Stingless Bee Species Research Articles

Melissopalynology of <i>Coffea arabica</i> honey produced by the stingless bee <i>Tetragonisca angustula</i> (Latreille, 1811) from Alajuela, Costa Rica

<abstract> <p><italic>Tetragonisca angustula</italic> is the most widespread stingless bee species, from Mexico to Northern Argentina. It is called Mariola in Costa Rica. Native plant species offering food resources and nesting sites to stingless bees are included in reforestation and conservation programs. In Costa Rica there are continuous initiatives on listing flora supporting meliponiculture. In this study, a sample of pot-honey was collected from sealed honey pots within nests of <italic>Tetragonisca angustula</italic> in Alajuela, Costa Rica. It was acetolyzed following standard methods and the pollen types were visualized by microscopic analysis at 200X magnification using a Nikon Eclipse Ni binocular scope. Electronic brightfield micro-photographs were obtained at 1000X magnification and pollen types were plated. Palynological descriptions were provided for major pollen grains. The botanical identifications of plant families and genera were established by comparison with pollen atlases and were validated consulting the 2022 Tropicos Missouri Botanical Garden database. Seventy-nine pollen types were recognized in the pollen spectrum, representing 36 families and 67 genera of flowering plants. Their habits were trees (51%), lianas/vine (11%), herbs (19%), herb/tree (5%), shrubs (5%), shrub/tree (1%) and not assigned (8%). This assemblage indicated the presence of lowland tropical forest elements, probably small relicts of secondary forest surrounding open and cultivated areas where <italic>Coffea arabica</italic> pollen dominated in the honey pollen spectrum with 54.3% of total counts, with secondary <italic>Paullinia</italic> sp. 8.7%, <italic>Vochysia</italic> sp. 4.8% and <italic>Cassia</italic> sp. 4.2% and 95% of pollen taxa present in < 3% relative frequency. Taxa offering only pollen (polleniferous) were considered honey contaminants (32%) not explaining the nectar botanical origin of honey.</p> </abstract>

DETERMINATION OF ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY, TOTAL PHENOLIC AND FLAVONOID CONTENTS OF MALAYSIAN STINGLESS BEE PROPOLIS EXTRACTS

This study aims to determine the total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC) and antioxidant activity of ethanolic extract propolis (EEP) and water extract propolis (WEP) derived from six Malaysian stingless bee species. The TPC and TFC were measured by Folin-Ciocalteu colorimetric and aluminium chloride methods, respectively. The antioxidant activity was determined by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging assay. The results indicated that EEP of Geniotrigona thoracica had the highest TPC and TFC at 259.84 ± 4.97 mg/g GAE and 435.00 ± 6.57 mg/g QE, respectively. Similarly, EEP of G. thoracica exhibited the greatest free radical scavenging activity with the percentage of inhibition at 88.00 ± 13.34% and IC50 of 104.20μg/mL. Antioxidant activity was highly correlated with TPC (R2 = -0.744, p < 0.05) whereas no correlation was observed between TFC and antioxidant activity. This study indicates that the antioxidant property of the propolis extract may be influenced by elevated levels of phenolic content. In conclusion, ethanolic extract of G. thoracica is the greatest source of antioxidants among the six tested Malaysian stingless bee propolis and this suggests that the extract may serve as a promising source of antioxidant agent.

Evaluation of Native Stingless Bee Species (Heterotrigona itama and Geniotrigona thoracica) for Pollination Efficiency on Melon Manis Terengganu

Melon Manis Terengganu (MMT) is a newly developed melon cultivar that is exclusively planted in Terengganu and has monoecious flowers where female and male parts are in different flowers of the same plant. Current practise for MMT pollination mainly depends on humans by hand-cross pollination treatment. However, until now little study on the potential of stingless bees as pollinator for greenhouse MMT has been documented in Malaysia. In this study, two species of stingless bees, Heterotrigona itama and Geniotrigona thoracica were placed with the MMT in the greenhouse. This study is aimed to investigate and compare the quality of MMT produced by four different pollination treatments; (1) self-pollination, (2) hand-cross pollination, (3) H. itama pollination and (4) G. thoracica pollination. Two hives of each stingless bee species were placed into the greenhouse at least two days before the MMT flowers bloomed. MMT produced from pollination by both stingless bee species and hand-cross pollination were significantly heavier in fresh weight, larger in diameter, higher in total soluble solid (TSS), and greater number of seeds per fruit compared to those produced from self-pollination. Pollination by stingless bees reached fruits with higher sweetness than hand-cross pollination and self-pollination. Results revealed that the stingless bee pollination on MMT production was similar to the MMT produced from hand-cross pollination. This study provides essential information on the potential of native stingless bees, H.itama and G. thoracica which can be effective pollinators for the MMT grown in the greenhouse besides manual pollination.

