A key to the genera and subgenera of stingless bees in Indonesia (Hymenoptera: Apidae)

Abstract

Indonesia harbors the greatest diversity of social bees in all of Asia, particularly of the stingless bees (Apidae: Apinae: Meliponini). Presently, 46 species of stingless bees are known across Indonesia although records are not comprehensive and additional diversity is likely present across the region. All of the known Asiatic genera of Meliponini occur in Indonesia, making this region a critical center of modern stingless bee biodiversity in Asia. Presented here is an illustrated key to the genera and subgenera of Indonesian stingless bees, as an aid to the general identification, study, and conservation of these critical pollinators.

Melissopalynological analysis of honey produced by two species of stingless bees in Lombok Island, Indonesia

“…Honey samples obtained from nine areas in Lombok Island were produced by two species of stingless bee, Heterotrigona itama, and Tetragonula laeviceps. These two stingless bee species actually have wide distribution areas in Indonesia (Engel et al 2018), and based on the information gathered from the beekeeper Lombok, these two species are easy to care for and they will not leave the hive or escape to other places when food sources are low or times of food scarcity. This was in line with the statement of Thakodee et al (2018) that stingless bees might change their foraging strategy from economic plants to weed plants if the presence of agricultural or plantation crop plants becomes scarce.…”

“…Honey is produced by honey bees from various species including stingless bees, such as Tetragonula laeviceps and Heterotrigona itama. There are 46 species of stingless bees recorded in Indonesia with two of them, T. laeviceps and H. itama, which have regional distribution in Asian countries (Engel et al 2018). Honey produced by stingless bees has the potential to be promoted as a natural product with various medicinal properties.…”

Southeast Asian Meliponiculture for Sustainable Livelihood

“…All structures on the prosoma are used to interact with their environment. For stingless bee identification, the size, shape, and number of teeth on the mandibles have been used as the primary key characteristics [4,13].…”

“…Most internal organs and systems are found in this body part, including digestive organs, ventral nervous system, circulatory system, and reproductive organs [4,14]. (6) ocelli, (7) pronotum, (8) tegula, (9) scutellum, (10) propodium, (11) forewing, (12) hind wing, (13) hind tibia, (14) pollen basket or corbicula, (15)…”

Notes on Papuasian and Malesian stingless bees, with the descriptions of new taxa (Hymenoptera: Apidae)

“…Nonetheless, thorny problems persist among the genus Tetragonula Moure, the most species-rich of the genera and where distinctions among species can be notoriously subtle, sometimes better recognized by their diagnostically different nesting biologies than obvious morphological traits (e.g., Sakagami et al, 1983;. A key to the Papuasian genera and subgenera of stingless bees was provided by Engel & Rasmussen (2017), while a general key to the Indomalayan-Australasian genera was provided by Rasmussen et al (2017) and Engel et al (2018). Herein I provide various taxonomic notes on species of the genus Heterotrigona Schwarz, the second largest genus of Asiatic Meliponini.…”