declined by late‐season. Bee diversity was higher in open‐canopy sites and bee assemblage composition varied across canopy openness. Low cover was positively associated with large‐bodied bees and negatively associated with solitary, polylectic ground‐nesting bees. Parasitic bee taxa were more abundant when the canopy was composed of pinyon pine; ponderosa pine‐dominant canopies were associated with large‐bodied bees with variable nesting habits. We conclude that canopy cover and seasonality both predict abundance and diversity of bee assemblages in arid woodlands, and bee functional traits are responsive to canopy cover and dominant overstory species across small spatial scales.

Contrasting patterns from two invasion fronts suggest a niche shift of an invasive predator of native bees.

BackgroundThe accuracy of predictions of invasive species ranges is dependent on niche similarity between invasive and native populations and on our ability to identify the niche characteristics. With this work we aimed to compare the niche dynamics of two genetically related invasive populations of Vespa velutina (an effective predator of honeybees and wild pollinators), in two distinct climatic regions, one in central Europe and another one in the north-western Iberian Peninsula, and hence to identify uninvaded regions susceptible to invasion.MethodsNiche dynamics and shifts of V. velutina were assessed by comparing the environmental niches of the native and of the two invasive populations, using climatic, topographic and land use variables. We also ran reciprocal distribution models using different algorithms and records from both native and invasive ranges to compare model predictions and estimate which regions are at a greater risk of being invaded.ResultsAn apparent niche shift was detected in the population of the NW of Iberian Peninsula, where the species is living under environmental conditions different from the native niche. In central Europe, large suitable areas remain unoccupied. The fact that both invasive populations are well established, despite occupying environmentally distinct regions indicates that V. velutina has a high ability to successfully invade different environmental envelopes from those existing in its native range. For example, in north-western Iberian Peninsula the species is now thriving out of its native niche limits. Moreover, the large extent of still unoccupied environmental space with similar conditions to those used by the species in its native range suggests that there is still a large area of central and eastern Europe that can be potentially invaded by the species.

Temporal Changes in Gut Microbiota Composition and Pollen Diet Associated with Colony Weakness of a Stingless Bee.

Compared to honeybees and bumblebees, the effect of diet on the gut microbiome of Neotropical corbiculate bees such as Melipona spp. is largely unknown. These bees have been managed for centuries, but recently an annual disease is affecting M. quadrifasciata, an endangered species kept exclusively by management in Southern Brazil. Here we report the results of a longitudinal metabarcoding study involving the period of M. quadrifasciata colony weakness, designed to monitor the gut microbiota and diet changes preceding an outbreak. We found increasing amounts of bacteria associated to the gut of forager bees 2months before the first symptoms have been recorded. Simultaneously, forager bees showed decreasing body weight. The accelerated growth of gut-associated bacteria was uneven among taxa, with Bifidobacteriaceae dominating, and Lactobacillaceae decreasing in relative abundance within the bacterial community. Dominant fungi such as Candida and Starmerella also decreased in numbers, and the stingless bee obligate symbiont Zygosaccharomyces showed the lowest relative abundance during the outbreak period. Such changes were associated with pronounced diet shifts, i.e., the rise of Eucalyptus spp. pollen amount in forager bees' guts. Furthermore, there was a negative correlation between the amount of Eucalyptus pollen in diets and the abundance of some bacterial taxa in the gut-associated microbiota. We conclude that diet and subsequent interactions with the gut microbiome are key environmental components of the annual disease and propose the use of diet supplementation as means to sustain the activity of stingless bee keeping as well as native bee pollination services.

Prospects for probiotics in social bees.

Social corbiculate bees are major pollinators. They have characteristic bacterial microbiomes associated with their hives and their guts. In honeybees and bumblebees, worker guts contain a microbiome composed of distinctive bacterial taxa shown to benefit hosts. These benefits include stimulating immune and metabolic pathways, digesting or detoxifying food, and defending against pathogens and parasites. Stressors including toxins and poor nutrition disrupt the microbiome and increase susceptibility to opportunistic pathogens. Administering probiotic bacterial strains may improve the health of individual bees and of hives, and several commercial probiotics are available for bees. However, evidence for probiotic benefits is lacking or mixed. Most bacterial species used in commercial probiotics are not native to bee guts. We present new experimental results showing that cultured strains of native bee gut bacteria colonize robustly while bacteria in a commercial probiotic do not establish in bee guts. A defined community of native bee gut bacteria resembles unperturbed native gut communities in its activation of genes for immunity and metabolism in worker bees. Although many questions remain unanswered, the development of natural probiotics for honeybees, or for commercially managed bumblebees, is a promising direction for protecting the health of managed bee colonies.This article is part of the theme issue ‘Natural processes influencing pollinator health: from chemistry to landscapes’.