Therapeutic Evaluation of Ethanolic Bee Pollen Extract from Malaysian Stingless Bee in MCF-7 and MCF-10A Cell Lines

Bee pollen is a complete food containing comprehensive nutrients and therapeutic properties that could eliminate free radicals. Three stingless bee species native to Malaysia were used to prepare bee pollen ethanolic extracts (BPE): Geniotrigona thoracica, Heterotrigona itama, and Tetrigona apicalis. The methodology used in this study was a trypan blue exclusion assay for cell proliferation activity in cultured breast adenocarcinoma human cell lines (MCF-7) and mammary epithelial human cell lines (MCF-10A). In addition, the therapeutic index (TI) was analyzed to assess the relative antiproliferative activity of BPE on cancer versus normal cells. Geniotrigona thoracica, BPE exhibited the highest therapeutic index (TI = 3.12) compared to H. itama (TI = 1.16) and T. apicalis (TI = 0.90) BPE. Each species represents different bioactive compounds due to different pollen foraging activities. Therefore, the highest TI species (G. thoracica) could be a potential candidate to be developed as a potential chemotherapeutic agent.

Characteristics of stingless bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Meliponini) from Universitas Andalas Limau manis campus complex and its implication in pollination and ecotourism

Stingless bees, of the tribe Meliponini, subfamily Meliponinae and family Apidae, have been renowned as honey-producing bees and pollinators. An inventory survey on stingless bees was conducted at Universitas Andalas campus complex (UACC) between 2019-2022 with the aim of documenting their morphological characteristics and nesting behavior that are important for developing meliponiculture. It used direct observation and specimen collection at nest entrances, along with plant species identification from around the nests. A total of nine (37 % of stingless bee species known in Sumatra), of four genera, were recorded at different nesting spots within UACC. Five species were under genus Tetragonula, two of genus Lepidotrigona, and one each for genera Tetrigona and Heterotrigona. Tetragonula fuscobalteata was the smallest species found in this study, reaching 3.2 mm body length and less than 3.5 mm wing length. On the other hand, Tetrigona apicalis was the biggest species, measuring 7 mm body length and more than 7.2 mm wing length. Tetragonula consists of members with small bodies and inhabit either anthropogenic areas or natural habitats such as tree hollows, fences, wall crevices or other forms of cavity. Thirty-one plant families were recorded as potential resources around the stingless bee colonies. These families are dominated by Fabacease, Asteraceae, Moraceae, Euphorbiaceae and Verbenaceae. There might be differences in capacity to provide nectar, pollen, resin or gum among plant families; however, the diversity of plant species in the community should be complementary in providing resources for stingless bee colony. The nine stingless bee species recorded in this study possess an array of potential for meliponiculture and aesthetic purposes. Anthropogenic-tolerant species can be possibly reared and aesthetically integrated with decorative aspects of human settlement. The knowledge on existing stingless bee species, along with their biological aspects become crucial in initiating meliponiculture system within the University boundaries, with possible venture can be extended into ecotourism where people come and enjoy the beekeeping within this scenic University environment. Key words: Stingless bees, Taxonomy, Morphological, Meliponiculture, Pollinator, Ecotourism, Campus

Surrogate species in pesticide risk assessments: Toxicological data of three stingless bees species

