Distributional analysis of Melipona stingless bees (Apidae: Meliponini) in Central America and Mexico: setting baseline information for their conservation

Abstract

-Melipona stingless bee species of Central America and Mexico are important ecologically, culturally, and economically as pollinators and as a source of food and medicine. Despite their importance, however, information on their distribution patterns is limited. We propose potential distribution models for 11 Melipona species in the region. Our main findings support previous data which suggest a revision of the taxonomic status of some species (e.g., M. yucatanica ), and set a baseline on the conservation status of other species, challenging previous reports (e.g., M. beecheii ). Our models show that 20 % or less of the areas of predicted presence are under protection, with large proportions corresponding to low-intensity cropland, offering conservation alternatives in disturbed landscapes. This information will assist further studies on potential conservation strategies, and will aid in analyzing and formulating hypotheses regarding the biogeography of these species.

Nesting ecology and the cultural importance of stingless bees to speakers of Yoloxóchitl Mixtec, an endangered language in Guerrero, Mexico

“…The unidentified species ñu 1 ñu 4 na' 4 nu 3 is probably Melipona fasciata Latreille based on the description of the nest, body color, habitats, and species distribution. It appears to be locally extinct, which is not surprising given that species of Melipona Illiger are highly sensitive to changes in ecology and landscape (e.g., Brown and Albrecht 2001;Yurrita et al 2017). Our consultants also mentioned the arrival of Africanized honey bees as another cause of the absence of ñu 1 ñu 4 na' 4 nu 3 in Yoloxóchitl.…”

Registros nuevos de abejas sin aguijón (Apidae: Meliponini) para los estados de Chiapas y Oaxaca, México

“…Plebeia frontalis y Trigona fulviventris son comunes en las selvas húmedas y secas, y menos frecuentes en regiones montañosas por arriba de los 900 m. De Frieseomelitta nigra se tienen pocos registros en Chiapas, sin embargo, en Oaxaca está presente en la costa y el centro del estado y se les observa en gran variedad de tipos de vegetación y climas (tabla 1). M. beecheii está presente a lo largo de ambas costas de México: en la costa del golfo de México se presenta desde la península de Yucatán hasta Tamaulipas y en la costa del Pacífico, se ha registrado entre Jalisco y Sinaloa, luego desaparece o es poco frecuente en Colima, Michoacán, Guerrero y Oaxaca, pero reaparece en Chiapas , Yurrita et al, 2016. Trigonisca pipioli tiene también una distribución amplia, a lo largo de ambas costas (no tan al norte como M. beecheii) y está presente en el interior de Oaxaca, pero se tienen pocos registros de esta especie.…”

“…La primera se presenta en altitudes que van de 900 a 2,500 m, en bosques templados y mesófilos de Oaxaca, Guerrero y Michoacán (Reyes-González et al, 2017). El rango de Melipona fasciata es similar al del P. fulvopilosa, pero más amplio, estando presente en la ladera sur del Eje Volcánico Transversal en Morelos y Michoacán, así como en la sierra Madre del Sur entre Guerrero y Oaxaca, en altitudes entre los 560 y 2,700 m, mayormente en bosques templados y mesófilos Yurrita et al, 2016). En Oaxaca P. fulvopilosa se presenta en las sierras Norte y Sur, así como en el centro del estado.…”

Biodiversity and Stage of the Art of Three Pollinators Taxa in Mexico: An Overview

“…The diversity and distribution of stingless bees present in Mexico is well known [54][55][56][57]. The genera Trigona and Scaptotrigona were among the ones with more occurrences recorded in GBIF/iNaturalist (Figure 4).…”

“…Therefore, the 2063 bee species found in Mexico in our study should be a conservative estimate of the real bee biodiversity in Mexico due to outdated data, the unwell studied regions, and the unidentified species. The diversity and distribution of stingless bees present in Mexico is well known [54][55][56][57]. The genera Trigona and Scaptotrigona were among the ones with more occurrences recorded in GBIF/iNaturalist (Figure 4).…”