Adjacent crop type impacts potential pollinator communities and their pollination services in remnants of natural vegetation

AbstractAimPollination plays a crucial role in the conservation of many plant species persisting in fragmented, human‐dominated landscapes. Pollinators are known to be instrumental in maintaining genetic diversity and metapopulation dynamics for many plant species and are important for providing ecological services that are essential in agricultural landscapes where populations of native plants are highly isolated. Numerous studies have explored the value of remnant native vegetation for supporting pollination services to crop species, yet the effect of mass‐flowering crops on the pollinator communities and the pollination services they provide to native plant communities persisting in fragmented landscapes are less well understood. Here, we assess the influence of the presence and phenology of a mass‐flowering crop to pollinator community structure, abundance, and pollen load composition in remnant vegetation in complex agricultural landscapes.LocationSouth‐west Western Australia, Australia.MethodsWe recorded the composition and abundance of insect flower visitors and their pollen loads in isolated remnants of York Gum‐Jam woodlands adjacent to canola (insect‐attracting) or wheat (non‐insect‐attracting) fields over two years.ResultsAll bees were much more sensitive to adjacent crop type (neighbouring canola or wheat) than non‐bee pollinators. Honeybees were the most abundant pollinators in canola fields during peak flowering. Honeybee abundance increased in canola‐adjacent reserves post canola bloom, potentially indicating a movement into reserves as crop flowering waned. Native bees were the most diverse in remnant vegetation. Pollen loads of native bees were more mixed (increased pollen richness and evenness) when sampled next to canola fields compared to wheat fields.Main conclusionThe availability of potential insect pollinators to remnant wildflower communities in agricultural landscapes is context dependent. Whether sampled communities were adjacent to wheat or canola in a landscape significantly impacted the abundance of potential pollinators in certain landscape elements, but not others, and the composition of pollen loads carried by these insects. Results offer novel insights about the influence of landscape context on pollinator communities and the potential pollination services available for the conservation of native plant species in highly fragmented agricultural landscapes.

Current and future distributions of a native Andean bumble bee

Current and future distributions of a native Andean bumble bee

NATURAL HISTORY AND DEMOGRAPHY OF THE IMPERILED REDWOOD FOREST SPECIALIST PEDICULARIS DUDLEYI (DUDLEY'S LOUSEWORT, OROBANCHACEAE)

Dudley's Lousewort (Pedicularis dudleyi Elmer) is a rare and apparently declining species confined to two populations associated with Redwood forests in coastal California. In this study, we aimed to determine whether pollination, seed dispersal, or seed germination were important limiting factors for population growth of P. dudleyi at Portola Redwoods State Park, the northernmost of the two known populations. We conducted a full census of the population, performed pollinator and seed disperser observations, conducted a pollinator exclusion study, and conducted a litter removal experiment and a greenhouse seed germination study. Fewer than 500 reproductive individuals were found in the census, confirming the extremely small population size at the State Park. Both pollination by native bees (Bombus spp. Latreille 1802) and seed dispersal by yellowjackets (Vespula alascensis Packard 1870) appear to be robust. The litter removal results were inconclusive and no seeds successfully germinated. Combining age class data from the census, poor overall recruitment in the litter removal trial, and poor seed germination, we infer that low establishment of new individuals and populations is a primary threat to the species and should be the focus of future management goals.

The contribution of canopy samples to assessments of forestry effects on native bees

AbstractForest management is often practiced to enhance conditions for wildlife, including native bees. Evaluations of the effects of forest management on bees have shown that abundance and diversity are higher in newly created early‐successional conditions. To date, studies have restricted sampling to the forest understory; however, recent research finds that bee abundance is as high or higher in forest canopies than in understories, suggesting that previous observations of substantially greater bee abundance and diversity in recently managed areas could be an artifact of incomplete sampling of the vertical gradient within forests. To examine the potential implications of sampling biases associated with the failure of previous studies to include canopy samples in comparisons of managed and unmanaged forests, we sampled bees within a recently harvested forest as well as the understory and canopy of adjacent unmanaged forest. Bee abundance and diversity were an order of magnitude higher in managed areas compared to the unmanaged forest, even when understory and canopy samples were combined. These results suggest that not sampling the canopy is inconsequential with respect to the broadly reported conclusion that managed areas support more abundant and diverse bee communities than surrounding forest cover.