Discussions about environmental risk reassessment of pesticides have grown in the last decades, especially in tropical and subtropical regions since the diversity of bee species in these places is quite different. Stingless bees are highly affected by pesticides, and toxicity information is necessary to include them in the regulatory process of countries that hosts a diversity of these species. Therefore, the present study aimed to evaluate the Median Lethal Concentration (LC50), estimate the Median Lethal Dose (LD50) and compared the sensitivity of three species of stingless bees exposed to the commercial formulation of the neonicotinoid thiamethoxam (TMX). The LD50 was estimated based on the LC50 determined in the present study (LC50 = 0.329 ng a.i./μL for Tetragonisca angustula; 0.624 ng a.i./μL for Scaptotrigona postica, and 0.215 ng a.i./μL for Melipona scutellaris). Considering these data, toxicity endpoints were used to fit species sensitive distribution curves (SSD) and determine the sensitivity ratio. The results showed that all the stingless bees tested are more sensitive to TMX than the Apis mellifera, the model organism used in ecotoxicological tests. Regarding the oral LC50, the most susceptible and most tolerant species were M. scutellaris > T. angustula > S. postica > A. mellifera. Following the same evaluated pattern, for the LD50 (considering the weight of the bees - ng a.i./g bee), we have: M. scutellaris > S. postica > T. angustula > A. mellifera, and without the weight considered (ng a.i./bee): T. angustula > M. scutellaris > S. postica > A. mellifera. The different sensitivities among stingless bee species highlight the importance of inserting more than one surrogate species with a variety of sizes in research and protocol development. Additionally, the research suggests the need to investigate patterns regarding the influence of body mass on pesticide sensitivity among stingless bee species.

Bioactive Attributes and Analysis of Electronic Nose Feature Signals of Colombian Stingless Bees Propolis.

The volatile and non-volatile chemical composition and bioactivity of propolis from the species Apis mellifera has been widely studied, but there is very little knowledge regarding propolis of other bee species, which ultimately hinders their differentiation and potential use. In this work, 53 propolis samples of A. mellifera and four stingless bee species (Frieseomielitta sp., Melipona eburnea, Melipona sp., and Trigona sp.) were collected in Colombia. An electronic nose with 10 metal oxide semiconductor sensors (MOS) was used to generate a pattern of the representative volatile compounds of the samples. Ethanolic extracts were obtained to assess their antioxidant activity towards DPPH radical and ABTS radical cation, total phenolics, and color (CIELAB space). The results showed an overall similarity of the aromatic profiles between species. The antioxidant activity of Frieseomielitta sp. propolis was higher than that of A. mellifera and the other species, in correspondence with a higher phenolic content. CIELAB color parameter b* was the most differentiating variable among samples, indicating a variation of propolis colors between red and yellow. By combining the data from physico-chemical analysis and aromatic profile, it was possible to differentiate the propolis from each bee species, with the exception of those from Melipona sp. and Trigona sp., indicating their similarity. These results have practical significance since they are a starting point to recognizing and valuing native stingless bee propolis and their bioactive potential, which, in addition to geographical differentiation and further quality parameters evaluation, will enhance their commercial exploitation.

Efficiency of trap nests in attracting stingless bees in the central Brazilian Amazon

ABSTRACT Obtaining colonies of stingless bees in the wild for the formation or expansion of meliponaries and other purposes is permitted by law in Brazil using bait containers or trap nests, and other non-destructive methods. We tested the efficiency of trap nests made from plastic bottles for attraction and nesting of stingless bees in the central Brazilian Amazon. We used 2-L and 5-L bottles and three types of attractants (cerumen and geopropolis from Melipona seminigra, M. interrupta and a mix of the two). We used 216 trap nests distributed in three experimental areas during 13 months. Visitation by six species of stingless bees in 58 (26.9%) trap nests, and nesting by three species in 12 (5.6%) trap nests in two areas near meliponaries was recorded. There was no significant difference between trap-nest size, nor among attractants for visitation or nesting, suggesting that the availability of cavities or hollows is more important than odor for nesting. Monthly pooled visitation and nesting events were not correlated with monthly rainfall. Based on our results, we can conclude that, despite the low capture rate, the acquisition of swarms through nest traps is a viable alternative to obtain new colonies of stingless bees for meliponaries.

Characterization of probiotic properties and antimicrobial activity of lactic acid bacteria from stingless bee gut

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are known as the major group of probiotics that possess different beneficial properties. Several studies had reported the isolation of LAB from stingless bees. However, the isolation of LAB specifically from stingless bee gut is still limited. The bee microbiome frequently hosts LAB which demonstrated beneficial effects such as reducing bacterial and parasite infections as well as increasing honey output in beehives. This study aimed to characterize the probiotic properties and antimicrobial activity of LAB from stingless bee gut. A total of five LAB strains were successfully isolated from three different species of stingless bee known as Heterotrigona itama (HIT), Geniotrigona thoracica (GTH), and Tetragonula laeviceps (TLA). All LAB isolates were assessed for in vitro probiotic activity such as acid tolerance, bile salt tolerance, tolerance to simulated gastric juice, surface hydrophobicity, and also their antimicrobial activity. The percentage viability for acid tolerance at pH 3 after one hour incubation for these LAB isolates is 98.81% from TLA 2 whereas for bile salt tolerance after four hours is 92.98% from TLA 3.

Chemical composition of volatile components in the honey of some species of stingless bees

Using the technique of headspace solid-phase microextraction in combination with gas chromatography and mass spectrometric detection (HS-SPME/GC-MS), the composition of the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) of the honey of four species of stingless bees was studied in comparison with the honey of Apis mellifera bees. Peaks for 284 volatile components were registered on the chromatograms. Only eight components were present in all six studied samples. A high level of specificity in the composition of VOCs is a prerequisite for differentiating honey produced by different types of stingless bees and honey bees. Several specific features have been identified that are characteristic of the composition of VOCs in the honey of each species of stingless bees. These characteristics can be used to distinguish it from the honey of A. mellifera. The data obtained indicate the applicability of the HS-SPME/GC-MS technique for establishing the origin and for quality control of stingless bee honey.

Unusual mitochondrial tRNA rearrangements in stingless bee Tetragonula pagdeni and phylogenetic analysis

ABSTRACTTetragonula pagdeni (Hymenoptera: Meliponini) is a widely distributed and economically important stingless bee. The taxonomic status and evolution of this species have not been fully understood. We sequenced the mitogenome of T. pagdeni and analyzed its characteristics including gene rearrangements in present work, which will provide help for better protection and utilization of this germplasm resource. The mitochondrial genome sequence was obtained by establishing library and high‐throughput sequencing. Using all protein coding sequences joined, the phylogenetic analysis demonstrated that T. pagdeni has the closest kinship with Lepidotrigona species, and then has a second closest kinship with the Melipona stingless bees. All the stingless bee species (Meliponini) analyzed formed a single clade, and among them the T. pagdeni mitogenome exhibited the highest gene rearrangement score, suggesting this species has an overactive evolutionary history. Especially, an unusual tRNA‐Gly translocation was observed in T. pagdeni mitogenome, which broke the super‐conserved atp8‐atp6‐cox3‐G block in Hymenoptera mitogenomes. The translocated tRNA‐Gly moved to a position next to the D‐loop control region, and whether this translocation has a functional effect to the widely distributed T. pagdeni need further exploration. The variations of gene positions in mitogenome could also provide useful information to clarify the phylogenetic relations in Meliponini.

Comparative molecular cytogenetics in five species of stingless bees (Hymenoptera, Apidae)

Repetitive DNA sequences constitute a large portion of the eukaryotic genome. Despite their importance, only a few Meliponini species, especially those from the Melipona Illiger, 1806 genus, had some microsatellite sequences and the rDNA genes physically mapped. Therefore, in order to expand our knowledge on this genomic component of neotropical bees, in the present study we investigated the distribution of microsatellite sequences, including the telomeric repeat (TTAGG)6 and rDNA clusters, in the chromosomes of five stingless species, Cephalotrigona capitata (Smith, 1854), Partamona auripennis Pedro & Camargo, 2003, P. cupira (Smith, 1863), P. helleri (Friese 1900), and Tetragona elongata (Lepeletier & Serville, 1828). The microsatellite probes (GA)15, (GAG)10, and (CAA)10, revealed hybridization signals in the euchromatic regions of most chromosome pairs. The (GAG)10 probe, however, also yielded a positive signal in the heterochromatic arm of one chromosome pair of T. elongata. The telomeric (TTAGG)6 sequence hybridized to the ends of chromosome pairs, while signals for the 18S rDNA probe varied among the species. Here was demonstrated the karyotypic diversity that exists among five species of stingless bees in terms of repetitive sequences. These cytogenetic marker provides new information about the chromatin composition and rDNA cluster locations for five Meliponini species (three genera) and highlights the contribution of repetitive sequences to the karyotypic evolution of this tribe.

Chemical Profile and Antioxidant Capacity of Propolis from Tetragonula, Lepidotrigona, Lisotrigona and Homotrigona Stingless Bee Species in Vietnam.