Petting bees or building bee boxes? Strategies for transformative learning

This paper presents findings from a research study exploring the effectiveness of three environmental education programs. The first was an interpretive program where visitors learned to safely interact with and ‘pet’ bees (control group), the second was the same interpretive program with the addition of post-visit action resources (interactive treatment group), and the third was a contributory citizen science bee box building project (citizen science treatment group). Using personal meaning maps, interviews, and participatory observations we explored learning outcomes in relation to Transformative Learning Theory. This study found that the interpretive program facilitated a more complex learning experience across all transformative learning domains. The participants who engaged in a contributory citizen science bee box project demonstrated a narrower, albeit more focused learning experience where their knowledge increased specifically in relation to understanding the issues native bees face and actions related to native bee conservation. These findings have important implications for experiential learning where action outcomes and transformative learning are interrelated goals.

A meta‐analysis of the effects of habitat aridity, evolutionary history of grazing and grazing intensity on bee and butterfly communities worldwide

Abstract A variety of habitat‐associated factors moderate effects of grazing on insect biodiversity. Here, we examine how aridity, evolutionary history of grazing and grazing intensity individually and interactively mediate the effect of livestock grazing on pollinator biodiversity (native bees and butterflies). Using a meta‐analysis of 59 studies published in the primary literature, we characterized the response of pollinator communities to grazing across several continents. In very humid habitats, high grazing intensities generally had negative impacts on pollinator abundance and richness, but these effects were not found in semi‐arid habitats, where livestock grazing intensity did not interact with aridity to impact pollinator abundance or richness. However, within semi‐arid habitats livestock grazing was associated with reduced pollinator richness in areas with short evolutionary histories grazing. Pollinator life history mediated effects of livestock grazing on pollinator communities: livestock grazing had negative impacts on richness of social bees and butterflies but not solitary bees, though abundances of all three pollinator categories were consistently reduced under livestock grazing. Our synthesis suggests that effects of cattle on pollinators may be driven by impacts on nesting habitats (e.g. soil compaction), rather than consumption or alteration of forb cover. Our collective findings have importance for coordinating grazing management and pollinator conservation efforts and help to distinguish how grazing practices could impact pollinator biodiversity across ecoclimatic regions.

Are native bees in Brazil at risk from the exposure to the neonicotinoid imidacloprid?

All across the world, different countries use Ecological risk assessments (ERA) of pesticides to pollinators as a regulatory tool to understand the safety of pesticide use in agriculture. However, pesticide application is still recognized as one of the main stress factors causing a decline in the global population of bees. In all ERA procedures, the effects of pesticides on the honey bee species Apis mellifera are used as a reference for the effects on all different bee species. To evaluate if tropical native bees are protected by the current risk assessment procedures and to propose improvements to the methods, we assessed the ecological risk of the neonicotinoid imidacloprid posed to native and exotic bee species. The risk was assessed through a low (TIER I) and an intermediate (TIER II) level of analysis. For TIER I the USEPA BeeREX model was used and for TIER II the Species Sensitivity Distribution (SSD) approach was adopted. For the imidacloprid exposure conditions, four different crops were taken into consideration; bean, passion fruit, sunflower and tomato. The imidacloprid risk on native species was assessed both by extrapolating the effects obtained to Apis species, and by using ecotoxicological data from tests performed with native species. In TIER I, the risks calculated through empirical data showed that more than 50% of the non-Apis species presented risk levels of 28–180% higher than those obtained with the extrapolation factor used in the Brazilian pesticide regulation. In TIER II, the SSDs showed that most of the native bees are more sensitive to imidacloprid than the Africanized A. mellifera. This is the first study in which an ERA of a pesticide was conducted on tropical bee species. Here we also present some gaps and perspectives for future studies aiming to improve the risk assessment of pesticides in terrestrial environments.