The present study aimed to analyze and compare the chemical profile and antioxidant capacity of propolis from different bee species and different regions. The chemical profiles of propolis from six stingless bee species (Tetragonula iridipennis, T. laeviceps, Lepidotrigona terminata, L. ventralis, Lisotrigona carpenteri and Homotrigona apicalis) collected from a total of eight locations in Vietnam were investigated by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). More than 70 compounds were identified, amongst which phenolic lipids (cardanols, resorcinols and anacardic acids), aromatic acids, triterpenes and xanthones. Taxonomic markers for Mangifera indica (phenolic lipids and cycloartane triterpenes) were detected in propolis from bees of the genera Tetragonula and Lepidotrigona, although in different amounts, whereas propolis from H. apicalis was characterized by triterpenes of the amyrine type, typical of dipterocarp trees. A clear discrimination between both groups was observed by principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least squares-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA). Propolis from Tetragonula and Lepidotrigona spp. and from Lisotrigona carpenteri, which is rich in xanthones, possesses higher radical scavenging and ferric-reducing capacity than that from H. apicalis. Propolis produced by all six stingless bee species in Vietnam was analyzed for the first time. In addition, this is the first report on L. carpenteri propolis.

Body size as a proxy of probing time and visitation rates on cucumber by two African stingless bees increase fruit quality and seed quantity

Pollinators are of essential importance for sustainable agriculture. However, pollination efficiency depends on interacting factors such as pollinator behaviour and morphology. We compared the effect of probing time length and visit frequency of two distinct body size African stingless bee species (Meliponula bocandei, Dactylurina schmidti) as alternative pollinators to Apis mellifera scutellata on greenhouse cultivated cucumber. We found differences in morphometric characteristics, between a set of 9 body parameters. Bee body size was the morphological feature that varied the most among bee species. On average, body size was largest in honeybees, followed by M. bocandei, and finally D. schmidti, which was the smallest. Glossa length was different between the bee species: A. mellifera scutellata (2.86 ± 0.026 mm), M. bocandei (2.20 ± 0.031 mm), D. schmidti (0.72 ± 0.025 mm). Such differences among bee species in body parameters correspondingly affected nectar probing times during a single flower visit, which were different for the bee species. D. schmidti (3.34 ± 0.56 s) had the longest probing time, while M. bocandei (2.57 s) had the shortest. Fruit quality was strongly positively influenced by the visit duration during a single visit on female flowers. The slope of fruit quality produced was higher in flowers pollinated by M. bocandei. During a single flower visit, heavier and bigger fruits were obtained in the gold standard hand cross pollination and flowers pollinated by M. bocandei. The bee species and the number of visits significantly impacted fruit weight, fruit volume and number of seeds. Subsequent visit performed by M. bocandei positively impacted fruit quality. Three visits on a flower were enough to ensure the production of high-quality fruits. Fruit sweetness depended on the number of visits received by the flower, but not on the bee species that performed the visit. Altogether, our results indicate that the stingless bees M. bocandei is more an efficient pollinator of cucumber than A. m. scutellata and D. schmidti and can be recommended for use under greenhouse cultivation.

Chemical Composition and Biological Activity of Argentinian Propolis of Four Species of Stingless Bees.

The chemical composition of propolis of four species of stingless bees (SLBs) from Argentina was determined, and its antibacterial and anticancer activity was evaluated on selected types of microbes and cancer cell lines. Volatile secretions of all propolis samples are formed by 174 C2-C15 organic compounds, mainly mono- and sesquiterpenes and their derivatives. The chromatograms of ether extracts showed 287 peaks, of which 210 were identified. The most representative groups in the extracts of various propolis samples were diterpenoids (mainly resin acids), triterpenoids and phenolic compounds: long-chain alkenyl phenols, resorcinols and salicylates. The composition of both volatile and extractive compounds turned out to be species-specific; however, in both cases, the pairwise similarity of the propolis of Scaptotrigona postica and Tetragonisca fiebrigi versus that of Tetragona clavipes and Melipona quadrifasciata quadrifasciata was observed, which indicated the similarity of the preferences of the respective species when choosing plant sources of resin. The composition of the studied extracts completely lacked flavonoids and phenolcarboxylic acids, which are usually associated with the biological activity and medicinal properties of propolis. However, tests on selected microbial species and cancer cell lines showed such activity. All propolis samples tested against Paenibacillus larvae, two species of Bacillus and E. coli showed biofilm inhibition unrelated to the inhibition of bacterial growth, leading to a decrease in their pathogenicity. Testing the anticancer activity of ether extracts using five types of cell cultures showed that all four types of propolis studied inhibit the growth of cancer cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Propolis harvested by T. clavipes demonstrated the highest cytotoxicity on all tested cell lines.