Different landscape features within a simplified agroecosystem support diverse pollinators and their service to crop plants

ContextLandscape simplification is a main driver of insect decline, threatening crop pollination services. Changes in functional features in simplified agroecosystems may impact the abundance of wild pollinators.ObjectivesHere, we studied whether different pollinator groups based on life-history are differentially associated to landscape features, and how this affects crop pollination service delivery.MethodsUsing window traps in a highly simplified agroecosystem, we surveyed pollinator abundances and diversity associated with: (1) bare fence-lines separating pastures (control), (2) conifer hedgerows (3) farm gardens of diverse exotic plant species (4) effluent-ponds, (5) newly established native-plantings, (6) gorse (Ulex europaeus) hedgerows and (7) open water channels across six to twelve dairy farms. We also measured pollination service delivery to potted pak choi (Brassica rapa) plots near features 1–5 on six farms.ResultsPollinators at gardens, native-plantings, and effluent-ponds delivered significantly more pollination service than at bare fence-lines, with flies being more effective pollinators than bees at all features assessed. Taxa delivering the service also differed across features. The native bee Lasioglossum sordidum delivered more pollination at garden and native-planting features than at other features, drone flies (Eristalis tenax) contributed the majority of pollination service at effluent-ponds and bare fence-lines, while calliphorid flies contributed most pollination at conifer hedgerows.ConclusionsConversion of functional features to bare fence-lines negatively affects on-farm pollinator diversity and its service to crop plants. However, farmers can benefit from enhancing features containing diverse plant species that support non-bee and bee species proven to deliver measurable crop pollination services.

Sublethal doses of imidacloprid and pyraclostrobin impair fat body of solitary bee Tetrapedia diversipes (Klug, 1810)

Solitary bees present greater species diversity than social bees. However, they are less studied than managed bees, mainly regarding the harmful effects of pesticides present in agroecosystems commonly visited by them. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of residual doses of imidacloprid and pyraclostrobin, alone and in combination, on the fat body (a multifunctional organ) of the neotropical solitary bee Tetrapedia diversipes by means of morphological and histochemical evaluation of oenocytes and trophocytes. Males and females of newly-emerged adults were submitted to bioassays of acute topical exposure. Experimental groups were essayed: control (CTR), solvent control (ACT), imidacloprid (IMI, 0.0028 ng/μL), pyraclostrobin (PYR, 2.7 ng/μL) and imidacloprid + pyraclostrobin (I + P). The data demonstrated that the residual doses applied in T. diversipes adults are sublethal at 96 h. Both oenocytes and trophocytes cells responded to topical exposure to the pesticides, showing morphological changes. In the IMI group, the bee oenocytes showed the greatest proportion of vacuolization and altered nuclei. The pyraclostrobin exposure increased the intensity of PAS-positive labeling (glycogen) in trophocytes. This increase was also observed in the I + P group. Changes in energy reserve (glycogen) of trophocytes indicate a possible mobilization impairment of this neutral polysaccharide to the hemolymph, which can compromise the fitness of exposed individuals. Also, changes in oenocytes can compromise the detoxification function performed by the fat body. This is the first study to show sublethal effects in neotropical solitary bees and highlight the importance of studies with native bees.

Pollination-precision hypothesis: support from native honey bees and nectar bats.

The evolution of floral traits is often considered to reflect selection for increased pollination efficiency. Known as the pollination-precision hypothesis, increased pollination efficiency is achieved by enhancing pollen deposition on precise areas of the pollinator. Most research to date addressing this hypothesis has examined plant species that are a priori predicted to place pollen precisely, but we still lack comparisons with species predicted to have low pollination efficiency. We studied 39 plant species with diverse floral morphologies and measured the precision of pollen placement on two pollinator groups: honey bees (genus Apis) and nectar bats (family Pteropodidae). Pollen was collected from four locations of each pollinator's body (bees: dorsal thorax, ventral thorax, dorsal abdomen, ventral abdomen; bats: crown, face, chest, wing) to calculate pollen placement precision using Pielou's evenness index. We also quantified variation in floral design by scoring floral symmetry, corolla fusion, floral orientation and stamen number. We confirm the importance of four floral character states (bilateral symmetry, fused corollas, horizontal orientation and reduced stamen number) in promoting precise pollen placement on diverse pollinators. Our findings provide phylogenetically corrected, empirical support that the evolution of the four floral characters reflect selection for enhanced precision of pollen placed on pollinators.

Bees in the six: Determinants of bumblebee habitat quality in urban landscapes.

With growing urbanization, it is becoming increasingly important to design cities in a manner that sustains and enhances biodiversity and ecosystem services. Native bees are critical pollinators that have experienced substantive declines over the past several decades. These declines have captured the attention of the public, particularly urbanites, prompting a large interest in protecting pollinators and their habitats in cities across North America and Europe. Unfortunately, we currently lack research about specific features of urban environments that can enhance the fitness of pollinators. We carried out an intensive study of Bombus impatiens, the Common Eastern Bumblebee, in the city of Toronto (Canada's largest city), to better understand landscape parameters that provide high‐quality habitat for this species and likely other generalist bees. We divided the city into 270 grid cells and sampled a large number of worker bees, which were then genotyped at twelve hypervariable microsatellite loci. The genetic data allowed us to quantify the effective number of colonies and foraging distance for bumblebees in our study area. We then asked how the city's landscape and human population demography and income are associated with the availability of high‐quality habitat for B. impatiens. Several aspects of Toronto's landscape influenced colony density and foraging range. Urbanization had a clear effect on both colony density and foraging distance of workers. On the other hand, functional (i.e., not cosmetic) green space was often associated with higher quality habitats for bumblebees. Our study suggests several planning strategies to enhance habitat quality for bumblebees and other pollinators in cities.

Identification of giant hornet Vespa mandarinia queen sex pheromone components

The Vespidae is a diverse family of wasps and hornets that are formidable predators of insects, including social bees1, and includes a number of invasive species2. Recently, the world's largest hornet, Vespa mandarinia Smith (Hymenoptera: Vespidae), which occurs naturally in the Indomalayan region, has been found in Canada and the United States2. Some simulations indicate that it could rapidly spread throughout Washington and Oregon in the western US, as well as some eastern parts of the country2,3, threaten native bees and honeybees, and harm bee-pollinated crop production worth over $100 million annually3. There is consequently an urgent need to learn more about V. mandarinia's reproductive biology and to develop trapping methods to locate its nests and to control its reproduction. We identified V. mandarinia queen-produced sex pheromone from the 5th and 6th intersegmental sternal glands of virgin queens. The major active compounds were hexanoic acid, octanoic acid, and decanoic acid. When placed in field traps, the synthetic compounds and a queen-equivalent mixture rapidly attracted hundreds of males but no females or other species.

Effect of Workers Density on Insect Pest Incidence and Colony Development of Bumblebees, Bombus terrestris (L.) (Hymenoptera: Apidae)

Insect pollination improves essential nutrients and qualities of pollinating plants. Approximately 90% of flowering plants and 35% of crops require insect pollination. Bees play a vital role in pollination in natural and agricultural systems. Managed bees have extensively been used for pollination. Unfortunately, the native bee population has been waning globally. Commercial bee-rearing experiences different rearing problems i.e. food, environment, and spatial conditions within colonies. In this research, the impact of different densities of workers within colonies of Bombus terrestris L. was observed on colony development and pest incidence. Different worker densities i.e. 60-70, 80-90,110-120 and 140-150, respectively, were maintained under controlled laboratory conditions. The results indicated that emergence of workers was higher in less dense colonies (60-70 workers) as compared with highly dense colonies (140-150 workers). Maximum drone emergence was observed in colonies having 80-90 workers as compared with highly denser colonies. The numbers of young queens were the highest in denser colonies. Mortality percentage of bumblebees and insect pest incidence were also higher in denser colonies. Therefore, the colony with 80-90 workers can be used as an indicator for bumblebee-rearing on a commercial scale in the laboratory.

Ecological and socioeconomic aspects of meliponiculture in the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico

Objective: To describe the main economic and ecological characteristics in the production of native stingless bees (NSBs) in the Yucatan Peninsula (YP), Mexico. Design/Methodology/Approach: Through the snowball method, an exhaustive search for references about meliponiculture was conducted, using keywords individually or combined, such as meliponiculture, Melipona, native stingless bees, Mayan meliponiculture, Yucatan Peninsula, etc. Results: In Campeche and Yucatán there is a total of N=216 producers who own a total of 3,362 “jobones” destined to meliponiculture. However, economic and ecological studies are scarce and do not allow deeply understanding the benefits of NSBs in the YP; that is, information about production costs and economic benefits that would be obtained with the conservation of NSBs. Study Limitations/Implications: This study describes the socioeconomic and ecological aspects of native stingless bees in the Yucatan Peninsula. Findings/Conclusions: Meliponiculture is an important activity from the cultural aspect, therefore, its rescue and conservation is urgent; on the other hand, the sale cost of Melipona honey is higher compared to honey from the Apis melifera L. bee, representing an economic alternative for the producers of rural communities.