Kelulut honey-filled pots detection using image processing based techniques

Kelulut bee is one of the stingless bee species in Malaysia, which is not dangerous to human. Honey from Kelulut bee can be used for the treatment of a variety of illness. The awareness of honey nutrition in our health makes it received high demands from the consumers. Traditionally, beekeepers did the manual inspection to check the honey-filled pots by using the straw or needle. The high demand from the consumers and the greater size of Kelulut beehive make it impractical to check manually all the honeypots which are time-consuming. The hygiene of the collected honey is also important to produce a good quality of honey. Hence, an automated honey-filled pots detection system is proposed to overcome these limitations. The proposed system will reduce the time consuming and less prone to error of the wrong estimation of honey-filled pots. MATLAB software is used to process the image of the Kelulut beehive which is challenging due to the overlapped honeypots in the image. Using the proposed algorithm, it can detect whether the pots filled with honey or not by using image processing techniques and it will analyse the image which represents the percentage amount of honey in the beehives.

Screening of Selected Stingless Bee Honey Varieties for ACE2-Spike Protein-Binding Inhibition Activity: A Potential Preventive Medicine Against SARS-Cov-2 Infection.

The broader objective of this study is to identify natural materials that might inhibit the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. We have focused on stingless bee honey, which has a unique taste that is both sweet and sour and sometimes bitter. We screened 12 samples of honey from 11 species of stingless bees using an angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2)-spike protein-binding assay and phytochemical analysis. Ten of the samples showed inhibition above 50% in this assay system. Most of the honey contained tannins, alkaloids, flavonoids, triterpenoids, carotenoids and carbohydrates. Our findings in this in vitro study showed that honey from stingless bees may have a potent effect against SARS-CoV-2 infection by inhibiting the ACE2-spike protein-binding.

Species redescription and nest architecture of Plebeia flavocincta (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Meliponini)

Bees are important insects both environmentally and economically. Despite this, most bee species are poorly characterized regarding their morphology and nesting habits, which are relevant characteristics for planning management and conservation. Plebeia flavocincta is a stingless bee species that occurs in the Northeast region of Brazil and there is little knowledge about its morphology and nesting biology. Here, we morphologically characterize Plebeia flavocincta workers from 54 colonies and use seven colonies to describe the structure of the species’ nest. All nests were found in seasonally dry forest areas in different substrates, namely, hollow of native trees, wall, post, and wooden boxes. The structure of the species’ nest was detailed in terms of the number, shape, and area of the combs; brood cell size; size of food pots; nest size; and honey volume. Plebeia flavocincta is found in both natural and urban environments. The structure of the nest of Plebeia flavocincta is similar to that found in other species of the same genus. This is the first nest diagnosis study of the species. In addition, by establishing morphological data to recognize Plebeia flavocincta, this study provides useful information for management and conservation plans for the species.

Stingless Bee (Apidae: Apinae: Meliponini) Ecology.

Stingless bees form perennial colonies of honey-making insects. The >600 species of stingless bees, mainly Neotropical, live throughout tropical latitudes. Foragers influence floral biology, plant reproduction, microbe dispersal, and diverse ecosystem functions. As tropical forest residents since the upper Cretaceous, they have had a long evolutionary history without competition from honey bees. Most stingless bees are smaller than any Apis species and recruit nest mates to resources, while their defense strategies exclude stinging behavior but incorporate biting. Stingless bees have diversified ecologically; excel in nesting site selection and mutualisms with plants, arthropods, and microbes; and display opportunism, including co-opting plant defenses. As their biology becomes better known, applications to human endeavors are imposing selective pressures from exploitation and approaches to conservation that entail colony extraction from wildlands. Although some meliponines can adjust to new conditions, their populations shall require tropical diversity for survival and reproduction.

Foraging range of an African stingless bee, Hypotrigona gribodoi (Apidae: Meliponini)

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